The Lexington intelligencer. [volume] (Lexington, Mo.) 1901-1949, 1902-06-28
WHICH CANAL SHALL WE TAKE2.
Some Facts About Nicaragua and Panama Canal Routes
Senate Wants One House the Other.
THERE ARE TWO SIDES TO THE QUESTION
Interesting Information Concerning the Routes Arguments
Advanced by Both Sides.

Panama to Colon. There is Ii title If
any inland water that may be ut ilized,
The Nicaragua canal will be four
times as long 1t will extend from
Greytown on the Pacific coast a few
miles this side of the Costa Rica
frontier to Brito on the A A6lantic
coast in a direction which is GENERALLY
the same as that of the Panama route.
But there is the immense lake NCar-
aqua extending one-tnird of the dis
tance 1t is this lake which prevents
the Nicaragua route from costing
several times as much as Pana ma, In
stead of only $40, 100000
The Panama route is shorter by
about l34 miles and it will take
vessel twelve hours to 20 through the
Panama canal, while it wi IL take
thirty-three hours to 60 Through
Nicaragua. There are fewer curves
in the Panama route and the country
through which 1t passes is more inti-
mately known. The Nicaragua Coun.
try is terra incognita compared with
the Panama country. But it muStbe
admitted that what is know n Of the
Nicaragua country is more to It's
sanitary, hygienic and meteor ologlcal
credit than the information re gardIDg
Panama Nicaragua has the great
lake to recommend it. No private
corporation has anything to do with
Nicaragua, while the title to the
Panama country's property is so far
from being taken for granted that the
senate bill passed few days ago
selecting the Panama route did SC
with the provIso that If a cl ear title
could not be given the n icaragua
route should be chosen, the PreSidept
being given the authority,
The Panama scandals brought the
whole project into such disreput'
that serious injury has BEEN donH tt
: the reputation Of the new company
which has rehabilltated the prOjec
J and has for the past seven or eigh
years been carrying it on a SounC
2 business basis. 1t was twenty year
S ago that De Lesseps sprung his grea
$ Panama canal company scheme. H
: raised $50, 900, 900 in no time. TIL
. French peasants went down into thei
e stockings and subscribed like wildhre
g One loan after another was fOated
s One obstacle after another was en-
countered. Floods destroyed th
0 works; fever killed the work men; cor
: tractors robbed the company bin
d and the stockholders were drawn
3 s17, 900, 900 in annual interest N
9 company could stand such a teribl
: strain which was founded on th
n principles employed by De LeSsep
Il He knew nothing OF the work to |
3 done; $4,000 men were at work Il
10 years doing work that 5000 and 4OC
IS men are doing under the new con
h pany. What was first sta rted as
y legitimate business enterprise wit
IS poor Judgment became Gigantic co
le rupting agency Of bribery and veOallt,
le Newspapers were bought; leglslato
~ were paid to get through schemes f
D. raising more money and after Spen'
le ing 1856, 900, 900, Of which only $SS
At 100000 was legitimately spent, Il
es Panama bubble burst and mere was
r cleaning out such as St. Louis
Sc undergoing. But De Lesseps the e
20 Butler OF the movements, escape
TX punishment, though the coupaI
of collapsed.
te Then came, after few years,
n new company. 1t went about q
le work Systematically. 1t had sprye
er made and something tangible b
ny been done. The capital OF the col
st pany Is only SIS, 100000 andyetit
n. accomplishing vastly more TIL
Ii the old company with its layi
re expenditure Of money, Some Idea
lie the tremendous shrlnkage 10 valu
re may be gained from The fact that t
90 new companyAwill TO The Unit
at States for $4,000, 900 eseVthi
m With which either q the conpan'
ne had anything % do in conuecti
ut with the entire project, Thatls 4
,m country viii pay iO,OOO,ooo for VIC