davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1903-12-13

a challenge to common sense. I wish you
10 adopt q system of construction OF that
sea level canal-that needed BosphoruS
which will allow in the course OF its
construction the ships to pass without de-
lay or molestation. That can be obtained
by building docks which the the ordinary
type of locks with a very simple nodifica-
ton which viii allow their transformabil-
ity to exist as soon as the passage across
the isthmus was assured
If the financial crisis which stopped
the work on December II, 1883. had not
come, l am sure as that am not dream
ing, when l speak that the canal under
this provisory form would have been
completed and opened in the middle Of
1891 The plans that j made were based
on the execution of the canal in four
years from January /. 1855. and they were
in absolute harmony with all the deter
mining factors Of the work
'.Wul The United States be able to COM
plete the work within Il corresponding
PERIOD"
1T will require more time. for two es-
sential reasons. First. a that time the
entire staff on the Panama Canal Com
pany was in state of marvellous perfec-
tion, in a cOnquering mood They had
overcome the great obstacles which at
one time were considered superior to pcs
si6ilities of man. The true solution Of
the whole thing which showev near at
hand that aim which before seemed to be
in remote future, had brought the cner-
Sies Of everybody to a paroxysm Of en-
thusiasm ard viii. FINDER those conditions
the minimum time would have been OBJ
tanned On the other hand. the project
which had proposed. and which was
adopted. was the simplest form of the
canal it would not have carried the
ships from one ocean 70 the other in ten
hours. a. the plans actually adopted viii
DO. 1t would have taken perhaps two and
a half times as much time. The cuts were
narrow. and the passage of the summit
level was higher. il was. in fact. what
a railroad opening new country is to
that same railroad twenty-five years
after
Now. tho government of the United
states builds the canal on = more COM
plete scale. These are the tao dement's
which account for the difference between
been sufficient to complete the Panama
Canal then. as projected. and the seven
Years which I think Will be the neces-
sary time TO reorgsntze the works and
complete the beautiful plan adopted by
the United States government or the rec
onmendation OF the IsthHus Canal Com
mission
What viii be the new features OF the
works.
I'm answer let me hrst say in the most
ernrhatic manner that the three great OBJ
stacles 10 the works have completely dis
appeared The first were the technical
questions. properly speaking, cf the Guile
bra and the Chsgres river. / have been
fortunate enough 20 solve on the spot,
after two years dfht. these great prob
lesns-these difficulties with nature
The solution which ! presented II isee
for the curbing 81 the Chasres river con-
s!sts IN the formation OF Z unique lake BY
the construction Of a huge earth dam az
Behio, combined with the deviation Of The
The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1903-12-13
SEVEN YEARS, LIMIT
Banav-VarilIa Figures When
Canal Will Be Built.
TO BE SEA LEVEL CHANNEL
He Tells of Advantages United
States Will Have.

Not as the Envoy Extraordinary and
Minister Plenipotentiary of the New Re
public of Panama. but IS nenthusiast
upon the canal project. OF which for near
ly five years he was the engineer in chief,
Philippe Banau-Narilla yesterday. in an
Interview with representative of the
New York Herald. declared that a sea
level canal across the isthrnus was GER
tainty within a few years.
In eloquent terms the minister and en-
inent engineer spoke OF the advances in
the electrical and medical sciences, which
by their application would enable the
work at Panama 10 be prosecuted with
economic CELEBRITY. unaccompanied by the
terrible loss of life which had marked
The previous undertaking.
NJ. Bunau-Varilla only sees now the
undertaking proposed by the United
States government the contamination Of
his plans. which were stopped by the
financial crisis which submerged The last
Panama Canal company in ISIS. True. he
gracefully Acknowledges that they are
more elaborate than wele his own. hut
their completion VIII accomplish the re
suit for which he strIved- He pictures
the final canal as "Bosphorus. where
interrupted the tide flows from ocean to
ocean as il wills
Then you believe in the establishment
of a sea level canal?" was asked.
Yes In 1sS7. when an Immediate real
ization OF the sea level canal appeared
possible. conceived the idea Of an inter
mediary solution. something between the
lock canal and the tide level canal. p So
luton that could bring the quick realiza-
tion % a waterway with the aid OF locks.
But these locks were 10 be constructed in
such q manner that the transformation Of
The lock canal thus obtained into a sea
level canal could be done by works not
trespassing the ordinary limits admitted
by experience for dredging. They could
be so conducted as not TO interrupt Tor
FIVE minutes the regular exploitation OF
tie canal and the passage OF ships.
i carried out N. &c Lessep's adhesion
to that new plan when ! said 10 him: I
Go not want a lock canal 10 be built II
Panama share with yea the Superior
notion that the interests served by this
heroic conception are Of such magRi;u-e
that their submission TO The obligations
of the handling OF ships by locks will Be
in the course Of few years considered Is
The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1903-12-13

