A Wretched Cargo

One of the many nameless "Men of Brawn" who made up the bulk of the West Indian Silver Roll workforce. Should he survive to retirement age, he (or she) could expect the grand sum of $25.00 per month.

by Lydia M. Reid

We want to wish all of our U.S. readers and their families a safe and happy Labor Day during this cherished weekend in which the working men and women are honored and remembered.

This is also a perfect moment to highlight an all-too-widespread occurrence during the repatriation process experienced by the Silver men and women of the Panama Canal Zone.  Just as reports of grand opportunities to leave poverty and semi-slavery behind by seeking work on the Panama Canal construction circulated throughout the West Indies during the late 1800’s and the early 1900’s, thus bringing thousands of hopeful individuals to Panama, new reports during repatriation would reveal a terrible reality.

The Other Panama Canal

The beautiful Caribbean coast of Panama displaying Bocas del Toro.

Image: bocasdeltorotravel.com

By Lydia M. Reid

Bocas del Toro elicits many things to worldwide travelers: spectacular white sandy beaches, a breathtaking array of flora and fauna unequaled anywhere else in the world and a variety of places to go for the traditional forms of entertainment.  Unknown to many tourists, however, are some historical facts that identified Bocas at one time as a trend setting spot in Panama.  For one, Bocas del Toro was the first province on a national level to have a race track (equestrian), to have consulates from various countries, to have offered the most modern hospital of its time to particularly the workers and their families of the banana plantations, and to have hosted the first drawing of the National Lottery.