Путешествие на Луну
Pickaxe and Trowel
Keepingeverclosebytheworkofexcavation,hebusiedhimselfincessantlywiththewelfareandhealthofhisworkpeople,andwassingularlyfortunateinwardingofftheepidemicscommontolargecommunitiesofmen,andsodisastrousinthoseregionsoftheglobewhichareexposedtotheinfluencesoftropicalclimates.
Manyworkmen,itistrue,paidwiththeirlivesfortherashnessinherentinthesedangerouslabors;butthesemishapsareimpossibletobeavoided,andtheyareclassedamongthedetailswithwhichtheAmericanstroublethemselvesbutlittle.Theyhaveinfactmoreregardforhumannatureingeneralthanfortheindividualinparticular.
Nevertheless,Barbicaneprofessedoppositeprinciplestothese,andputtheminforceateveryopportunity.So,thankstohiscare,hisintelligence,hisusefulinterventioninalldifficulties,hisprodigiousandhumanesagacity,theaverageofaccidentsdidnotexceedthatoftransatlanticcountries,notedfortheirexcessiveprecautions—France,forinstance,amongothers,wheretheyreckonaboutoneaccidentforeverytwohundredthousandfrancsofwork.
