Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1907-04-24

purposes, Key West is as far from
any considerable base of supplies as
is the lsthmus of Panama. The Gil
mate, although in winter delightful
is almost tropical in summer. La.
borers, as well as maintenance ana
construction supplies must be brougn.
from distance, many of them fro u
as far north as Philadelphia and New
York, and are, therefore, acclimated.
Even the water supply for both
favor of the governments digging
men and machinery must be trans
ported, much of it more than 100
miles, in tank cars and steamers.
There's perhaps an argument in
favor of the governments digging
the canal on it's own initiative in the
great undertaking of Henry Nj. Flag
Ter. Not contractor has been
employed during the whole course OF
the work Both the operation OF
the main line of the road and the
construction of the extension are be
ing carried ON by the company itself
l..
j. X. Parrot, the vice-president of the
company, and Mr.. Flagler's right.
hand man in all his enterprises in
Florida.
Naturally, one Of the most import
ant items in the roblem was an ade-
quate supply of competent labor
From the first it was recognized thai
only under the best of conditions
would men of the class required en-
dure the isoation from town life
and the natural hardships of the
work. The fact that 20 per cent of
the men now engaged on the work
are old hands who were there last
year, went north again to escape last
summers heat and mosquito season
and at the beginning of winter re-
turned, goes far to prove that the con
struction camps along the Florida
Keys are models of their illnd, and
that it is not necessary to subdivide
the work among contractors.
At the long Key viaduct camp a
division of 500 men are quartered
N
This is one of the points of perma-
nent occupation; the buildings are of
wood Each laborer has a good
clean bunk a mattress filled with
cut sponge, which makes an ideal
bed, and a mosquito bar in addition
to the wire netting with which the
doors and windows of the house
are covered. There is also a barber
shop where charges are low and tips
rare, and in a separate building a
free library well stocked with papers
and magazines and books. The field
hospital maintained at this camp is
in the care of a competent surgeon,
and is supported in part by the $3.50
charged each man for transportation
on the company's boats back to Mi
ami The additional expense fs
borne by the company.
general hospital for the workmen
is located at Miami, From $4,000
to $4,000 is spent every year on
medical attendance and supplies for
the men employed at the various
camps. an item of expense sufficient.
ly large to make it matter of self
interest for the company to see that
wholesome food and sanitary quarters
keep it at a minimum
On some of the work it has been
necessary to house the workmen in
floating dormitories or households.
which are lowed along as the work
permanent settings with substantial
progresses. The larger islands have
frame buildings which probably viii
remain in use after the road is com
pleted. at other places tents are
pitched at high points on the rocky
islets, and the construction force pre-
sents tie appearance OF a veritable
army with its neat rows Of white
canvas tents. its well-kept temporary
streets. and its general air OF martial
spick-and-spanness
At each camp there is a commits
sary where SUPPLIES Of the best grade