davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Forest City press. (Forest City, Potter County, D.T. [S.D.]) 1883-19??, 1911-06-22
Death Rate Diminishing

When the French were in Panama
they knew nothing OF the MOSQUITO
theory of h transmission of yellow
iever and malaria-indeed. nobody
except one Cuban physician whom
everybody said was ga he
French physicians actually encouraged
the breeding of the stegomyia. The
yellow fever mosquito prefers clean,
clear water around q human habitation.
me !egs or the beds in the French
hospital at Ancon were set in cups of
clear water! Is it any wonder that
in six years there were more than 200
deaths from yellow fever in that one
hospital?
The death rate in the canal zone
mas been diminishing every year since
the Americans tool control, and now
Is lower h that of any important
city in the United States, tropical cIf-
mate to the contrary Notwithstanding.
It is now under II per 1000 for
the entire population. and under 10 for
the whites. Among the Americans. the
rate has been reduced by almost a half
IN four years. and eve among the West
indian negroes 1t has been cut down
from 10 per 1000 in 1907 to less
than IL in 1910.
Canal employees are given medical at
tention free Of charge and members Of
their families are treated at a nomina
000D' Va 90 DCT 1.UUU
men are on h sick list on an average
day. This also shows an Improvement
over former years.
1t appears almost miraculous that
the sick and death rates among the
negro laborers and their families are
not higher than they are. When the
negroes were allowed to leave the sani-
tary quarters and go into the .bush'
they escaped the paternal care Of the
sanitary inspectors. But they are new
ertheless protected in a general way
by the relentless wal On the mosuuit-
oes. by the strict quarantine against
yellow fever and by the compulsory
vaccination of every immigrant.
one OF the greatest menaces to the
health OF he canal workers at the be-
ginning was the wretched condition of
the cities Of Panama and Colon. on
Pana1nanian soil but at the termini of
the canal and abutting on the canal
one. Water was supplied to the peo-
pie of these cities by of
dirty people who brought water from
dirty creeks and springs In all sorts Of
dirty containers to patrons who were
indifferent to conditions. A sewer sys-
tenn was undreamed of. Both towns
were 10th century tropical pest
holes surviving, by virtue Of a political
an~archr0nism. in the Goth century The
United States offered to build water
works n sewerage systems on long
term credits. The offer was accented.
Later the streets were paved. he
houses were cleaned up. and now both
cities are decent looking and In all but
the lower quarters are kept in reason
ably good sanitary condition.
Forest City press. (Forest City, Potter County, D.T. [S.D.]) 1883-19??, 1911-06-22
Workers on Canal

Ancon, Canal Zone-The West Indian
negro has an important part in the build
ing OF the Panama Notwithstand-
Ing his shortcomings. he has furnished the
bulk of the unskilled labor hat has made
the success OF the undertaking a certainty.
and he Is entitled to his full need Of
praise. In the beginning the West Indian
negro had a bad reputation. 1t vas said
that he lacked physical strength, that he
had little Or no pluck, hat he was abso-
lutely unreliable, and that the canal new
er could be finished II he was expected to
supply the greater part Of the labor
Blu he has live down this bad reputa-
ton. In large part, and although 1t must
be admitted that he is shiftless, inconstant
and exasperating, he has developed into a
good workma md has played a big part
IN the success of the canal project.
The government pays the West Indian
laborer on the canal 80 cents q day, fur
nishes him with free lodgings In quarters.
and sells him three uar meals q day
for 10 cents each, q total Of 80 cents a day
for the actual expenses of living. On h
balance OF GO cents a day the West Indian
negro can get rich, as compared with his
opportunities at home.
But the free sanitary quarters. and the
necessarily strict discipline maintained
therein. did not please him.. He sighed
for his matched hut in the "bush,'' for
his wife and his chickens, for the free
dom of the tropic world. At first the
canal commission was inclined to resist
the West Indians entreaties. The author
tiles believed that no ill-fed workman
could do as much work as a well-fed one,
and no bush dweller ever was known to
be well-fed. But 1t was demonstrated that
the negro in the sanitary quarters sue
cumbed to Inconsistencies and threw up his
Job. Then the commission reached the
conclusion that q stable force would be
more easily obtained by permitting the
to live in their own way. Per-
mission was given, any many OF the la
borers exchanged the sanitary ~restric-
ions of the commission quarters for the
dolce far niente of the bush"
Forest City press. (Forest City, Potter County, D.T. [S.D.]) 1883-19??, 1911-06-22
Are Interesting Types