Their are 80 eoscre1 saysseisns Frae-
scssr u ths T-1fed Stsssz-
New-York tribune., 1903-04-19
GIJIPlES OF M4RT LIMB.
rab Some Notes on Her Brother Charles.


From The London Bookman-
Through The kindness Of ne Key. 10 -, - =
Dawes. of the Charterhouse, Godalmlng- we are
sfia Ia print the following very interesting
notes or Charles Lamp
Nv mother was born in 1890 and died at nine
-,-f1ur and must have been either the last or
.e- l.1- one Of the friends OF Charles Lamp
- - a rafghbor and a constant visitor at
fhe house q her mother, Mrs Hume, When she
v-as a girl 'see Dictionary OF Nat BIOGRAPHY
-n5er The name of my sister, Augusta Wep-
sterl and 10 The day Of her death there was no
name which ever seemed TO bring such lgnt
INTO her eyes. L was a house full OF girls IN
which seems 10 have been a delightful eI0er
brother and Mary Lamb often fairy god
mother. Miss Lamb SO often applied Tor q nam
holiday for the girls on the ground that IL was
hcr bir1hday-'You know, Mrs. Hume, that TO-
day is my birrhday--that my grandmother had
10 say: -Oh, Mary. you seem TO have great
many birthdays but believe the appeal was
irresistible.
/ have heard my mother say that when poor
Mary Lamb used 10 feel the mt coming on her
she would say. Charles you must take me
away" And they had seen the same SAD g slgnt
which some one else records Of CharIes Lamp
taking his sister 10 safekeeping. My mother
said that Lamb was terribly depressed at these
times.
The male members Of the family and believe
my father also. used sometimes to go for walks
with Charles Lamb. on these occasions StrlCt
control was kept on Charles Lamg mrs. mrs
When he thought the distance was unduIy great
he would turn and say: Don't you think nave
walked a piEtz'
Ny mother always told me that no likeness OF
Charles Lamb which she had ever seen at an
brought back the man 10 her. She said that
this great deal due TO the total fallure 10
catch the EXPRESSION Of his face. She said that
Lamb had z very sweet and quite unforgetldple
smile which i would have been quite nnposslbIe
10 catch. I remember that when she was very
old she made a pilgrimage 10 the portrait EaI-
}ery, and came hack much disappointed. she
would not allow that anything she had seen
there OF anywhere else gave her Charles Lamp
as she knew him. She would have nothing 10
say 10 Hazli-L's picture Of him
She always told me that Lamb was as de-
hghtfuI and as fun CT iTrepressibie fun ana
humCr, expressed ia the same Incompatible put
quite natural style in his life as in his essays
bat subject 10 deep IJs Of melancholy at inter-
walls
He was man q very strong dislikes, ana
sincerely laa-hed anybody that he thought 4
mean mean minded man, especially Goodwin ihe pup
Usher.
She -od me, but ! dare say this is common
property. that they found Lamb had made an
entry il his diary: Went TO a funeral and made
Z Joke ] believe il was Campbells funeral.
New-York tribune., 1903-04-19

