Lawrence democrat. (Lawrenceburg, Tenn.) 1884-1925, 1913-08-20

seney Dams Devised
Colon, c. What Of the men who
have done the actual digging of the
Panama canal? Who are they,
whence have they come, how do they
live?
We all have read a lot about Col
onel Goethals, Colonel Sibert, Colonel
Gaillard, Colonel Hodges, Colonel
Gorgas and a few others Of the men
who hold the big jobs" We know
that their immediate subordinates are
skillful, energetic young engineers
and doctors from the states. But
what do we know about the men who
handle the pick and shovel, who run
the steam drills, who load the bortngs
with dynamite, who help to I'LL up
and empty the lntermlnable dirt
trains?
With the very beginning OF the
French attempt to dig the canal the
labor problem bobbed up as serious,
especially in view of the horribly In
sanitary conditions on the isthmus.
White laborers succumbed rapidly to
yellow fever and malaria and it was
found that only negroes could with
stand even fairly we'll the diseases
and the climate.
When Uncle Sam took hold of the
big job he had the benefit Of the ex.
perience OF the French In this as in
other respects, and though he tried
a few experiments in the labor field
on his own account, 1t was soon de-
termined that the actual digging could
be done best by negroes. Now there
are two islands in the West Indies,
both British possessions, which are
overlooking with workmen-Jamaica
and Barbados. To these islands agents
we're sent, and soon the colored men
began to arrive on the isthmus, ship
load after shipload. Many Of them
brought their wives and children and
have become a part of the permanent
population of Panama,
One other source of labor was
drawn upon largely, the north OF
Spain. There the agents Of the COM
mission found a race Of men hardy,
eager for work and more intelligent
than the negroes. A large number of
them we're brought over, and though
for a time they we're troublesome by
reason of their disposition to engage
in bloody quarrels among themselves,
after several had been locked up by
the Zone police they leaJned to be-
have more like civilized beings
These Spaniards do not mix with the
negroes, either in work or socially
They have their own camps and
messes. The stewards and cooks at
these messes are Europeans and the
Spaniards get better meals than the
negroes. The food is adapted to
their national taste and they receive
wine several times a week. For this
they pay 40 cents a day-10 cents
more than the colored men pay. The
Spaniards are considered the best
common workmen in the zone.
The day laborer on the canal, as 6
general thing, uses the pick and
shovel and does work that calls fol
no especial skill. But this is not true
Of all of them. There Is a higher
grade in which the men do such worl
as the riveting on the great loci
gates and the operating Of the bus!
batteries of steam and compressed
air drills that bore the holes for thu
dynamite blasting. Many negroes
who have been on the job for year
have graduated up to these bette
positions.
Above them are the bosses o
gangs, the conductors of dirt trains
the foremen of dynamite crews, mel
, who hold similar jobs, and they ar
, almost invariably white men becaus
such positions require more indepenC
ence, reliability and intelligence
Up another grade and you come t
the experimenting, drafting and de
signing engineers These are me-
. from the states with technical educs
tion, initiative and often great inveI
: tive genius To the latter are due
number of most ingenious machine
designed to cope with new condition
and to expedite the work.
. The negro laborer from Jamaica o
4. Barbados is JOY forever He is IL
/. ordinately proud of his British either
3 ship, and with some reason, for tn
British government looks carefull
;, after his welfare in such case a
3 this, the terms of his contract bein
b, supervised, his health guarded an
, his return, If he desires to return
! provided for. The Jamaicans are tn
E1ore intelligent of the two classel
and often have considerable educ'
ton. The best Of them have foun
I positions as clerks, stewards and th
d like. The Barbadians are in the mai
= densely ignorant, but they are
+ happy lot and as they stream ava
= from the canal to their quarters
the evening they sing. frolc and pls
r practical jokes as though they ha
J. not Just completed a day of bacI
b breaking labor. They receive an ave
s age Of $50 a month, their meals col
d them 80 cents a day and their HyiT
}, quarters almost nothing unless the
n prefer to rent rooms from outsider
Then they get the worst Of It, Il