Arizona republican. [volume] (Phoenix, Ariz.) 1890-1930, 1908-08-05
The Panama Canal
Ix-PAYING OFF.

! Empire, Canal one, Aug. At
takes eighteen tons of silver and
about 1900 pounds of gold to pay off
the canal force each month. 1t
takes five men three full days,
working nearly eleven hours a day.
to hand across the counter enough
money to settle the monthly bill for
skilled and unskilled labor. Money
| is handled like 50 many brick, or so
much sand. Ii loses all interest to
the pay clerks, and they cease even
to make it a subject of jest Pay
day begins on the morning of the
18th and lasts until the evening of
the 18th of each month. Before this
time the pay tickets have all been
made out in accordance with the
accounts of the time keeper; and the
Panamanian silver has been counted
out and wrapped up in packages of
five dollars and multiples thereof.
If you happen to be in Empire
about 8 o'clock in the morning on
the 18th of any month and are
awake. you will see half dozen Ian
terms moving from different points
towards the disbursing office. And
then you will hear the rumble Of
nan a dOLtll Md6OIiS bOll6 Ill the
same direction. Over in the distance
Gold Hill and Culebra Mountain
stand like lone sentinels guarding
the isthmian strong box. If you were
not initiated you might think some
revivified buccaneers or freebooters
of the old Spanish Main had planned
a raid on the several million dollars
of gold and silver stored there But
it is only the pay force going to
load the pay car. The vaults in
which the money is stored are made
of concrete in which are embedded
all sorts of old iron, from steel rails
to horseshoes, to give it security.
The vault doors are opened and
while dozen zone policemen, armed
to the teeth, stand around and see
it well done, a half dozen brawny
Spaniards carry the gold and silver
out to the wagons. The bags of sill
yer, each holding $1,000 weigh fifty
eight pounds each. The gold is car
ried in bags having $4,000 in each
Six tons of silver and about $4,000
in gold are carried out into the
wagons, and then the jack o'lantern
parade proceeds to the pay car a
half mile in the distance. The mon
ey is loaded into it, and by sunrise
all hands are ready for breakfast
This is eaten in shifts, half the force
staying with the pay car while the
other half goes to breakfast BY 6
o'clock breakfast is over and the pay
train starts for La Boca, the Pacific
end of the canal, where the paying
off begins.
E,ycalIapt
made for handling the crowds of la
borers. In the pay car there are five
doors on each side, opposite each
other. At one end is one center
door, and at the other end two doors,
one in each corner. The silver"
men are lined up on the right hand
side of the car in four files. -Four
streams of men are kept pouring
through the car all the time A half
dozen policemen line up the laborers.
As one comes to the counter of the
pay clerk he is commanded to take
off his hat and produce his metal
Identification check. The policeman
stationed at the counter examines
the pay check and the Identification
check. If the numbers on them cor
respond the pay clerk takes it,
throws the amount of money called
for into the hat of the laborer, and
commands him to pass on. There is
no time for the laborer to count his
money, but on the outside of the
car there are several plain clothes
members of the police force who
keep weather eye out to see that
they do not make away with a part
of their money and then come back !