The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1912-06-30
Workers ON Panama Canal Are Best Paid Men Of All
culobra. Canal zons, Panama.

TT HIS letter is about the biggest
army OF workmen ever gotten
together. L refer to the men
who are now digging the canal down
here at Panama. They number about
$4,000. When old Cheops bu!It the
pyramids he had 10000 laoorers. and
when the great church of Santa Sophia
was erected at CoRstantinoplo the
@arkmen were Just half that number.
But in both of these cases the LABOR
was more or less forced. and the pyra-
mid fellahin worked like the IsraaI.tes
under the lash of the taskmaster.
The iaborers here are free agents They
can lay on II they please. and they
are only kept on the job by getting
the highest wages and best treatme1t
OF any men of their kind upon earth.
The man in charge OF this army Is
the chief quartermaster at Panama
His name is Colonel c. A Dcvol and
ne Is an officer OF the regular army.
He has not only recruited and hired
the labor. but he provides their houses
and quarters and gives them their
wages be Is also IN charge Of all
materials and supplies on the Isthumus.
having eightyeirht warehouses. which
If Joined together would cover an acre
age bigger than that OF a good sized
farm. He has charge OF the draft ami
mails and he does the delivering and
toting about of almos, everything and
Z everybody except that done by the
cars.
Uncle snm'. BiE Labor Force.
Colonel Devoi tells me that the iobor'
problem has been one OF the mos, diff
fcult OF any connected with rhe canal.
/, end THAT II mas worried every company
which has done business down here
on thelsthumus. When the Penama
railroad was hrst built the contractors
sent to China for laborers and they
died like flies. Later on so many other
workmen w-re buried that Il is said
! the road cost a man for every tie laid
In Its tracks. The nrst French canal
company scratched the world to find
diggers. and they buried large
part OF those whom they found. The
men would not stay and they were
always recruiting. Uncle sam has had
good la Dor ever since ne began mis-
construction and the Job has become
80 popular that Re can now have all
the men ne needs without adyertis-
Ing. During the past four yearg the
average number employed has been
5000. although at times IL has run
as high as 5000 and more. This Ia
an enormous force 20 be used IN any
undertaking outside those connected
with the army and navy. but +, IS
handled like one vast machine.
Alive and Gold Men.
You haze all heard OF the silver and
gold men OF the Jsthnus OF Panama
1t is under tnoss two names that the
men ar classified. The silver man IS
the common everyday i!fter-of Garth.
hewer-of-wood and drawer ofwatcr.
He has a mighty small brain and sells
only his muscle. He IS usually white
Spaniard or an Italian. Or a black man
from one OF the West Indian islands
lie is hired by tho authorities here on
the Is;humus. and has been recruited
ny agents sent to different ports OF
the world. During the past four years
We have had on the average OF 5000
Of these IN the shape OF West Indian
ne groes. and about 800 more as
,aborcrs from Europe.
The gold men are the skilled en-
ployes. those who act as superlnten-
dents. foremen, civil engineers and
mechanics They manage the big
machinery. run the trains and do all
the skilled work They are hired
through the bureau AT Washington and |
many OF them are subject to civil /
service examinations. Tho silver man
gets from 80 cents TO $3.50 a day for
his nine hours work The gold man
receives on the average at least $3.50
per month. and. IN addition, a six