The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 18??-1935, 1912-11-22
COL. WIN. G. erwin
HERE FROM PANAMA
TO VISIT RELATIVES
is CONNECTED WITH THE CIVIL
ADMINISTRATION OF THE
CANAL ZONE.
MADE GOOD IN SOUTH AMERICA

Social Conditions Have Wonderful
Iy Improved Since the Time He
! Went to That Section-Thirty-
Three Thousand Employees.
Col. w. G. Erwin, who has been in
the Panama canal zone during the
past six years, connected with the
civil administration, In the police de-
partment. arrived Thursday night to
spend few weeks with home folks
| in Columbia. He is looking the pic
ture of health, and says he feels it.
He is another one of the many of the
Maury county boys who have gone
out and made good with the world.
Mr.. Erwin in speaking of the gov
eminent work now in progress, said
if~there are any Americans who want
to see where the U. S. government
had put it's money they had better go
before the close of the coming year,
flor after that time it will only be a
sluggish canal, and none of the engi-
neering work of the locks and Jams
can be seen and appreciated. Last
year there were more than 5000 tour
lists and sightseers, and double this
number Is expected in 1913.
There are at work making the ex.
cavations, building the dams and
locks, and doing further work on the
canal $4,000 men, and the thorough
system inaugurated make them move
and bring about the results with the
accuracy of a piece of machinery.
OF these $4,000 persons at work
only about 5000 is what is termed
there gold employees. that is, they are
white Americans. The other $4,000
ares silver employees, or mixed nation
atty, representing Syrians, Greeks,
Poles, Spaniards, and numerous eth
ers.
When the work began there, there
was much disorder in the zone. and
Ian election almost meant war. This
| is all done away with, and the Amer
lean police at the request Of the ma
tives Of all factions and parties, fire.
quently supervise the elections.
The present chief of police is Chas.
w. Barber. of Washington. He sue
ceeded Col. J. P Fyfe, who resigned
to go into another department. The
present head of the civil government
is Morris H Thatcher, Of Louisville,
who married a niece of Col. Jack
Chinn, and who is thorough Ken
tuckian.
Aside from the fact that there is in
Panama the only tribe of unconquer-
ed Indians on the continent, the San
Bias, the social conditions are OF
very high character. There are in
all of the towns along the cut nigh
class of American people, many of
whom are engaged In the work,
while there are others there in va
rious avocations. These go to make
the social life of a much higher thar
acter than ii has ever been, and it is
constantly improving.
In the towns the government has
built fraternal lodge rooms, and they
are turned over to the various frater-
nal organizations, each having it's
separate storage room for para oher-
MALTA, for their meetings. The va
rious organizations then agree mutu-
ally on the meeting nights, portion
ing them out in an equitable way.
The Masons, Odd Fellows, Knights of
Pythias. and almost every fraternal
organization known in the United
States are represented, many of them
having strong lodges. Then there is
a purely local order known as the
Panama Order of Kangaroos which
has the largest membership Of any
These fraternal buildings are pub
lie halls and are turned over for So
cial functions, speakings and other
gatherings.
The health OF the section ia con.
tiually improving, and there has not
been serious epidemic or conta-
gion there for several years, the san
itary requirements and practices of
the U. s. government forces appeal
ing to the natives In . most beneficial
way i
Mr. Erwin left Panama on Thurs
day, Nov. z, at noon and reached
Columbia Thursday night, November
IA, being a few hours more than enc
week. He will be in Columbia and |
Maury county three weeks visiting
elatives and friends, before his re-
turn to his duties on the police force
Of the canal section.
Ga