,,e,. should always be stated and he
80 - On 70 say: But astronomers do not state
g. ca directs the course Of each comet and
80 He is inspiring on the subject OF
p'N--e 4, General His friend Henslow had
s4e-s 1a-trre: However delightful any sci
IS, pursuit may be, yet if it should be
.,I,v unapplied, il is Of no more use than
s,rg castles il The air Darwin demurTed
10 this saying
-,-.,,,5 not vour hearers infer from this that
v VT-arrical use Of each scientific discovery
" - 20 be immediate and obvious to make II
O--+b, Of admiration What a beautl1ul IN
Noi' ny .tJor7nfn-rr, is Of q discovery made from
So scientific researches, afterward coming
-. bv chance into practical use, For myself
-1a1,ld however, take higher ground, Tor L
.:eVe there exists, and feel within me- an
49,, for truth. or knowledge or discovery,
,.-,othire Of the same nature as the instinct
q ;-t,a and that our having such an instinct
o. NJ. M enough for scientific researches with
IS ~ aTy praclical results ever ensuing from
then-
=. the end oc letter 10 the late John Fiske
,,.-ke III; to believe that l have at all
: -e...r,e-5 The minds Of able men is the greatest
..-s,c-jo1 7 am capable Of receiving The
: hing that shines through all his letters is
=. ,otle 5isinterestedness. We might multiply
,las- bl.t on other hand, if Darwin the
e,s,tss; is interesting IL these pages, Darwin
:. nan IS equally impressive; his personality
-. rs -b-rrch masses Of matter appaIlingly
srr. and il is with this fact in mind that we
- n take leave Of the book with a refer
- 90 q r--erv personal aspect Of il. Hooker
"a v--itten 10 him asking him 70 leave Down
= dinner IN London Mrs. Darwin was III,
-. ~ the early part OF his reply her husband
.s,-s that he VIII come 70 the dinner The next
ta adds his postscript: I see from my
- .s17,~sssta,l mat she does not really much
,..s my going. and. therefore, must give up,
= .r-~se his pleasure Il is Darwin TO the
-. ,bfrk5re always OF others before he thinks
- himself
New-York tribune., 1903-04-19

a note Of sngsong is to be lost. There Is more
than one unfortunate beginning in this book
Thus Mr.. Burton proceeds to pay a tribute to
the late Robert Louis Stevenson in this wise
Dear ghost. whose ruddy presence needs must fling
ray OF cheer among thy brother shades
In yon pale land of Sleep.
We catch the authors idea, yet there is some
thing about "ruddy ghost that, through the
force of the association of ideas, cannot but
strike us absurdly incOngruous But since
W have quoted Mr.. Burton at his worst, we
must in justice, quote him at his best. III the
following not bad little poem:
DOVE NOTES
The soft strange note of the doves. to what may
Hken the sound.
As they futter high the flock for food
the ground7
Their murmurings shy, remote like lost years
memory seem,
Like melody heard under water, music dmmed
by dream
There is facility, there is picturesQueneSs In
Mr.. Zangwilfs Blind Children" but, unfortu-
nately there isn't any poetry. The book is the
work of a man whom know from his fiction
to be a skilful writer But think too much
Of the way that he has in his prose when we are
New-York tribune., 1903-04-19
THE MYSTICAL NOVEL.
| Spain the First Home of NGturditsm.

