The semi-weekly miner. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1882-1886, 1882-02-25
Do Lessons ana the Panama Canal.

S00
Do Lssssps and the Panama Canal
PARIS, January 18.-Tod day I called
) prince Of canalists, and spent IN agree
: able hour In conversations with that vi.
} vsciOlls gentleman. He received me in
: his cabinet or private Office, ut the head.
quarters Of the Suez Canal Company, in
! the Rue de Charms, No. :. I showed
NJ. de Lesseps some clippings from sew
eral American papers, containing refer
ence to that celebrated circular of Secrc-
tary Blaine concerning the diplomatic
} difficulties liable to arise out IF the Oper-
atoms OF the Panama Canal Company.
Count de Lesseps laughed and said: II
do not intend to take any part in these
diplomatic squabbles. They do not con-
Germ me in the least. have been u dip
lomat myself for more than twenty
years, and know something OF the im-
trigues and nlaneuverings Of the honor
able gentlemen who conduct the public
affairs OF nations. But vel and my
friends and the stockholders of the Pam
this matter simply as. bust
ness affair. We 90 not intend to med
die with the political aspects Of the case
at all. All we wish to do is to construct
the canal and operate it after it is
opened. We leave to the professional
diplonlatist> and statesmen the privilege
of wranyling over the diplomatic COM
plica:i"Es which they pretend to So much
dread. Let them go Oh and enjoy them
| selves after their own peculiar fashion.
| I'm willing Concerning the rum0rS
OF sickness among the employees Of the
: Canal Company, NJ. de Lesse,,s saws:
''Thcre is but little sickness at present
prevalent among our men. There are, of
course, some mcn i'll with frvcrs. etc.,
from time to time, and we nave estal,-
! lls!icd salitarium for such eases. This
Is situated upon IL small island in the
bay Of Panama, and is swept 10y the cool
sea hreezes, thus being All excellent site
for such an establishment
NJ. nc Lesseps made the customary
complimentary illusions to our country,
smclI as:'I love your country, monsieur.
rs great land: noble country. love
Your country. Your cities are wonder
full in their rapidity of growth and mar
Vicious development Of commerce and
trade. have been in Chicago and was
greatly astnnishe.i at what / saw there
when | was making my tour Of Ameri- !
ca. Chicago is the most Furnishing city !
! know OF anywhere"
N. dc I.rs.el,s informed me that thi. !
company is now purchasing in the
United States large quantities OF yellow
pine and other lumber, also machinery.
cars, etc. These supplies
are being shipped constantly from WI
riOus Atlantic and Gulf ports and from
San francisco to either Panama or A.
Dinwall
He seems to believe that the .Amcri-
can people are heartily in sympathy
with him and his c.mdj tutors in their ef-
forts to pierce the isthm,,s. Hc a.
knowledged to me the great engineer
ing difficulties to l,e met with There, and
spoke particularly of the great wall of
solid masonry, more than $3.50 feet in
length, and from lvD I" 10 feet in height,
to he erected t"r thc purpose oi keeping
back the waters OF the Cllagrcs River.
md turning the course Of that stream so
hat its periodical overflow shall not in
cricrc with the operation Of the inter-
'ce:anic canal. lie still claims that ::
light years will suffice for the entire ..
completion Of the canal, and confidently
'xpt'cts IL live to see its opening. AS to :
nc possibility OF his giving up his grand
cht'ne TOR joining the two oceans. VI. !
IL l1cs>cl,s scouts that as absurd ana
He has not only stakcd his !,
equation as u civil engineer and Il
'reat "cntmprrncur" upon the success
III completion of this Stupnduus work,
ut has also Invested very hsaviIy of his
WI private funds ia the shares, and in
uce'l all his friends t" TO so. He points
nth pride to the high quotations Of the
alital stock OF the S.,ez Canal Comua-
y tal~ut 5000 ut present, or th;rr =
nnS the lar value, and the large :.
ividends paid 10y that Company -
> ''khN.k-town" arguments against =. 81,
ne snecrs Of his enemies, when he was -
.giny the organization of tie former
anal enterprise. made rare sport Of DE- Il
c>scps. using Oitcntin,eS pre-, isely the u
'hlc arguments as those to-day Offered u
onpnsiti ~ 10 his Panama CamN :;
'lrnst. iH l.e>$eps chucklcd with .sc- Il
ght when he quotes to you. now, the u
ssurt dcnunciatory articles which an :!
Jared some years ago in influential IL
n=li,h journals, and he loves to read u!
O'd those. statements, whiei, then "
cI'td to prove s., COnclu>vcly the ut -
+ ii'i"'s~ibility Of ever operating t;,. 20
IN Canal with profit to its >!,avl.oi.:-
:. ~
ms 'ri'unph III that direction has
rn - completes ,ha; the great engineer -
II afford I" Sale now that III" va,nr- :"
- aud >!'ccv$ Of JOiii: i:,!l: il til. e,ii- ~
rial chair Ol
III" only absurd pic,... of management, 4"
connection with the ;inalci: admin '':'
ration "i Il" Ie>~ci'>' Panama Canal 10
Mlmny Is, ;" it appears to lnc. this: ~
We yer cent. interest is paid ANNUALLY III
all shareholders upon the ;:n,"un, If II
''ltH already paid in. or to he paid in ;'~
them. during the process "f cnn,,ruc- -
n and until the company sinai! begin
nay REGULAR dividends. y. Ic Les
p admitted 10 me tina. this is I'M in
cement ":l,tn'i t" IL ;,ut,!i to secure I
Inscriptions. lat dix, not ATTEMPT 10 =.
:" III !cNp;a.:a: ut; ur,ni- move; ;:rn,.- Il.
ring. -|nr. tYiri,!,, I;in.,u.. ri,
The Floating Homes ofBanskok ia
III;