The visitor to the canal finds the West
ndian extremely interesting. About the
railway stations, the postoffices and other
public places they may be studied at close
range. and the study is we'll worth while.
without exception they are adopts in car
rying things on their heads. and conse-
quently they all have An erect carriage
and noble bearing that is the very antithe-
sis of the slouchy and %slovenly shuffie OF
the American cotton field negro. 1t is said
that the first ambition of a West Indian
negro child is to learn to carry things on
Its head In imitation OF its parents. FIRE.
quently a negro will be seen with nothing
In either hand carrying an umbrella ball
anced horizontally o n his head. Once in
awhile one may be seen to get a letter
from the postofdce. place it on top OF his
head. weight It down with a stone. and
march off with 1t without any apparent
knowledge that he is executing a circus
stunt.
The West Indians are at their best on
the first holiday after pay day. They all
turn out in their best and brightest
clothes with the sole and express purpose
Of enjoying life. Singing is the principal
amusement and these negroes know how
to sing. And then there Is the railroad.
The negro travels for the sake Of travel
ing. and on a holiday one might think
that every island in the Caribbean had
turned out its entire population for a
train ride. The Panama railroad finds its
equipment taxed to the utmost on such
occasions. as man. as 1900 10y riders"
crowding into q single train.
Nearly every West Indian negro here
has q primary education. Is acquainted
with the rudiments Of the three Rs and
proud Of his learning. But 10 usually stops
there. and only the exceptional man
an ambition that will take him above his
thatched hut. his irregular family and his
chickens.
There are now about 10000 West Indian
negroes on the canal zone. What will be-
come OF them when tho work is done no
one may predict. When the French failed
thousands OF negroes were left here
stranded, n their governments were
forced to convey them back home. It 10
possible that this will happen again, al
though conditions never again can be as
bad as they were then. But come what
may, the negro has bad his full share In
the construction Of the canal. He has
been we'll paid in money. n he deserves,
also to be remembered in the gratitude
Of the great American republic.
Forest City press. (Forest City, Potter County, D.T. [S.D.]) 1883-19??, 1911-06-22
West Indians Good Workers

When the Americans first began work
here 1t was an accepted dictum that one
Spaniard or Italian could do as much
work as three negroes. But the negro
has proved this to be a libel, and II he
only could be persuaded to stick to the
job six days a week he might be quite as
efficient as the European. But nothing
can induce him to work all the time.
Of course there are exceptions to this
rule. Some Of the negroes are tndus-
trious. constant and thrifty. They save
all they can. work steadily for q year or
two. and then go back to Jamaica or Bar
BADGES to nves their money in a bit OF
land and become the Vanderbilt or Aston
OF their respective communities. In The
economic n social environment Of their
native islands a hundred dollars in gold
is as much wealth as is a hundred thous-
and dollars in the United States.
The West Indian laborers at first were
obtained by recruiting agents at work in
the various islands. principally Barbados
and Jamaica. OF the 5000 negroes
brought to the canal zone by the recruit
ing service. 1900 came from Barbados.
not quite 5000 from Jamaica and the re-
mAinder from other stands of the Carib-
bean. Yet the proportion Of Jamaicans at
work on the canal Is much greater han
is indicated by the figures. In fact the
inducement of high wag and the low
cost Of steerage passage from Jamaica to
the n zone has attracted 80 many
thousands Of Jamaicans that the canal
commission now Is justified in withdraw
Ing Its recruiting officers. The excess of
arrivals over departures to the zone last
year was $1,000. and a very large per-
centage of them were from Jamaica. The
problem of labor supply has been solved
In a natural way.
Forest City press. (Forest City, Potter County, D.T. [S.D.]) 1883-19??, 1911-06-22
Dwellings Are Model Houses