From The Pail Mall Gazette.
sort of vindication of the part played by
Spain in modern fiction has been publlShed by
the veteran novelist Senior BenitO Galdoz He
tells that Spain was the first nome OF
naturalism in hterature-a proposition for when
there is much to be said 1t is certain, at any
rate, that Cervantes, although he hardly
"sneered Spains chivalry away, yet put an end
to the dreary and interminable tales of the
Grand Cyrus and his fellows which until then
formed the model of European romance. But
Senor GaldoZ will have 1t that 1t was from
Spain that the great English nOvelists-he in
stances Fielding. Thackeray and Dickens O.
conceived the first idea OF irony which they
afterward converted into English "humor- In
France, he tells us, the same inspiration
though losing somewhat of its piquancy and
grace added to itself the power of analysis and
of expansion, and caused the merely picturesque
tale of adventure to become also psychological
These may not be every ones opinions, but they
are modestly put forward, and, as lockers on
see most of the game, their truth may be more
apparent in the Canary Islands, whence Senior
GaldOz writes than in the middle of the literary
movement" He further tells US that in Spain
itself the backwash so to speak, OF the literary
current has produced series of novels dealing
with ascetic or mystical subjects, of which he
takes the romances of Senior Juan Valera as the
type.
how short has been in the other European coun-
tries the reign of the mystical novel or snort
story. At the end of the eighteenth and at the
beginning of the nineteenth century tales prop
erly called weird or Hoffmanesque were all the
rage. Generally supposed to be German IN thelI
and some of the worst of Scotts masterpieces,
but never succeeded for long in hitting the taste
of the public. Lord Lytton's attempt To revive
them in the sos only caused him to be lauSheu
at and the satire of Thackeray killed them so
effectuaIly that even John Inglesant' failed 10
revive the fashion. In France they seem TO
have been always used, more or less uncon-
scously, for some sort of political propaganda
which was for a long time revolutionary, but
now seems to have become clerical. Here, TOO,
they seem to have been foreign to the soil, ana
to have agreed more or less badly with the
character clair ct net" OF the French genus
But in Germany where everybody is born mys-
tic rather than nationalist, and the national
mind leans TO WoOlIiness rather than TO posltlN-
ism they would to have future. II the
Kaiser in his next literary ukase would reform
his subjects taste 9s Well as their style, ne
might order them TO take as their literary InoueI
Edgar Allan Poe rather than continue To bur
lesdue Zola in the horrible cOncOctions which DO
duty nowadays as German novels.
New-York tribune., 1903-04-19

perhaps he has not been ambitious to DO any
such thing. He has been content falhef' W.
fancy. to produce fabric Of very MID draIll'tlc
interest which if possibly too fragile for the
theatre might at least preserve on the printed
mage a certain atmosphere, certain charm aS
of lines written for the sheer pleasure OF VIII
ing them in the spirit of Chaueer, after deIish'eu
con1nlunings with that master. Ihere may MOI
F,a ANYTHING really memorable in this book put
IT, ie begt,iIiue dction in it, there are delicate
ideas delicately expressed, and one willingly
IDS on and on. regardless of the plot. Ihere
&c enough for our pleasure in the recurrence 81
one massage after another like TINS:
How silver falls the night: Goo. a.,,.-.
Tho hills lie down like sheep; the young iI"- Ii"'
e The yel2Tb 2Tbfar1is hanLi5e5f Of bis s main sons
The latest swallow dips fTe 3eInq IN The Whe stars
IL fol5e5 daisies in a summer helJ.
Sleep in their dew, ana 10y Son p I'm droTI,ed her
In darkness hedge. st. Ruin hdlA "i'lP-
sickle.
of course Mr. Mackaye attempts more
e+rictIv lyric note here and there puI Ho'
xea. Nth equal success. We like him best III
49, Ike those We have just quoted ana III
49,, ,-a like him very much indeed, as q "oI'"S
da,,otee of Chaucer; only regrettlls liia' ~
fa,y nIaces he is perhaps shade 100 iG9'io'9
rrh, title Of Mr.. Richard Burton's ne" eoHeo-
80, cf ,oer7s. Message and Melody IS SOM
-,.bat misleading. The message IS 'heFe' IN
antbor being thoughtful and susgesu'e'
,7es+ ,.-av but We look in VAN 1oF tlle iA'io
rral,a for example a Ballad o1 hlilsiiiei
ant1, ~. Rrrton treats a theme that ought 10
,aL %,e-- baan inspiring that heroic and tragic ao-
an,,,re n@n Of the ships in Apia Bay, which H'9s 5
" ns',,u Of the brightest passages OF the Annals
Of Of Al, AngIo-saxon seamen. 1t begins III '"'9
fashion:
Ania Bay wears smooth. bright gilt, 1'1e
1XK5ban The tropic winds are low 77aee
mi me harbor curve Is a fedIs99iiiyI ~,
bVt Wban al9 The great winds rise and blow
We need not illustrate the mann, -, hoair on
" MA &c carried on and ends. To pes'i' V-'
New-York tribune., 1903-04-19
POETRY.
Nesc Tolumes of Minor Terse and
Some Classic .S0nnets.

