La Junta tribune., 1912-09-14
CAN scarcely help using sn'
perlatiyes In writing OF the
Panama canal. J am as full
of enthusiasm and curiosity
i i


~ boy. am constantly filled
with wonder Ny Imagination runs
riot and am enjoying every minute
Of my time IN the canal zone The
world has never seen the like His.
tory records no enterprise. the pro.
duct OF human hands. energy. daring
and genius, that can compare with
the building OF the Panama canal
The Chinese wall vas 2jO miles
long. the great pyramid of Egypt COY.
ers thirteen ares and rises $50 feet
built OF great blocks of stone. many
weighing several tons. but those re-
quired centuries to build; were the
work OF slaves, costing the lives of
many thousands OF men and all to
no human good For centuries walls
have been builded about old cities.
towers. castles aud other fortifica-
tons 10 defend them and these.
too. were the work OF slaves. and us
ed ozly to some tyraut aud Of but
little benefit for the race. The Pana.
ma canal Is work greater than any
of those. designed. carried on and
paid for by a mighty free country;
every days labor done by tree men.
for a Just days hire. and all for the
good OF humanity.
Not only u the mechanical and
physical work great. but the organ.
izatlon whereby the canal building Is
effected is most perfect and wonder.
ful In fact. the organization IN
all It's breadth and scope. covering al.
most every field OF economic aud 30.
cial agency. could only De the pro
duct of wise and thinking men. It
plans and directs the actual labor
performed by human hands and ma
chimes. aud II operates like clock
work, so that there u scarcely jar
or conflict or loss NJ time
There are 5000 men employed In
building the canal. There are o. 600
people. men. women and children.
cared FOR a. part Of the working
force engaged lu this canal building
There are about 5000 Americans
5.ooo spanlards a few Italians. aud
25.ooo negroes from the West a.
dies
The greater part Of the negroes
are from Jamaica, Trinidad aud
Barbaducs and speak English. They
are English subjects These races.
~ rule. keep separate. not that
they do not work together In a
measure. They are divided into
The gold and the silver employees.
The Americans DO the skilled labor
and are the gold employees. while
the common labor aud In few
eases the half skilled labor. such
~ running drills aud other ma.
ohlncry. when the work u laid out
or simple and requires no special
skin are performed by the negroes
The spaulari. also DO the hard Ia.
bor. such a. laying railroad track.
moving the track aud other similar
labor
The wages vary considerably I
might explain that the gold en-
ployes are paid on a gold basis.
thar Is in American money The
SILVER employees are paid ON a silver
basis the currency Of the country OF
the Panama republic. which is only
one half tho ,alu. OF American mon.
cy. Tseuty cents per hour paid the
silver cmployr IL bar 10 cents per
hour sold or Ameri an money,
All the skilled work Ia the shops
In the canal on the railroads and
In the offiecs 10 done hy Americans
Eight hours constitute n days work
With this class a. we'll as generally
Tho wage of Americans vary from
90 cents au hour % a. cents an
hour The great majority receive
about g. cents an hour Engineers
uocomotlycl receive sei0 month
aud firrmen si'r per month AmerI,
cans are provided with houses. v
married and With rooms or quart r..
II singl.. free. the houses and roomE
furnished complete with chairs. "a.
blcs. stove cuphoauis etc. etc.
light. fuel and water are also free.
II these are taken into account
IN. wages are much higher than
appear. when computed by the
hour rate. The Americans hay.
al.o sis weeks vacation each year
with pay. aud u they return to the
United States rat. OF $50 each
way II mad. them. They have also
nfs~cn days sick leay. with pay.
In case Of actual sickness. and one
pess for each month on the rail
road TO and from any poin, ON III.
road.