The houses in which the EMPLOYEES
I've are built for GOODNESS and comfort.
Broad verandas. carefully screened,
turround each one. Some Of the more
important officials have a whole house
% themselves. Others live In what
IRE known in the states as semi-de-
,ached houses, accommodating two
antilles. Others are four-family
,ouses, with two families on the lower
4oor and two on the second floor
he houses being semi-detached. two
'amily fats. There used to be q large
lumber Of bachelor quarters. but so
nany Of the bachelors went home or
5ecame benedicts. that some Of these
quarters have been converted into nom
housekeeping flats. and in them live
he married people who have not yet
yeen advanced far enough on the list
lumber of the families living in these
quarters take their meals at the no.
els, at 35 cents a neal.
The bachelor quarters are costly ar
Anged and fitted with shower baths
ind other modern c~onveniences. The
hat Of all the 5000 build
ngs owned by the commission, is fur
aished by the government. This mat
er is looked after by the district
f4artermasters, and II ever men needed
diplomacy and tact. these men do. II
drS. A. happens to call on Mrs. B.
md flnds a swell-front dresser in her
sedroom, while hers has q straight
.ront, as soon al Mrs. A. starts for
iome she is likely to go by the quarter
masters office and know the reason
Why" such discrimination 10 practiced.
She forgets that new furniture is COM
ng in continually and patterns are
hanging.
L%ieutenent Colonial C.. A. Devol, the
chief quartermaster, is the officer who
look charge of affairs at San Francisco
after the earthquake. He says, sig
aifcantiy, that equitable rules cover
he assignment Of quarters and the
allowance Of furniture. and that these
Jules are being administered by q body
II district quartermasters who have
low received such training that he
thinks the problems of this branch of
The work have been solved.
Forest City press. (Forest City, Potter County, D.T. [S.D.]) 1883-19??, 1911-06-22
sMELLED HIS WAY 70 FORTUNE
The Get Rich Quick Scheme Of 1.
Chinaman in the Philippines.
sssUsssots w SuO
From the Manila Times.

CTOu tn0 Mania V1m0S.
One more get rich quick scheme has
gone to smash and n more frenxied
f%inancier has come to grief.
This time 1t is a Chinese. and upon
his rise and fall hinges q peculiar story
inayoivins opium, %doorposts. customs
nose belonged to the Chinese and to It
he owed his embarkation upon 81
financial undertaking which netted him
1900 per cent profit, but which finally
led him into the tolls Of the customs
secret service. who are now holding
of opium.
Las month in a Narciso, Zam-
bales. a Chinese merchant making his
way home n night thought he de-
stopped in his tracks before the house
from which the smell came and Their
retraced his steps.
Three times he passed in front OF
he suspected house and finally his
wonderful nasal organ fixed on a house
post as the source Of the smell. Ap-
plying his tongue to the post only on
irmed his suspicious M he entered
the house to ask the Filipino where
he had obtained such paint.
The Filipino was voluble in his
structures on this particular paint"
which he said he had found on the
beach lear his home. He had attempt
ed to'mix 1t with water. but unable to-
get the proper proportions had aban-
doned 1T.
h remainder Of the five-gallon can
he had found was reposing in q shed.
back of the house and he was only too;
willing to sell 1t. An offer Of IL pesos
for the paint" was accepted with
alacrity and the Chinese became the
owner of the tabooed drug.
1t was an easy matter for him to
dispose Of 1t TN dram lots at fabulous
prices, and from his original invest
ment Of ~ pesos tie cleared 1878 pesos.
But suspicious were aroused and an
investigation led to his arrest.
Customs authorities believe that the
ive-gailon can found by the San Mar
ciso Filipino was originally a part of,
a shipment OF the contraband drug
which was brought In on a Hong Kong,
steamer. When customs officials,
boarded the vessel the importer threw
his shipment overheard and one can
foated to the San Narciso beach.
Now every house post in San Mar
ciso and the surrounding towns is UNI
der the suspicion OF the opium sleuths
who are still looking for the remainder
Of the lost drug.
Forest City press. (Forest City, Potter County, D.T. [S.D.]) 1883-19??, 1911-06-22
Abode Helps Progress

In view of the fact that the conquest
Of the mosquito has made possible the
success Of the canal. it 10 interesting TO
know that one OF the soldiers who vol
unteered to allow himself to be bitten
by ar infected yellow fever MOSQUITO
in Cuba liz now working on. the canal.
He is John j. Moran. OF Ohio. After
Drs. Carroll and Lazear had permitted
themselves to be bitten. and Carroll
had recovered and LazeAr mad died.
General Leonard Wood offered a purse
Of 5000 for each private who would
Forest City press. (Forest City, Potter County, D.T. [S.D.]) 1883-19??, 1911-06-22
Caring for Canal EMPLOYEES