THE CANTERBURY PILGRIMS. Comedy By
1fnrSy fny Maekaye Emo. PIP viii, 20S The Mac
message AND MELODY A Book of Verse By
rop Publishing Co.
BLIND CHILDREN. Poems. BY Israel Zangwill.
Emo, PIP. XII, l55. Funk q Wagnalls Co
WRITTEN IN FLORENCE The Last Verses of
fiugh McCulloch. l2mo. PIP viii, 101 Boston:
Little, Brown & Co
CENTURY OF SONNETS BY S r. Herrick
l2mo. PIP. xxx, 1oO. r. II Russell
Mr.. Percy Mackaye's little comedy. The Can
terbury Pilgrims" differs from most books of
the sort by writers Of the present day in that it
actually has literary quality. and even a SAVIOR
Of poetic feeling. The lines which quoted
from it the other day, beginning Mine own true
mistress is sweet Out-of-doors," really
typical in their fairly spontaneous quaintness
Nowhere does the author strike fire, but then,
New-York tribune., 1903-04-19

place also in MI McCuliochs work. Il Is good
to take pains, yet, in poetry, without inspira-
ton, al the industry in the world is Intellectual
Witness this smoothly turned ''madrigal,'' which
is well representative of the tone and style of
the book:
Azaleas with petals red or white
Are my delight
Too proud for perfume joyously they say:
Behold how coward Winter sinks away -
Since we have brought the Spring to every glenF
The Spring has come The sky has lost the gray
Which hung as heavy the hearts of men.
The whole world revels with the sun again
In work and play.
Azaleas with petals red white
OF Madeleine
OF the making of anthologies of sonnets there
is apparently never to be end. Sometimes
inclined to regret it, and in the case of
Mr. S. B. Herrick's "A Century of Sonnets''
have found ourselves hesitating between a
favorable and adverse judgment. He has
used a curious kind of discretion mixing UP
with masters like Shakespeare and Milton GER
tain modern dabsters who certainly have no
business to be found, even by the grace of an
anthologist in the company of men so infinitely
their betters But on second thoughts We are
inclined to accept the book as, on the whole, a
good one. After all, the really superfuous mod
erns represented are not numerous, and In max
ing his selections from the works of their prede-
cessors the compiler has shown excellent taste.
The book contains very pleasant Introductory
essay; it is beautifully printed, with decorative
initial letters that really add to the charm OF
the page; and it has most artistic binding OF
imitation vellum, bearing effective design in
gold We have been bored by some of MIR. Her
rick's modern selections. Nevertheless, the one
sonnet which we are irresistibIy tempted TO
quote from his collection is by a living poet,
MI Andrew Lang. We have quoted it before,
but it is always a pleasure to reprint these
beautiful lines:
AS that for a weary space has lain
Luled by the song of Circe and her wine
In gardens the pale of ProSerplne,
Where that -Hgean isle forgets the main,
And only the low lutes of love complain,
And only shadows of wan lovers plne
AS such glad to know the brlne
Salt his lips and the large air again,
Sc gladly from the songs OF modern speech
Men turn, and see the stars. and feel the free
ShrlI wind beyond the close of heavy flowers,
And through the music of the langud hours
They hear, like Il western beach1
The surge and thunder Of the Odyssey
New-York tribune., 1903-04-19
1 REMNANT OF OLD NEWGITE.

