The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1912-06-23

Cristobal. Canal Zone. Panama.
want to tell You how Uncle Sam
feeds and clothes his canal ON
ployes. When the old patriarch
undertook this big Job at Panama he
found the stores here very poor. The
native merchants did not understand
the wants of the Americans, and they
tried 10 sell US poor stun at high
prices. 1t was absolutely necessary in
the management of the canal to navo
the men well fed and we'll cared for,
and SO Uncle Sam became merchant.
and he has established here one of the
biggest department stores of tho world.
He does not insist that any one buy
OF MIN. but MS prices are so low and
MS goods are so good that no one
thinks of purchasing anywhere else.
The business began at the start Of
our work on tho canal. and 1t has
now grown until II amounts TO almost
s5.Ooo.O00 per year. The number of
consumers is now about 100000. and
this includes the families Of both the
silver and gold employees upon the canal
and the railroad. All are practically
dependent upon the government for
their food and clothing. which Uncle
sam sells almost at cost The govern.
ment brings fresh bread TO their front
doors every morning. 1t puts away
the ice ntheir refrigerators. and even
supplies them with their fuel. which
IL stores away unuer the porch.
Uncle Sans Big Mercantile business.
Before ! take you through the i'm
mense warehouses and other govern
ment plants of this mercantile estab-
lishment here at Cristobal. let inc give
sou few items to the extent OF
the business. The sales last year en-
braced more than 1000. 900 pounds OF
fresh beef and quarter of a million
pounds of mutton and lamb. The
chickens handled in Uncle Sans gru-
Gerry store numbered 100000 and the
turkeys and ducks one-fourth as many.
He sold a half million pounds III bacon.
100000 eggs and altogether over 49,
600 tons OF food supplies OF one Kind
or other Some OF the groceries ran
into the millions Of pounds. This was
SO of the -four. which weighed $780,
600 pounds. OF the rice. which weighed
100000. and of evaporated and con-
densed milk, which footed up a gross
OF 100000 pounds.
Uncle Sam sold last year a million
pounds OF peas and beans. 100000 cany
of tomatoes. 100000 OF Ash AMI 5000
cans Of pork and beans. His sales OF
potatoes aggregated 100000 pounds.
and OF onions more than million.
He sold 22e,ooo dozen oranges. $4,000
.antaloupes. 1000 grape fruit and
about 1900 watermelons
little further on / Will take you
through his bakery here at Cr!stoLaI. |
where last year nc made over 5.o0u.-
ooh loaves OF bread. sending out from
10000 10 $4,000 every day We shall
visit hi slaundry. where tirec and one .
half million pieces OF clothing were |
washed last year. and go into plants |
where 800. 600 pounds OF coffee were |
roasted. 100000 worth OF ice made |
and from where more than 100000 gal
Ions OF ice cream were shipped out |
TO canal employees.
Indeed. our patriarchal uncle has In
stitutions here biz enough TO supply |
almost every want OF the Americans
and foreigners who are employed upon |
the canal. and Notwithstanding the fact /
that we 1000 miles from the base
Of supplies. he Is satisfying these wants |
ct prices as low as at home. and in |
some cases lower. Moreover. his bust
ness is not only self-supporting but !
II pays a small profit. 1t Is. IN fact
one OF the big little wonders OF our
great work at Panama
How Uncle sam Hugs His Supplies.
This great department store is under |
the commissary o. the canal. us
head Is Colonel Eugene T. Wilson
the chief subsistence officer. and it's
business is as carefully done as that
OF any great factory or trust. The
purchases are in bulk and the prices
a . cut TO the minimum. Competitive
bids are gotten as to everything. and |
the government; buys where IL can the
best and the cheapest.
California products. for instance,