Tensas gazette. [volume] (St. Joseph, La.) 1886-current, 1913-09-05

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 borings
with dynamite. who help to fill up
and empty the interminable 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 II was
found that only negroes could with
stand even fairly well 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
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 posse<Sjro.. which are
overlooking with woI amen Jamaica
and Barbados. To these islands agents
were 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 were brought over, and though
for a time they were troublesome by
reason of their disposition to engage
IN bloody quarrels among themselves,
after several had been locked up by
the Zone police they learned to be
L 10 nfx~f1fzoA hafn
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 q
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 busy
batteries of steam and compressed
air drills that bore the holes for the
dynamite blasting. Many regroe'
who have been on the Job for year,
have graduated up to these bettel
positions.
Above them are the bosses o.
gangs, the conductors Of dirt trains
the foremen of dynamite crews. mer
who hold similar jobs, and they arr
almost invariably white men becaus'
such positions require more independ
ence, reliability and intelligence
Up another grade and you come u
the experimenting. drafting and de
signing engineers. These are. mel
from the states with technical educa
ton, initiative and often great inven
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
Barbados is Joy forever. He is IN
ordinately proud Of his British either
ship. and with some reason, for tn
British government looks CAREFUL!
after his welfare in such case a
this, the terms Of his contract bein
supervised his health guarded an
his return. II he desires to return
provided for. The Jamsicans are IN
more intelligent of the two classes
and often have considerable educt
ton. The best of them have foun
positions as clerks, stewards and tn
Ike. The Barbadians are In the mai
densely ignorant. but. they are
happy lot and as they stream ava
from the canal to their quarters 1
he evening they sing. frolic and pla
PRACTICAL jokes as though they ha
OF just completed a day Of bacl
-eaking labor They receive an ave
.e Of $50 a month. their meals COZ
EN- 80 cents a day and their Twin
rteTr "Irost nothing unless the
esfer to rent rooms from outsider
hen ,hev get the worst Of It. Il