From Chambers's Journal
The most notorious part of the whole struct-
ure-and which Yet remains-was the press
ward Here it was that peine forte ct dure vas
inflicted upon prisoners charged with felony
who, with the view of saving their property
from confscation, refused to plead at the bar
This dreadful punishment of being pressed to
death was however, abolished in 17I2 y Major
-Strangways who was indicted for murder, hav-
ing refused to plead, was condemned TO this
savage pelne forte ct dure. He died in eight
minutes, and many of those who witnessed the
dreadful sight threw stones at him 20 hasten his
End.
New-York tribune., 1903-04-19
reading these verses. Here is specimen Of the
latter:
DREAM PICTURE.

And dead men singing
ROwed Ger the ferry,
And the moonlight glisteneo
On faces merry.
And in a tWinkling
The rowers vanished,
The water plashless,
The voices banished,
But the oaks kept glancing,
And the boat advancing.
New-York tribune., 1903-04-19
THE COUNTRY OF SPRING,
Ey HENRY IE WE'RE sTACPoL

e HENRY IE WE'RE STACPCLE.
Tel me- o Life u here man may be gay.
Wishing life longer and longer the day,
Where are The davns most seraphic Of wing,
Evenings least gray2
In the country Of Spring
Say 10 ne. love where beggar may find
Love. and . Love. where ART thou the ieast
bliuC
Where are tae songs that the lost syrens sing
Blown OF --le W4Gd2
in the country Of Spring.
Death, in n hat land do tba primroses blow
over TIE women men loved long ago.
Where Ger their graves bloom the lilies .
king
Whittier fnau snow?
in the country Of Spring.
Al the recent dinner Of the English omar
hhayyafn Club the poet of the evening was M
A0stln DObson. His verses wore the ute
Cnder Which King?' and he combined therein
'ae claims Of FItzGeTald and Omar.
New-York tribune., 1903-04-19
DEAD MEMORIES.

lately an elderly FrenchwOman
showed me a dress with embroidtrF'
TlaIicate worn by her grandmothet
0nce at the Court of Napoleon
Instantly flashed the great Corsl'ah'
I6msIiIv bright my memory,
('rUmbled to dust with his dynasty
Ions, ere the dainty embroidery.
Also 7 stroVe rtSuScltate -,
All those gay splendors tie SIftIHl''''ii'i
1Id1cj mid hut unSUcceSSfuly1
knowing 50 little Of History
The poems left by the late Hush Mcou ullo'"'
md now published in a dainty little volume
,,,74. the title of Written in Florence" sug-
,aet a sensitive temperament, culture, ana great
assidufty in the study of literary forms. one
wishes that one could say more for these verses.
The nortrait of the author, pretiXed TO the vol
11n1e shows an interesting personality, thonght-
ful and refined. Those qualities are perceptlole
:, ou that the hook contains. There is nothing
here. however, that is melodious, or that IN any
vvav discloses a genuine poetic gift. There IS a
nretty touch, but there is something common
New-York tribune., 1903-04-19
latter:

As a sketch for a picture this is not without
merit but there is nothing in it of lyric feeling,
of poetic felicity. 1t seems a pity that MI
Zangwill should lack those Indispensable qual-
ties for now and then he stumbles upon prom
Using motive. To read his most successful piece
however is only to reflect upon the superior way
in which a poet like Mr. DobsOn, for example,
could have written it. There is nothing better
in .Rlfnd Children'-and that is to say that the
book is easily spared-than this bit, which is
clever but somehow falls short Of reaching the
right level: