The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1906-12-21
PRESIDENT ROOSEVELT TELLS Of HIS
TRIP To THE |STHMUS OF PANAMA

OF observing what a Dcen zone. we
slept at the Hotel Tivoli, at Ancon,
which is on a hill directly outside Of
the city of Panama, but in the zone.
SECOND DAY.
On Friday morning We left the hotel
at Z o'clock and spent the day going
thru the Culebra cut-the spot IN which
most work will have to De done in any
event. We watched the different steam
shovels working; we saw the drilling
and blasting; we saw many of the dirt
rains (of the two different types uscd),
both carrying the dirt away from he
steam shovels and depositing it or the
dumps-some Of the dumps Being run
out in the jungle merely TO get rid of
the earth. while in other cases they
are being used for double tracking The
railway. and in preparing 10 build the
great dams. | visited many Of the
different villages, inspecting thOrOiy
many different buildingS-the local re-
ceiving hospitals, the houses in when
the unmarried white WOrkmen live;
also the quarters Of the white married
EMPLOYEES and of the married cOlOrcd
employees; as we'll as the c0mmi5SaIy
stores, the bath houses. the Water-cl Is
cts. the cook sheds for the cOlOTed
labOrerS. and the government cinteenS,
or hotels. at which most Of the white
employees take their meals. | went
thru the machine shops. During n
day ! talked with score CT different
Observation-Disclosures and heads of de
| m divisions, and bureaus;
steam-Shoyel men, machiniStS, cOnduc--
Ors. engineers. clerks, wives OF the
American employees, health officers,
colOred labOrersv cOlOred
| and managers Of the cOmmiSSary stores
| where food is Sold to the COlOred labor
ers; wives of the cOlOred employees
who are married. In the evening mad
an interview with the British consul.
Mr.. Mallet, Il gentleman who for many
| years has well and hOnorably repre-
scented the British government on the
ISthmuS of Panama and VINO mas Il
peculiar relation to our work because
the bulk of the cOlOred labOrerS come
from the British West Indies. ! also
saw the French consul, Mr., Gey, = gem
! tleman of equally long service and n
Orabla record. | saw the ~lleutenantS,
! the chief executive and administrative
| officers, under the engineering n san
| itary departments. | also saw ami lad
| lOnk talks with two deputat1OnS-0ne
| Of machinistS and n representing the
railway men of the dirt trainS-llSten-
ing to what they had to say as TO the
rate of pay and various other matters
II going over, as much In detail as
possible. all the different questions
they brought up. AS to some matters
was able to meet their wishes: as 10
others, | felt that what they requested
could not be done consistently with my
duty to the United States government
as Il whole; as to yet Others | reserved
Judgment.
THIRD DAY.
On Saturday morning We started at
s O'Clock from the hotel. We went
thru the Culeb1a cut stopping off % see
the marines, and also to investigate
certain towns; one of white employees,
as to which in certain respects conf
plant had been made to me; and an
other town | wanted to see certain
houses Of the colored employees. We
went over the site of the proposed Ga
tun dam, having on the first day in
spected the sites of the proposed La
Boca and SOsa dams. We vent out on
a little toy railway to the reservoir,
which had been built to supply the
people of Colon with water for their
houses. There We took lunch 1t the
engSneers' mess. We then went thru
the stores and shops of CristObal, IN
specting carefully the houses Of both
white and cOtOred employees, married.
and unmarried, together with the Ot:1eT
buildings. We then went to Colon and
saw the fire department at work, i'll
four minutes from the signal the en-
gines had come down to Front street,
and twenty-one 2 1-2-inch hose pipes
were raising stream OF water about
IS feet high. We rode about Colon,
thru the various streets, paved. IN
paved. and in process OF paving, look
ing at the bitches, sewers, Curbln2, ana
the lights. | then went over the Colon
hospital in order to compare 1t With
the temporary town or field receiving
hospitals which l had already seen and
inspected. l also inspected some OF the
dwellings of the employees. In the
evening | attended 4 reception given by
the American employees OF the 18th
mus. which took place ON n of the
docks in Colon. and from there went
, aboard the Louisiana.
Each day from twelve to eighteen
hours were spent in going over and in
specting all there q to be Seen, and
in examining various employees. Toru-
out my trip l was accompanied by the
surgeon-genera' of the navy. Doctor
Rixey; by the chairman Of the istn-
milan canal commission. Mr.. Shonts;
by Chief Engineer Stevens; by Docto;
Gorgas, the chief sanitary officer of the
commission; by Mfr. Bishop, the secre,
tary Of the commission; by Mr.. Rip
ley, the principal assistant engineer
by Mr.. jackson Smith. who has has
practical charge Of collecting and hand
nng the laboring forces; by Mr.. Bieri
general manager of the railway, and by
Mr.. Rogers, the general counsel of tn;
commission; and many other official:
joined us from time to time.
At the outset l wish to pay Il tri5ut,
to the amount of work done BY IL:
French Canal Company under very Glf
fcult circumstances. Many OF theb build