The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1910-03-25
CONCLUDING STORY OF THE CANAL

ny Ut IHt UANAl
TO advertise for men. There are no
Chinese or Japs at work on the big
canal. When the Italian has saved Il
few hundred dollars, and he is usually
thrifty and economical he will engage
in business for himself on small scale
If there is no opening for him on the
Canal Zone or vicinity, he goes to some
ether South American or Central Am
erican state
Laborers Get Meals Cheap
The European whites are charged
forty cents per day by our government
thirty cents per day. The Europeans
require better and oostlier vit,lals and
are willing to pay the price.
Commissary Department.
The government has an immense
commissary department and furnishes
all kinds of food products, clothing,
and other necessares to laborers at cost.
This was found necessary because the
dealers in Colon and Panama charged
eXorbitant prices and practically rob
bed the workingmen. Refrigerator ears
all kinds of food, mostly
from the United States, 90 from town
,.th 4
to supply the local needs of hotels,
boarding houses and private families.
Ice and ice cream are made in large
quantities at Colon and shipped from
point to point the same as meat and
eatables. Ice can be bought for $500
per hundred. There is an abundance
OF good water to be had wherever
needed. Immense reservoirs are locat-
ed high up the moantu;n regions some
distance away and it is piped to ali
points where people live or are employ
ed.
Many Ants, No Mosquitoes.
The French lost 5000 laborers from
1888 to 1889 in the hospitals at Ancon.
Some 200 of them died of yellow
fever. which could not be successfully
handled at that time. The ants were
very troublesome. They crawled into
the hospital buildings and into the
wood work, causing it to decay. The
French placed pans of water beneath
the high timbers on which the build
ings stand SO as to keep Ike ants from
climbing. The ants would drown in the
water but the water propagated mos
Iuitoes and the mosquitoes spread the
germs of disease. Science at that TIM
lid not realize the deadly work that
he mosquitoes were capable of doing.
Hence the French were not to blame
for their failure in thi- particiia:.
This our commissioners freely acknowl-
edge.
Though we were five days on the
Isthmus, with the thermometer regis
-ering so and above and the air very
humid and oppressive, we did not see
single mosquito and we had our atten-
ion called to just one fly.
Regulations in Colon and Panama.
The canal commissioners spend about
3, 100000 annually for sanitary pur-
poses. The land is Systematically AMI
thoroughly drained. NVhere water does
lot flow freely, the ground IS sprayed
With chemical that is death to flies,
and other insects. In places
,erosene and other kinds of oils are
poured into the water. Care has
% be taken to see that do
nestle animals are not allowed to
link the water that has been treated
Nj garbage is pror:ptiy picked up and
destroyed and special attention is given
o sewers. Rats and mosquitoes are
IKE, minated
Our government has the privilege
If looking after sanitary affairs in the
ity Of Panama, =" p!l:, OF $4,000, and
Dion, a place Of $4,000. Both oitics
ave been paved by the commissioners
81 the heavy expense charged up to
he Panama republic. Both cities have
l>o been supplied with sewerage and
water works systems. Our government
objects the water ne in beth cities
nd applies the amounts received on
he indebtedness. This expense has been
arse. but with miserable sanitary con
itions in Colon AMI Panama, both out
ide of the Canal Zone effective SAM
arv regulation would be almost i'm
ossible. Sanitation on the Isthmus,
uring the years of construction, Will
ost the United States at least 100000 i
90, but without this expenditure Joss
+ life would be great and progress
angerous and, as result aggravating !
V slow
'ellow Fever Practically Stamped Out. !,
Prior to 1905, there were, since he
of work by the Ameri !
ans, l34 cases of yellow fever among
he laborers. Thirtyfo of this
lumber died. There has not been
cath from this rae since, Noyember,
Dos. In 1904 three -fourths of the in
rates of the hospitals had malaria fc !.
er. Only one-third of the number of
lex now are thus afflicted I'm three 3,
,duced one half and the number of
eaths two-t thirds. There are 200
ersons on the sanitary pay rolls. All
Did the French spent $2O,0O0000 for