The Mitchell capital. (Mitchell, Dakota [S.D.]) 1879-1918, 1903-04-17
BUILDING OF The
PANAMA CANAL
Will Cost $685. 900, 900 and
Be Finished About 1920
According to Plans.
OUR GREATEST PROJECT
Other Large Undertakings Hinge on
the Success Of the Canal, Among
Them a Pan-Ameriean
Railroad System.

Washington special: 1t is the ex.
pectation of the president and those
with whom he takes counsel that the
actual work of digging the Panama
canal will be under way within twelve
months. A good many things prelim-
mary to the real task must be attended
to. Now that the treaty with the
United States of Colombia has been
ratified by the congress OF the United
States, it goes to the Colombian con-
gress for approval. IL 1t is ratified
there without change. the next step
viii be to take possession OF the assets
OF the nan IA for
which $40, 000, 900 is to be paid, and
then to take possession of the canal
strap n assume the rights and priv
ileses that go with 1t, for which Colom-
bia is to receive $4,000, coo in gold cash,
and an annua payment of $250,00O.
After these things nave been accom-
plisned, the president Will be ready to
appoint the commission. which under
h Spooner act, Is to have supervision
of the construction of the great water;
way. Even after the commission has
been named, questions of vital import
ance will have to be settled before the
digging can be begun. The president.
dn counsel with the commission, will
have to decide whether the United
States shall deal directly with the prof.
ect, or whether the work shall be done
by contract.
1t has come to the notice of the adj,
ministration that already the largest
construction hat was ever
organized is forming in New York,
preparatory to making a proposal to
construct the canal. In It, 1t Is an
nounced. are to be many of the most
influential f1nanciers in the country. IT.
wants all the work in connection with,
the construction of the canal. The old
commissions thought has been that
the route ought to be divided into Sec
lions and the construction let to several
companies. These details will be,
passed on after the new commission Isl
appointed.
Many Years of Work.
The canal, If reasonable progress Isl
made with the work, will be completed.
experts say. about 1920. The treaty stip-'
Glates that it must be open for ships
within fourteen years after work Is be-.
gun, but only the optimistic believe 1t can
be completed within the time named. tt
is by far the greatest commercial work.
the United States has ever undertaken
Ii 1t Is carried to successful completion It'll
will be the realization of an agitation that,
has engrossed countries OF Europe andi
America for more than t~hree-quarters Of
a century. +.
49, - - 80 -S ">-A AAht> Ia AOSAi ~
next month since the first tangible steps
were taken. That date will mark the an.
adversary Of Coun Ferdinand de Lessons
appeal to the several nations to send DELI
egates to a congress to meet in Paris to
decide on a route, and plan for a water
way connecting the Atlantic and the Pa
cific oceans. +,
Twenty-four nations were represented
IN that congress. Soon afterward the
Universal Interoceanic Canal company
a 10 q ~ p.,ra ,iyo3 T., h,,{iI %Ia rH---1
1he date Of the formation of that ,com-
Iany until the present time the Frenchi
have spent over s200,0 900 on the canal,
ard have 1t, according TO representations,
asout 10 per cent. completed. The enor-f
NOUS sum of money, 1t is said, was not
spent wisely.
To Cost $500 0 900.
The Spooner act that the
canal shall be completed for $3.50, O0o. 900,
il is understood here officially that the
New York syndicate that is forming with
the expectation of getting the contract is
willing to guarantee the completion of the
canal, including the smallest details, for
the amount named in the Spooner act.
The money for construction is to be
raised by issuing bonds. This was SEN
ntor Fairbanks amendment to the canal
law. These bonds are to be issued in
denominations of $50, or some multiple of
that sum, and are to draw . per cent.
small denominations were provided so
that the people of moderate means might
have an opportunity to invest IN them.
These bonds are to be issued from time
TO time, as money for the construction
work is needed.
The launching of the canal scheme
opens the way for carrying forward other
large enterprises. The long-talked-of Pan
American railway is one. The improve
ment of the Ohio river, SO as to make it
n~avigable for large boats the year round,
is another.
With $lI,5 800 for investigating purposes,
Charles NJ. Pepper will start to South
America in a few days to look into the
I possibilities of the great railroad from
the standpoint of the United States. Tho
scheme contemplates a railroad about TO-
600 miles long, of which about $500 miles
are already built. The road, as projected.
Will extend from New York to Buenos
Ayres. Optimistic persons are certain
that by 1910 1t will be possible to board a
train at any station in the United States
and travel by rail to any of the South
American republics.
The canal commission will be composed
of seven members. Their salaries have
not yet been fixed, but presumably they
will receive $4,000 or SD, 200 each. The
law provides that at least four of them
shall be skilled engineers. One OF the
four is to be an army officer and one an
officer of the navy. The president has
said that he will expect the commission
ers to spend a good deal of time on the
isthr1uS.
1t seems to be understood that Rear
Admiral John G. Walker. who was the
head of the old canal commission, will
represent the navy on the new commits
sion. The only other man who Seems
certain of d place is ex-senator j. Il
Tones of Arkansas.
New York Southerners' Odd Custom.
EI Nom VnrI S,Ir. -znt