Albuquerque citizen. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1907-1909, 1907-11-02
$4,000 LABORtRS ARE
WORKING ON JOB
A Country OF Great Possibilities
Skilled Labor Receives Good
Pay---Ldnd to be Had for
25C an ACre---PrOS-
poets for Gold.

After a journey around the world
and an absence of twenty-three
years. John NJ. McCafferty, writer
mining engineer and one of the most
fluent and interesting takers to be
met anywhere, has returned to AL
buquerque to recuperate constitu-
ton badly run down by prolonged
stay in the canal zone.
Was in Albuquerque in 1882.
Mr.. McCafferty is a man of SO
years of age, though he does not
look more than sos he started In his
career as reporter on the New
York Tribune under Horace Greeley,
but soon was convinced that news
paper work was not exactly suited
to his tastes wherefore he studied
mining engineering and has pursued
that calling ever since. In 1872 Mr..
McCafferty first came to the south
west and at that time he had sew
eral thrilling encounters with the
Indians in the course OF his pros
pecting excursions. In 1882 he came
to Albuquerque for a short while
and became Interested enough in the
city at that time TO buy a lot on
Gold avenue, there being small
boom in Albuquerque real estate
then. AS he soon left the city and
neglected to keep up the payment or
his taxes. the lot was probably sold
for taxes years ago. This is the first
visit of Mr.. McCafferty since 1882,
and he was greatly surprised to see
what a fine city the pioneer town he
knew had developed into.
Isthmus Canal.
"There are $4,000 laborers at
work on the 1sthmus canal az the
present time,' said Mr.. McCafferty,
"and fully 10000 of these are ia
maica negroes. Americans, Italians,
and Spaniards from Cuba make up
the bulk of the remainder. The Ja-
maicans are paid but ten cents an
hour for their labor and the labor
is scarcely worth that small amount.
Yet though he does not earn any
more than he receives, the poor ne
gro suffers many hardships and can
barely subsist upon that starvation
rate of wage. Previous 10 the es-
tablishment of the government mess
houses a few months ago II was
frequent occurance for negroes to
die as the result of lack of suffi-
cient nourishment. Now these labor
ers can get meals at ten cents apiece
at the government mess houses and
were IL not for the rotten meat and
inferior canned goods supplied by
the government contractors, their
condition would not be so bad. A
better grade of mess houses are
provided for those who can afford
TO pay more. The American, Italian
and Spanish laborers receive about
three times as mucn wages dS the
Jamaica negroes. l believe 1t
would pay the government to i'm
port all American laborers to do the
canal work and pay them high wages
the work would be accomplished
accomplished faster, better and
cheaper.
Jamaica Negro Poor Labor.
zone white man can do five times
as much as a Jamaica negro and one
northern negro would do at least
three times as much In my opinion
the rate at which the work is now
being done on the canal 1t will cost
between five and seven hundred mill
lion dollars before the canal is COM
pleted.
Good Wages for Skilled Labor.
"Sklled labor commands high
prices i'm the canal zone and 81 the,
mechanics had the right ideas about
economy and proper living they
could lay up a snug fortune for
themselves. Mechanics earn as high
as S300 a month. Clerks and stenO-
graphers receive as high as $3.50
month and their living quarters are
provided free. Excellent meals in
the government eating houses can
be had for 80 cents a meal. The sale
of bad whisky is responsible for
two-thirds Of the sickness among the
labOrers according to the sanitary
commissioner in charge. While the
government has prohibited public
gambling in the zone II allows the
whisky shops to run full blast for
the sake Of the big revenue gained
thereby.
Mosquitoes Scarce.
"The efforts of the sanitary COM
mission 10 make the canal zone
healthful place to live in have been
miraculously successful. There is
scarcely a misquito there now and
malaria and yellow fever are almost
unheard of. In the last year and
half since the men have begun
bringing their families TO live with
them In the zone there has not
been a single death of a woman or
child from any troplca! disease. In
deed the climate OF the Panama
region is healthful If the ordinary
sanitary precautions are taken. The
nights are always cool and the high
est temperature In the day time is
about 81. The average day time
temperature the year around is
about 75.
Soil Most Productive.
The regions In the neighborhoOd
of the canal are capable OF produce
Ing all manner OF farm produce II
they were opened 10 settlement by
the government. In the native mar
kets the prices Of food are outrage
ously high. Cabbages sell at a dol
lar a head, meat of any kind at 40
cents a pound, rice 20 cents a pound
ana other commodities in proper
Continued on Page Three.)