The Dawson news. (Dawson, Ga.) 1889-current, 1905-08-16
STORIES OF STEVENS.
Chief Engineer Appointed to
Build Panama Canal.

ia Railroad Camp-IhrlIllhB EApe-
xience While Lost In the WiIds of
British Columbia.
''You may be sure that John f.
Stevens will surmount all difficulties
and build the Panama canal asserted
Judge r. r. Kinkade Of Toledo, o.,
not long ago while speaking of the new
chief engineer appointed by President
Roosevelt, who recently reached the
isthmus on the steamship Mexico with
Theodore p. Shonts, president of the
canal commission, says the Toledo
Blade.
stevens doesn't bother with the lit
tie frazzled ends of any proposition.
He has no regard for red tape and is
a man who does things, as l know
from intimate acquaintance with him"
continued the Judge
Seventeen years ago Judge Kinkade
and Mr. Stevens had headquarters to-
gether at Marquette, Mich. AS prin-
cipal assistant engineer of the Duluth,
South Shore and Atlantic railway
Stevens located right of way for the
company, and Judge Kinkade, as gen
eral attorney, bought it. The road
was built by a syndicate headed by
Calvin S. Brice of Lima, O., and Gen
eral Samuel Thomas of New York,
both of whom are dead.
In reminiscent mood Judge Kinkade
related two anecdotes Of the man who
has undertaken the greatest engineer
ing proposition in the world.
Mr.. Stevens connection with the Du-
Iuth South Shore and Atlantic rail
road was from 1887 to 1889. At one
time he had charge Of a construction
gang of several hundred men who
camped in tents on the railroads right
Of way, many miles from the nearest
settlement, In or near Ontonagon coun-
ty, west of Marquette. They were
making a big cut, and operations were
expensive, because all camp proyi-
siOns had to be hauled by teams over
land a long distance.
The work progressed satisfactorily
until a fellow possessing more enter
prise than principle appeared upon the
scene to profit by trading upon the
vices of the laborers He erected Il
rude shack and stocked it with vile
whisky The men, having no other
place in which to amuse themselves or.
spend their money, patroniZed the sa
loon so freely that the gang soon be-
came demOralized. 1t was a costly
proposition for the railroad company.
The saloon was not located ON rail
road land, so Stevens had no legal au-
thority to rid himself of it, and expos
tulatiOn with the proprietor, who was
coming money faster than Il govern.
ment mint, were of no avail. Finally
Engineer Stevens made a personal Wis
it to the saloon and engaged i'll a brief
interview with the proprietor.
when are you going to leave here|
demanded the railroad official
when | get - good and ready"
was the surly response of the salOOniSt.
Il am going now" laconically retort-
ed Stevens. And 50 saying he drew
from his pocket a mammoth dynamite
cartridge scratched a match on his
corduroy trousers, ignitod the fuse.
threw the missile of destruction behind
the bar and ran. The saloon keeper
decided that he was quite ready to go
also and didn't argue the proposition.
In thirty seconds the shack was blown
from the face of the earth and business
was not resumed at the old stand.
Soon after this occurrence however,
a man appeared in camp carrying upon
his back big tin receptacle filled with
whisky, which he retailed to the men.
He had been In business but a short
time when Il Frenchman, a sharpshOot-
er. acting under Stevens orders, plug
ged the can lengthwise while the own
er was carrying it on his back. The
bullet made two holes In the can. The
whisky gurgled out, and the thorough
iy frightened owner must have been
convinced that he had a more effective
antisaloOn law than the BrannOck bill
to deal with That was the end of the
liquor business in the camp under the
Stevens regime.
These acts" said Judge Klnkade,
"were thoroughly characteristic of
John Stevens For this reason and
because he is splendid discipllnarian
as we'll as Il thoroughly capable and
experienced engineer l know him to
be just the man to plan and superin-
tend the digging Of the big ditch.
"But had ii not been for the bowling
of dog In The Selkrll mountains, in
British Columbia twenty-five years
ago, John Stevens would not have gone
TO Panama Lost in the wilds, travel
ing on snOwshOeS with a mailman for
n companion, he would have persisted
from exposure and starvation. At that
time Mr.. Stevens was assistant ana
division engineer Of the Canadian Pa
cifc AS such he assisted in the loca-
ton Of the road which crosses the Sci
kirk mountain range between the
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