Empire, Canal zoEo-Nowhere else
IN the world is a set of government
employees so we'll cared for as here in
he canal zone. Housed In buildings
hat have set a new standard for trop-
cal architecture, thei material needs
supplied by a commissary at low
PRICES. and receiving wages higher than
similar services command anywhere
Alse in the world. the men who are dig
sing the canal find that a generous
government is doing everything that
reasonably could be expected in return
.or the services rendered.
The average American workman re-
.eives about $3.50 a month for his
abor. He is furnished, If married and
n the service a reasonable time. with
. house for himself inc family, his
light bill is eve rendered, the coal
or his kitchen stove costs him moth
ng, the Ice man never calls to collect,
most of his diversions and those Of
his family are at government expense.
Ind food and rairnent for himself and
,amily are obtainable at prices in
which no middleman has figured a
croft.
The commissary prices at which the
sanal employe buys his supplies of
God are interesting. Short cut mutton
hops are quoted at 20 cents q
sound. pork at IA cents. sirloin
beef steaks at 10. pork sausages
1t 10. fresh halibut 1T Is, sugar
sured hams at Is. and SO on all
niles from New York, where every cost
e retailing is higher. the prices are
over than prevail in the states. The
ana employe buys his clothing at
>rices much lower than at home. A
men suit that would cost 50 in
Washington, may be bought by the
'anal employee for IS. 1t is roughly
stimated that more thar half Of the
married. employees are saving a liberal
portion Of their income every month.
Forest City press. (Forest City, Potter County, D.T. [S.D.]) 1883-19??, 1911-06-22
Sanitation a Big Problem

Ancon, Canal Zone-As the Spanish
American war demonstrated to the
United States the imperative necessity
OF building the Panama canal. so also
1t taught the lesson that made possible
the construction of that great water
way across the isthmus. When, in a
quiet little council chamber, those three
heroic army surgeons. Reed, Carroll
and Lazear. under orders from the gov
eminent to attempt to discover the
cause of the prevailing epidemic Of yell
low fever IN the army of occupation in
Cuba, decided that somebody must Of
fer himself as a martyr to science to
prove the theory Of The transmission
of h disease by mosquitoes, and all
three offered their own bodies and lives,
made possible.
One of h men who had administra-
tive charge. of giving effect to the
knowledge learned from those fateful
lessons in Havana. was Col. William
G. Gorgas. Afterward he was selected
as the head Of the sanitation wor in
Panama canal. Here he has been
wonderfully successful. The expert
ments made in Cuba have been dem
onstrated On a large scale in Panama,
and a tropical death trap mas been
converted n a tropical health resort.
The mosquito that carries the yellow
fever germ is of the genus stegomyia.
It's cousins of the genus Anopheles. in.
a similar manner. carry the poison Of
malaria. The mosquitoes of these two
kinds drove the French. defeated, from
the 1sthmus OF Panama. but so insid-
ious was their warfare that they were
W suspected Of being the real Gull
prits. The Americans first conquered
these insect enemies Int then attacked
the less formidable barrier OF the
mountain chain that separated the At
lantic from the Pacific.
Forest City press. (Forest City, Potter County, D.T. [S.D.]) 1883-19??, 1911-06-22
THE PANAMA CANAL
SAA" -aSS '0a care OF It's employees The West indian Negro and PartH He Plays
By FREDERIC j. hAskIN.

were 100000 meals served in these
kltcnens: in 1910 the number had de-
to $4,000. The meals cost
. ID cents each. and were sold for 10
Ienes. me 1000 Spanish and Ital-
Ian laborers at work on the canal re-
ceive 16 cents an hour wages, and pay
~ cents a day for their rations. Those
fations are almost exactly of the same
weight and nutritive qualities as the
United States army garrison ration.
and cost about 81 cents each. More
IMAM 100000 of these rations were
served duSing the last fiscal year.
Forest City press. (Forest City, Potter County, D.T. [S.D.]) 1883-19??, 1911-06-22
yommissary Depots-

