The citizen. (Honesdale, Pa.) 1908-1914, 1910-09-23
HER VIEWS OF PANAMA.
Miss Freeman Presents Them Enter
tainly and Concisely, As You Can
See.


tainly and Concisely, As You Can
See.
The following impressions of her
recent Panama trip were written for
The Citizen, on the personal solci-
tation of its publisher, by Miss Net
tie Freeman, whose pen works like
that of trained newspaper woman:
The Panama canal is the biggest
undertaking in the history of man;
$4,000 men are employed. About
10000 of these are negroes, 1000
Spaniards and 5000 Americans To
properly feed and house this army
of men is another great problem;
$4,000 loaves of bread are sent out
every morning from the government
bakery and every five days a ship
load of refrigerated beef arrives at
Colon for the use of government em-
ployes only. All along the canal
there are 26 hotels, "a messes for
European laborers and "a kitchens
for West Indian laborers. The larg-
est hotel is the Trivole at Panama,
which cost 100000.
The building of the Suez canal was
regarded as a great undertaking, but
it is small compared with building
of Panama canal, as the construc-
tion there was through a level desert
of land Here great rivers are en-
countered and mountains must be
crossed. From the top of Celebra
cut to the bottom of the completed
canal will be a depth of 610 feet.
This cut is 8 miles long. So far at
the summit $40 have been excavated,
counting what the French did, and
we have 80 feet yet to excavate.
Col. Goethals is cZar of the lsthmus.
He has more power in the republic
of Panama than president of the re-
public. He has been prominent
among army engineers for more than
80 years.
How much will the Panama canal
cost? Col. Goethel, probably the
best living authority, says 1915, 5,000,-
600 complete. OF this amount $780,
100000 has been expended But
this does not take into account the
money spent by the French, which
is said to be between $500, 100000
French S4,OOO,000 for the canal. 1t
is said the canal will be completed
in 1915. A million and half dol
lars are being spent in wages
month at Panama.
The French, who failed to COM
plete the canal, paid no attention to
| its workmen. Uncle Sam makes a
speciality of taking good care of his
workers on the Isthmus. The streets
! of Panama and Colon are paved
with vitrified brick from America
and sanitary conditions are careful
ly looked after.
Wherever you go along the canal,
you find workmen cutting grass and
| oiling the pools of water, to drive
out the mosquitoes and flies which
| spread disease. In the days when
the French were trying to dig a
canal at Panama thousands of labor
ers died of disease, as they did at
| Suez. Between Colon and Panama
| there is a railroad station known as
| Matachun. The word means kill
| a Chinaman.' 1t is said that dur
ing the French days 40 Chinese lab
orers joined hands and walked into
| the Chagres river, where they have
| drowned. They committed suicide
rather than face yellow fever. The
| Chagres river is one of the great
| problems in connection with the
canal. 1t is an insignificant river,
| but subject to great floods. The
route of the canal crosses the Cha
gres river II times between Colon
and Panama and when the canal is
completed, the valley of the Chagres
will become a vast lake. This Cha
gres river was an enemy to the
French. At Gatum, when the canal
is completed, there will be great
dam, which will hold the Chagres
river. The Gatun locks will raise
vessels to height of 50 feet. A mil
lion pounds of dynamite a month are
used on the Panama canal. Eight
hundred machines are used in drill
ling holes. The big steam shovels
handle rock as easily as they handle
earth.
Twelve railroad trains are requir-
ed to transport to and from this
work the men who are employed on
the Panama canal The eight-houT
law is enforced as far as possible, al
though some of the men work only
six hours, while some of them claim
that they work 9 and 10 hours. The
men receive better pay here than
similar workers receive in the United
States. Men with families pay nc
house rent and are able to buy sup
plies from government at cost
White men occupy all responsible
positions and are known as gold en-
ployes, while negroes are known as
silver employees. Every gold en-
ploye is given an annual vacation oi
40 days on pay. There are unions
in Panama, but the big canal is real
ly an open shop.
The social problem in the cana
zone is serious, also amusing. The
social standing of white families is
regulated by the pay of the head oi
the house. Col. Goethals hears com
plants from whoever cares to apply
to him. One Sunday a woman ap
peared before him to complain be
cause a woman S25 a month below