Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1907-03-28
tire time was devoted to investigating the

tire time was devoted to investigating the
progress Of tho work and to making per-
sonal inspection OF the course to be trav-
ersed, the plan to be followed and the
progress already made.
| Each day a train was put at our dis
posal and persons were detailed to afford
us facilities for inspecting the work. the
quarters OF the laborers, the food and
water furnished them and ali other con-
dluons upon the zone. The result was
gratifying to us all. The preliminary work,
which was or gigantic proportions. is
practically completed and the actual
work on the canal Is progressing rapidly
and successfully
| mo one on the work questions for
moment the feasibility of the task and
1t makes one proud of his country to note
what has been done by Uncle Sam for
the comfort and security of the laborers
engaged in the work. No one will ever he
able to say that the United States
sacrificed human life in order to secure
the canal. Comfortable villages have
been constructed all along the line of
the canal. in which arc housed the en-
ployes. These houses are light and airy.
They have an abundant supply of pure
water and every village has its own
sewer system.
There is near Panama one Of the finest
hospitals to be found anywhere as we'll
as smaller institutions In other parts OF
the zone. There are viglant health Of
ncers and equally vlgilant police OFFICERS.
There are free schools for the children
seven or eight Y. NJ. c. A. buildings with
their, places of amusement. and at least
q q hn 1Na1t ala
be difficult to suggest anything that could
be done for the comfort and weIl-he,ny
OF the employees on the canal that has
not been provided by our government
| yellow fever Is now unknown there
while the mosquito pest IA alnos. 30
terminated. The houses are all screa,ad
so they are absolutely free of the nest
The death rate Is low and the disease that
Is most troublesome at present Is pneu
monia.
TO understand the magnitude Of Tho
preliminary work" continued Mr. Foster
1t must be borne in mind that tho canal
zone is eco miles from New York. that
there was no timber on the zone and tina,
therefore everything to be used directly
or indirectly In the construction OF the
canal had to be taken to the zone
| Inc villages above referred to vera
built OF lumber. nails and iron taken from
me United States. Every locomotive.
every steam shovel or other machine
every car for use In the canal work Is
first manufactured in the United States,
then knocked to pieces, transferred 70
ICoion and taken on the railroad to the
large machine shops that have been con-
structed about midway across the !sthrnus
ana there put together again Repair
shops had TO be built where all of the
machinery could be sent to be repaired
! men. at the very start an army Of
Jamaican negroes armed with machetes
lor native axes, were sent forward to cut
the way through the jungle where it was
intended to construct the canal. This ter
fltory next had to be burned over and
lcltes had to he prepared for the villages
After the villages were completed came
the work of securing and organizing the
Iemployes. To-day there are employed on
the canal zone about 5000 people Proba-
bly, 10000 Of these are jamaican negroes
The other 1900 include Spaniards. Italians
land Americans.
The negroes presented che most diff
cult problem. AT first the government
paid them so much per hour and lodged
lthen, letting them furnish their own food
This plan did not work we'll as the negroes
would content themselves with a banana
or piece OF sugar cane and were conse-
Iquenty unable to do good work The
second plan was to pay them by the hour,
lodge them and furnish uncooked rations
This plan worked mo better, the blacks
proving to be too ndolent to cook the
food thus furnished. So now the
government pays them for their
labor. lodges and feeds them
Gradually the worthless ones have been
weeded out and Jackson Smith, the mem
bcr of the Panama commission who has
charge of these employees. says that the
efficiency of the negroes has increased a
per cent.
The man to whom most credit belongs
for the successful completion of this
preliminary work is Chief Engineer
Stevens who a few weeNs ago sent his
resignation to President Roosevelt We
found that Mr.. Stevens was the most
popular man on the zone Everyone was
singing his praises. telling of the wonder
full work lie had done IN the way of
organizing the forces FOR work and re-.
GREETING that he was preparing TO leave
the task. So we were all very anxious to
hear from his own lips the reason why
he resigned. He frankly told us that he
was at the point Of breaking down
physically. that he had devoted himself
so completely to the work and had be-
come so absorbed in it that for tho three
weeks then last passed he had not been
able to sleep three hours without the
assistance of a sleeping powder, OF
course we all agreed with him that he