Charlevoix county herald., 1910-07-02

OF the early days of the oil business an
In California and the great panic OF ~
1898
The company has been doing a
large business the east coast in bigh-grade
standardized asphaltum for many years and as it
was necessary to ship the products of their Cali
lorna refineries across the continent or around
the Horn in order to get them to the market they
decided to lay pipe line across the sthmus and
send the crude oil down the coast from California
in their steamers and then up the Atlantic coast
10 New York or Philadelphia where it could be
refined.
The laying of the line and construction of the
pump stations ntrusted to Mr. r. w Fem
A y {. g., who had not only been with the COM
pany for many years, but had also lived in a num-
Der of the South American republics and was ac-
customed to the health conditions and TO handling
native and Jamaican labor Six months time
was given the company under their concession
from the United States government dating from
January 10, 1906 Mr.. Fem was given about 80
minutes to get ready for the trip and reached
New York in time to take the boat sailing Febru-
airy 2, 1906, for Colon, without men plans, but
with plenty of money.
On April 16 the pipe laying was commenced
and the line completed on October 16-sx
months to a day-but the time had been extended
by the government in order to allow for premi-
nary arrangements. Mr.. S. T. McElfresh of Pitts
burg. Pa, was in immediate charge of the pipe
laying gangs. The progress of the work was
So much complaint had been made by everybody
about the worthlessness of Jamaican laborers that
the laying of this pipe line was an object lesson
the subject. The gangs contained each about
20 men and were divided into sections First
came the "brushers" cutting all the grass and
brush, followed by the "stringers" who laid the
pipe in line. end to end. The next division re-
moved the thread protectors and painted the
threads with preparation of oil and graphite.
The pipe-aying gang proper consisted Of the men
who handled the lifting jacks, jack boards and
chain tongs, five each of four pairs of
extra heavy long-handled lay tongs. Another Sec
ton lifted the next joint with pck-ups and the
pipe steerer lined 1t up that the thread would
enter properly, while the joint was twirled by the
friction of length of rope passed around it sew
era times and drawn back and forth until the
pipe would enter no further in the collar without
the aid of the tongs.
The foreman then sat astride the collar and
beat time with his hammer while the tongsmen
broke out'-two tongs up and two down, with
the precision of military drill. After the joint
in place the painters did their work and put
the second coat of paint, the first having been
applied when the pipe left the shops to prevent
rust forming while in transit.
An important feature of the gang organization
the employment of confidential man, who
spent all his time going from gang to another
and watching to that the orders covering the
treatment of the blacks were properly carried out
by the foremen
AS the Jamaicans are simply great, overgrown
children, they easily discouraged by hazing
injustice and quite easily encouraged by
jollying One may swear at them all he wants
provided he has their confidence and, the other
hand a big. wetrained gang be scattered in
two days by foreman who has mean streak
in him and lets 1t crop out
II is also necessary to make each man repeat
every order before sending him to do anything
in order to be sure he understands as their intel
lect is not well developed and they are so anxious
to please that they will always answer Eyes,
sah" and start off without knowing what they are
going TO do.
II is hard to realize all Of the difficulties which
presented themselves during the work. The Pa
mama railroad was in the act OF double tracking
its line and canal construction was going on ev-
crywhere Steam shovels were at work in various
places on both sides of the railway and tracks
were being shifted and plans being constantly
changed all along the line. There was no wagon
road across the isthmus and 1t was necessary to