Northern Wisconsin advertiser. [volume] (Wabeno, Wis.) 1898-1925, 1913-08-01

aoouC the Panama Canal the Superla
1--WE degree Is very likely to be over
worked The canal itself is the big
gest thing of the kind ever under
taken; the locks are unequalIed in
size; the work of the department OF
sanitation is the most remarkable
ever carried out. and SO 1t goes.
But there is one other feature OF
the building OF the canal that calls
loudly for the superlative degree-the
commissary department and the way
In which it has fed the Zone Not fed
1t only, either, but largely clothed 1t
and supplied it with household neces
stiles and even luxuries.
The commissary department is de-
partment of the Panama railroad
which Is owned by the United States
and OF which Chairman Goethals is
president AS officially stated:
The commissary department of the
Panama railroad Is operated by the
subsistence department Of the 18th
milan Canal commission for the pur-
pose OF supplying employees of the
Panama railroad and Isthmian Canal
commission and their families with
hold necessities, and also supplying
food for the hotels, hospitals. messes,
and kitchens operated by the Isthmian
Canal commission and for the United
States soldiers and marines located on
the Isthmus of Panama, and ships OF
the United States navy. II Is esti-
mated that the department supplies
about 10000 people daily, computing
one dependent for each employee.
THE business Of the department for
the fiscal years ending June 80, 1912,
was $6,702, 355.6S, to transact which it
is necessary to carry a stock valued
at about 81 900 600"
That sounds decidedly prosaic, but in
truth the operations of this great bust
ness machine are almost romantic.
The vessels Of the Panama railroad in
amending procession bring to the
docks at Cristobal the vast bulk Of
supplies and as continually these are
sent out to the score Of stores main
tanned by the department along the
Every evening each storekeeper tele-
graphs to the headquarters in Cristo-
bal the list of supplies OF which he is
In need, and during the night the cars
are loaded. At 3:45 o'clock each morn
ing the long supply train starts out
from Colon. 1t consists of 81 cars, II
of which are refrigerated, and the food
and ice are distributed along the route
80 that they may be delivered to the
quarters of families by s o'clock.
In Cristobal is the biggest store OF
all, and 1t compares we'll with the
huge department stores Of American
cities. There may be obtained all
kinds of food sturs, American and
European; clothing for men and wo-
men, furniture, household wares, sup
plies for travellers. cigars and cigar
ettes-indeed almost anything one
might call for except intoxicating
drinks. Articles from foreign lands.
being imported by the government It.
self of course pay no duty, and con-
sequently such things as fine English
chinaware can be bought there at
prices far below those charged in the
states. Il Is said on the isthmus, and
generally believed, that the members
of congressional junkettng parties
which from time to time go down to
,rspect the canal always carry home
with them a lot of this choice por-
celain.
At the head OF the commissaIy de.
partment is the Subsistence officer
Col Eugene Wilson, whose huge phys
zeal bulk Is we'll matched by his great
executive ability. It would seem that
no better man could possibly have
been found for the position, for lie has
an hand every detail of the immense
business and It runs like clockwork
Seldom Is a complaint heard from
even the most exacting Of housewives
and when one is registered it is cour
+oous1v received and the fault, II one
exists. promptly rectified
CLEANLINESS before godliness every
time" is Colonel Wilson'S motto and
though 1t is not posted on any wall
overv employe understands that his
fob depends primarily on his cleanh
ness IN Cristobal are the great cold
storage plant. bakery. coffee plant Ice
nlant, ice cream plant, corned beei
nlant. butter printing plant and laun
dry and In every one of them the un
written rule be clean. is adhered tc
with the utmost care. Nowhere, if i
can be avoided, is there personal con
tact with the food. and the numerou:
and ingenious automatic machines are
kent scrupulously clean.
Now let's get back 70 figures. IL
order to obtain some idea Of the mag
nitude of the commissary department:
onerations. Take tbs cold storage
niant first. In it's 1920 cubic feet o
Tefrigerated space are kept constantly
on hand meat and vegetable supplies
for ten days at least, in some In