Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1906-02-10

along with everything else. The average
pair OF $3.50 shoes lasts only a few weeks.
The stitches rot out in week or so and
the soles drop OF Shoes that are pegged
with the ordinary iron nails do not last
any longer, for the pegs rust out and the
soles drop off just the same. The only kind
OF shoes we, here on the tunnel survey.
have been able to get any satisfaction from
are those that are fastened with the old
fashioned wooden pegs They go to pieces.
too, but they last longer than the others.
Another trouble that makes life miser-
able a great deal OF the time here with us
in the interior is from boils. We get them
1 suppose. from wading the rivers and
swamps and blowing through the Jungle
for they come only on our legs. Some OF
the men are covered with these boils. They
are unusually painful and men are laid up
with them two and three days at a time.
ITO anyone in the states who doubts
that the climate in the canal zone is
insidious as l have painted II. | should
like to show some of the natives, Column
5ians they call themselves, who work with
us and who were born and have always
lived here. Everybody knows that any
tropical climate\tends 20 have a demoral-
izing effect on any person who halls from
more hardy zone. The miserable wretches
that the United States government is
forced to employ to do all the manual work
on the canal seem to me to illustrate the
fact that this climate will demoralize even
a monkey.
These poor creatures become indignant
when any of the engineers call them Mig
gers" for they consider themselves much
better than Africans. Yet men here who
have been all over the world declare that
they are the nearest thing TO the connect
ing link OF any people they ever saw. They
have no morals. live together almost like
cattle and believe in all manner OF low
and foolish superstitions A woman is the
highest form of possession among them.
The women are fairly independent, too, for
IL the man one OF them happens 10 be
living with fails to work, she speedily
kicks him out and looks up a more indus
trious mate. Most of the fights among
the men are over the women.
Canal VIII lie Dug.
I'm spite of the climate and the many
other obstacles with which the govern
ment has to contend, everyone here believes
that the canal will be dug. The engineers
seem to be pretty well agreed, however.
that the enterprise Will eventually be
turned largely over TO private contractors.
Red tape and precautions ana checks TO
prevent the possibility OF graft, or OF
reckless expenditures, will forever stand
in the way of the governments digging
the big ditch in the quickest time at the
lowest cost. Materials and supplies OF any
great amount have TO be ordered from
Washington, where the government calls
for bids, and after many weeks of dis
astrous delay finally ships the desired tools
or machinery. II a private contractor in
charge OF a certain section of the work
wanted $4,000 worth of shovels or OF any
thing else, he would order direct from
some company in New York and twenty
four hours after his order was received the
would be on the way. Delay
means expense In such n work as this.
Then. too. about a great government work
Of this kind there is no one in absolute au-
thority 70 give orders when orders are
most needed. Chief Engineer Stevens does
not enjoy the absolute authority that makes
for expediating a great work OF this kind;
neither does Chairman Shonts. One man
Is a check on another. Even for an order
for some trivial materials or supplies.
which is nlled by the material and supply
department on the isthmus, II takes weeks
and weeks for an engineer to get what he