Fergus County argus. [volume] (Lewistown, Mont.) 1886-1946, 1904-03-16

able regulations. In 1889 the new
French company was formed and ac'
quired the visible property of It's pre-
decessor. This company began It's OPP
erations on the isthmus in 1894 and
has continued them since. with a lim'
tied capital and with little hope of a
speedy completion of the work.
The property which this company
transfers to the United States has
been listed as follows: 10000 acres
of ground at the terminals and along
the route: 2,43l buildings, including
offices, quarters. storehouses, shops,
hospitals and terminal sheds; an i'm
mense amount of railway and dredg'
ing machinery, moi worth much Of a
percentage OF its cost; the work done
by the two French companies, which
includes excavation estimated to have
cost SIS. 100000; maps. drawings and
records. estimated to be worth $1,000
900; the Panama railway and three
steamships.
For this property the companies are
to receive S4O,000,0 900. to be divided,
according to the agreement, so that
$2i. 900 will go to the old company
and the balance to the new. The old
company expended fully S250,000,0 900
upon its work. The republic of Pan.
ANA is to receive $4,000. 400 imme-
diately and, after nine years, S250,O00
annually. The United States receives
from Panama a strip OF land. five
miles wide, upon each side of the ca
nal. We also become sponsors for
the preservation Of order in the new
state.
Work to Be Done.
The amount of excavation yet to be
done is estimated at 100000 900 yards,
against 100000 yards already com
pleted. This estimate does not in
| clude the construction of the Bohio
dam and the Gigantic spillway. The
completion OF the canal TO a depth
of &c feet from ocean to ocean, a dis
lance OF ~ miles, will probably cost
about Sl45.000,0oo. according to the
estimates of the Walker commission.
Vessels will navigate this channel
at a rate, including locKage, Of four
miles an hour. All sailing craft will
have to be towed. not only through
the canal. but for a long distance on
the Pacific side.
The aggregate probable tonnage
as compiled by Prof. Lewis NJ. Haupt,
member of the Walker commission,
from authorities-is placed
al about l0.O0O,0O o. this business
he believes thar 20 per cent will con-
| .s-Y ,F .,a L. L. estimated chat =.
per cent of the whole interoceanic
traffic will be from points north of
the meridian OF the canal to other
points north of The same meridian.
To what extent the canal will prove
profitable, above the cost of admins
tration. can not now be stated. The
Suez canal, under British control. re-
pays its cost every five years.
Frank II. Taylor, writing for The
Booklovers' Magazine, paints this
glowing picture OF the completed ca
nal:
When the work is done and when
the first laden ship glides safely and
speedily through this jungle-bordered
channel. the rate sheets of the
worlds will be rewritten.
A new world will be opened to the
hustling American drummer. The in
fluence of the temperate nations, the
example of their peaceful methods OF
conducting and perpetuating their
governments, will fall upon the hot
blooded but receptive people of the
Latin republics. and will, in time. end
their cruel and wasteful epidemic Of
revolutions. The school book ant
geography will reach remote planta
tions under the shadow of the Andes
and be found in the matched huts
OF p"almcrowned isles. Our doctors
whose skill and research have Danish
ed yellow fever from Cuba, will safe
ly guard the workers upon the great
canal against the ravages of one oI
the most deadly climates in the world
and will thus teach the people OF
tropic ports that IL is possible fol
them to exercise sanitary control oy
or one of the most serious obstacles
10 their prosperity. The prejudice o.
the Spanish-speaking nations towart
the aggressive people Of the north
which has prevailed from the begin
ming. will dissovle as the full impor'
of this woodwork becomes under
stood by them: and, in the fullnes'
of time. Central and South Amerioi
will concede to Los Estados Unido'
del horde that confidence and gooC
will which should naturally bind TO
gether all the Americas"