Omaha daily bee., 1905-10-31


railroad seems to be of rather mysterious
origin, but it will be built, so it is said.
Mr. Markell stated that he has no knowl-
edge of the interests back of this new
enterprise. nor does he care. his business
at present being to furnish men and food
for railroad projects anywhere throughout
the United States.
Locating the Camps.
Since the days when Markell conducted
the Millard hotel in Omaha and eating
houses along the line of the Union Pacific
railroad he has branched out In numerous
directions Mr. Markell now maintains an
office in New York and is m the field to
supply new railroad companies with COM
missary stores, with laborers, with hos
pitfalls and physicians Tomorrow Mr.. Mar
kel will go over the road, the location Of
which he does not even know, with a view
of locating provision camps. He has had,
however an employe In Minnesota can
vassIng for men to go on this work i'm
mediately after the new year.
| While IL is purely speculation, II is
thought that the new line will form a con-
nection with the wabash and is a projec-
tion OF the Gould forces.
Mr.. Markell, who recently received a
contract to feed the laborers on the
Panama canal strip and which was sub
sequentlY set aside, believes that some
such scheme as outlined TO Chairman
Shonts and the canal commission is abso-
! lutely essential to the early building OF
the canal. The former manager OF Union
Pacific eating Fouses is optimistic regard
/ ing the building Of the canal and ventures
! the opinion that the canal will be COM
pleted within fifteen years. He insists that
there are no great engineering problems to
/ be overcome. After six months on the
I zone, he gives 1t as his opinion that labor
| can be obtained from countries adjacent
to Panama and that it would be a mistake
to employ either Chinese or. Japanese
labor.
Three Things Essential.
Three things are essential In the build
! ing of the canal" said Mr.. Markell
/ Sanitation, progression, with get there
| sufficient to overcome all difficulties. The
French left at least $500 houses on the
strip when the United States took posses
sion. Twenty three hundred OF these
-houses are ssneui In -sapair .for- eccupaacy
Steam shoyels are coming in, dirt trains
are being set up and engineers in charge
I Of the work are getting ready to make
the dirt fly The work of preparation
should have been done for the building o!
the canal Immediately after we took pos
session. II the work has not been az
progressive as the American people ex
pected It has been due entirely to the worl
of preparation, which was virtually es
sential. The sanitation OF Panama ha'
been accomplished The filtration is IL
operation and I don't see any reason why
people should hesitate to 90 to the isthmu'
under the methods now being pursued by
the governments AS for my being gu
$JOOOO,OOO by reason OF the cancellation o.
the contract / had with the government
the entire contract was mutual The gov
ernment was not. prepared TO let me g
into the canal strip under my contrac
and l was not willing TO go in unless con
dtions were favorable. Some such schem'
as / suggested. however, will have TO b.
adopted for feeding the laborers on tn
canal and I still hope that my plan viii
be adopted"