Arizona republican. [volume] (Phoenix, Ariz.) 1890-1930, 1902-02-03
CONTRACTOR
FOR THE CANAL
One Waiting to Take the Job
as Soon as it is DeCid-
ed to Be Done.
Mr.. Cooley Indifferent as to the Vari-
Gus Routes as a Place for the
Highway, but for Other Reasons
He Prefers Nicaragua.

isthnian canal complete. either i'll
Nicaragua or in Panama, is the propo-
sition which will be made to the goVDl
eminent by a number OF Chicago con-
tractors and engineers who built the
drainage canal. Lyman T.. Cooley of
Chicago has been in Washington listen
ing with interest to the canal debate.
He is Indifferent to the choice of routes,
believing both to be possible TO Ameri-
can engineering and constructive
genius. He and his friends VIII offer.
as soon as il is decided TO build the
canal. to take over the job as one con-
tract in whatever amount may be nee
'cssary and will offer to give any re-
quired bond to fulfil their obligation.
Mr. Cooley believes that the estimates
Of the canal commission are liberal, for
tire unit of prices adopted for moving
earth and rock and building cut or a
fill are far in excess of those which
have prevailed for several years past.
even under the most difficult conditions.
Mr. Cooley believes that this country
would be far more satisfied with the
outcome of the Nicaragua enterprise
than with Parma, and his reasons are
from a purely commercial and indus
trial point Of view. His theory is that
by building across Nicaragua and Costa
Rico the United States would practic-
ally annex those countries and that
tremendous Industrial development
would result along the line of the canal
which would add greatly to the oppor-
tunities for American capital and give
US q tropical base of operations which
we would absolutely control.
There is ROOM said he, "along
1 the Nicaragua canal route for
{ % 600 Americans to live and do
Z a profitable business. The develop
; ment of the coffee. rubber banana
| and other tropical industries has long
( been predicted of that part OF Central
America. There are thousands of acres
of land wonderfully adapted to coffee
i and the other products l have men
toned. and it would be but a short
] tirne after the canal Was begun before
American capital had absorbed the best
OF this area. The country is peaceful.
il would be under the control of the
United States and thoroughly policed
( thereby. the best transportation facili-
ties in the world would be at the door,
the country is comparatively healthy.
I owing to the constant circulation of the
trade winds and there are many indus
| tries which could be developed in the
/ future which as yet have no beginning.
III we build the canal across the 18TH
mus OF dtltillt II GOblai ilGIGiN DG Il
highway. There is no possibility there
of building towns or developing the
country as there is in Nicaragua. We
would get nothing but the canal.
whGreas in Nicaragua we would get n
tropical empire which we would control
commercially as well politically and
which would furnish in time enough
profitable business and freight To make
a very respectable interest showing on
the money invested in the waterway.
There would he two or three good sized
and thoroughly American towns one
on the Pacific. one on the Atlantic and
one on Lake Nicaragua, probably near
San Carlos. at the head of the San Juan
river
The importance OF the prevailing
trade winds Gcross Nicara qua has been
estimated in considering this question
of canal They make it possible for
sailing vessels. = most important fea-
ture in our commerce. to come and go
at any time from Greytown or Erito.
1t does not do to make light of the
commerce carried in sailing vessels.
The canal would be an extension of our
coast line. and our coasting trade is
nearly all carried under canvas. Every
shipyarI in the country is busy build
ing sailing vessels and many of them
are months behind their orders. A visit
to one of the ports OF the Pacific or
Atlantic coast will show a fleet of the
big new four and five and six-masted
schoCners which are fast becoming a
feature OF the ocean carrying trade.
Panama is south of the region OF the
trade winds. 1t is in the doldrums But
a few days ago an item was printed i'm
the papers briefly noting that all trans
Atlantic steamers had laid outside the
narbor OF Colon for Il couple OF days
unable to get in on account of a fierce
norther which was blowing. In 1884.
owing to succession of Gains varied
by north winds, the vessel Stratum was
detained 1O5 days trying to sail out OF
the Bay of Panama on the Pacific side
OF the Panama isthmus, where the con-
ditiuns are the same as they are on the
Atlantic side off Colon
Allowing. however. that the two
routes are in every way equal to each
other from a physical. political and
legal point OF view, which is still a
mcoted question, l think that the i'm
portarce of the possible development of
Nicaragua and Costa Rico under the
influence of the canal is 4 tremendous
factor in favor of the selection of the
latter route. by the building of the
Panama canal we would get nothing
but the waterway. which. while OF
enormous value itself. would not equal
the value of a waterway that opened
up a new empire to American enter
prise and trade"
J. d. WHELPLEY.
n