Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1898-03-19

across the isthmus The variety of
wasted machinery and rottlng proper
~ Is indescribable | crumbled up
wooden car beds with my fingers, and
walked mile or 80 on discarded and
rusted machinery near the Atlantic
mouth of the canal. l saw sheds filled
with costly but now comparatively
useless engines, and as l looked at the
evidences of waste and extravaganza
all about me ! could not help thinking
of the thrifty peasants. or the Wooden
stockings of France, ma DE Lesgeps
used to call them, from where the
most of this vast sum came. Tho
French officials poured out money he'll,
for years. They bought everything by
wholesale. When the old company
stopped work they had on hand.
among other things, $50 floating der
riclIs. $50 towboats and launches 5000
iron dumping wagons. 1870 miles OF
railroad track for the canal work, and
over 10000 cars. This. you must re-
member, was scattered along a dis
lance not much greater than that be-
tween New York and Baltimore. They
had built beautiful cottages on evcr-'
hill and slightly place from the At
lantlc to the Pacific. There were 5000
buildings along the line of the canal.
and some of these are occupied by
negroes today. They had constructed
quarters for 10000 worl<men. They
had 100 steam pumps. 200 reservoirs
and more than 100 miles OF water pine.
Most of this stun is useless now. and
a vast amount has been thrown aside.
as the freights are so high that II
would not pay to cary II away. The
officials made money out OF nearly
every contract. and the more they
bought the more they made. So when
q car or train ran or the track or fell
down an enhancement, they let Il lie
and used some of the surplus remain
ing. You can see such overturned cars
at almost any point on the old works
WHEN MONEY FLOWED LIKE
WATER.
Those were the DAYS when money
was the cheapest of all things here.
Loads of 1t wre carried across the 18TH
MUS on the cars, and mon made for
huilt the big tower, had one contract
which Melted him five millions. New
York parties. including Henry y.
Slavln and the American Construct
and Dredging company, had con-
tracts amounting to $40, 900, 000 The
Americans did honest work, too. and
made fortunes. Common engineers
took contracts and got rich. / heard
today of one man who was down on his
uppers when his employer. New York
contractor, discharged him as worth
less When the contractor returned
to Colon he found this fellow going
about with black velvet holding an
umbrella over him and apparently very
prosperous Being asked how he had
gotten along, the man replied: Il am
rich man now. You see, ! took con-
tract to fill n hole along the line of the
canal, and was to get $50 600 for the
job. Another man had contract to
cut down a hill for Sl50000 and
charged him $4,000 to put his hill in
my hole. IT gave me 100000 without
spending cent" Another man
measured up part OF the Chagres
river in section OF his excavation
contract and by collision with the
French accountants made a fortune.
Houses which you could put up at
home for 5000 were charged for here at
$4,000 and $4,000. / drove out this
afternoon to the Pacific mouth of the
canal past big frame cottage not as
good as many n $4,000 house In the
suburbs of Boston, which / was told
cost its owner $lOO,00o,and as we passed