The commissary is operated by the
Panama railroad, saving a lot Of other
wise necessary red tape. The aggre-
..ate value of the goods sold annually
mounts to $4,000. 900. More than
10000 900 worth OF groceries. 800. 900
worth of hardware, ST. % 1000 Of cold
forage supplies. and $153, 900 worth Of
,obacco were handled last year. Dur
ng the calendar year 1910, prices Of
almost everything. except pork pro-
.ucts, We're cheaper than in any other
tear since canal building operations
5egan.
The ccmissary, under agreement with
he Pananlanian government. Is open
,nly to canal employees. The native
merchants put up a stiff fight against
he establishment Of the commissary,
being DESTROYS of making a profit out
II the canal workers, but Uncle Sam
vas anxious to protect his force from
.xtortion. and would agree to no other
course. He did agree that the COM
and every tourist can testify that the
ANAL employee has a to rejoice
hat he does not have to p%atronize
he local merchants.
Every canal settlement has it's COM
aissary. The canal employee. buys
coupon books, carefully numbered and
registered, and with these he can buy
what he wants. He gets the books
and he amount paid for them is taken
nut of his wages for the next month.
The commissaries are huge depart
nent stores. there is an ice cream
manufacturing plant, a laundry, and
everything needed by a modern COM
nunity of Americans.
Forest City press. (Forest City, Potter County, D.T. [S.D.]) 1883-19??, 1911-06-22

keep down trouble IL the negroes wsts
offensive. But as a matter OF fact they
are anything else. Practically every one
Of them, man or woman. is the very pink
OF politeness. Ask one a question, and
the answer will be 'Oh, yes, SIR" or "Oh.
no, Sir" or IL he has not understood, beg
pardon. sir" He would no more omit
the honorific than q Japanese maiden ad.
dressing her father forget to call him
honorable"
Forest City press. (Forest City, Potter County, D.T. [S.D.]) 1883-19??, 1911-06-22

and Colon. which are embraced in the
sanitary work. there are fewer than
100000 people living in the region of
the canal. If as much none were
spent for public health in the United
States as in the canal zone. in pro
portion to population. 1t would amount
to $1,000. coo. 900 a year. or about $780,
OO0.0 900 a ear more than is now spent
by the federal government for all pur
poses whatsoever.
Forest City press. (Forest City, Potter County, D.T. [S.D.]) 1883-19??, 1911-06-22
War on Mosquitoes

The canal zone region was one OF
the best breeding places for mosquitoes
to be found on earth. There are SO or
more families Of mosquitoes here, but
only the yellow fever carrier and the
malaria transmitter nave bad reputa-
tions. However. the methods used to
Danish the most dangerous ones also
drove into exile the 4S varieties of less
harmful ones-for even orthodox per-
sons decline to believe that any mos
quito is entirely harmless. The entire
mosquito army has been driven back
into the jungle away from both sides
Of the canal, and nowadays one sell
don sees or hears a mosquito on the
canal zone.
No people ever have had better pro-
vision made for their health than the
people of the zone h United States
government spends 1000. 600 q year for
the work of keeping out the mosquito
and maintaining the health Of the canal
force. Including the cities Of Panama
Forest City press. (Forest City, Potter County, D.T. [S.D.]) 1883-19??, 1911-06-22
6incen Pravar.

From the United tresbyterian.
Teacher-Now, Tommy. suppose =
man gave you 800 to keep for him
and then died. what would you dor
Would you pray for him?
Tommy-No. sir. But I would nr.y
for another like him
The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1911-04-27
Final Statistics Of Census of
Co. Show Decrease in Popu-
lation of Rural Towns
PLEASANT PRAIRIE HAS GAIN

The United States Census Bureau to-
day issued the detailed census of the
state of Wisconsin showing the census
of the various counties and the town
ships in the various counties. The
comparisons between the city wards in
Kenosha were given out some days ago
and now it is possible to show the
growth of the various towns in the
county outside of the city. This is
shown to be not nearly so large as in
the city. In order that people inter
ested may have a permanent record
the population of the towns and the
city has been given as compared with
the 1900 census. Bristol, Pleasant Prai-
RE, Randall and Wheatland among the
towns of the county show an increase
in population while there is a decrease
in the other four towns. The largest
decrease is shown in the town of Som
ers and the town Of Pleasant Prairie
has had the largest growth in the ten
years. The statistics for Kenosha, Ra-
cine and Walworth counties are given
as follows in the final report Of the bur-
eau:
The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1911-04-27

work again, or are able to make half
year.
One great difference between the
past, and this present wonderful de-
cade of educational progress is shown
in the increasing demand that individ-
ual differences be respeeted,-that
there be more fiexibility, and that ev.
erything possible, be done to abolish
waste of time of pupils, and to adjust
the schools to the needs of the boys
and girls of today. The needs of boys
and girls of the age of wireless teleg-
raphy, telephone, rural delivery, and
automobiles, are not those of the age
of the tallow candle, and the port
chaise. A changing community de-
mands changing educational practices