davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1905-10-29

provisions became short and prices went
skyward. The result was the common la
borers could not afford to buy the neces-
saries of life They had to stop work for
lack of eatables and some lived for time
on sugar cane. We saw that we must send
food to the isthmus, and that at once.
We hurried up the establishment of the
cornmissary departments, and we are now
sending supplies there regularly. We shall
soon have it arranged that both the gold
and silver men shall be supplied at cost
with almost everything they need from
the commissaries."
But how about the millions of Uncle
Sans money which the contractors are to
get Mr.. Shonts?" tst D..
1.-THE contractors will not get anything
out of Uncle Sam. They have merely the
privilege OF opening hotels and supplying
food cooked and uncooked to the men at
certain fixed rates They will make their
profit out OF the business, and 1t will not
come from the government treasury at all
Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1905-10-29

surroundings with appreciation, though ut
first everything was strange and new. Just
after their arrival a group of the larger
boys looked over the grounds and then
were seen to whisper together for few
minutes. Finally one approached Mrs.
IIlles, wife of the superintendent of the
asylum, saying:
Hey, Missis do we get breakfast, dinner
and supper here, same in the city,"
After receiving assurances of the regula-
ton meals, the group decided that the
strenuous boys there was some specuia-
ton as TO the possibility Of bagging bears
in the woods. But the chief wonder at the
country was found among the smaller
children in the kindergarten cottage" who
had never been out of the city before,
even on Fresh Air. excursions. When the
little chaps were sent out to play on the
morning after their arrival, they. soon re-
turned to the cottage painting and out or
breath and manifested a disposition to
stay at home. In answer to the house
mothers inquiries they said they had como
in because "a big wild animal was chasln'
round over there" The wild animal" on
investigation, proved to be a placid COW
in a neighboring field. At another time the
house mother found a group Of the children
squatted on the ground staring solemnly
at a newly hlled-in spot of earth. ''We
found a dead butterfly" they explained,
land we buried it, And now we're waiting
for an angel TO come up"
Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1905-10-29
His First Real Job.


In my talk with Mr.. shonts I referred
TO the magnitude and complexities of the
canal work, saying:
you have now had your hands on the
machine for more than six months; you
have been able to study the situation by
and large. l want to know how you like
the job?"
II find it both interesting and absorbing"
was the reply. 1t is so absorbing that
It takes ell my time, all my energies-every-
thing that is in me. Indeed, it seems to me
the only real job have ever undertaken.
I did not realize how big il was until at
tempted Il; but with time and work il will
be accomplished"
How about the red tape and govern
ment methods, Mr.. shonts?. Can any bust
ness man handle the canal after modern
business methods with the government in
charger"
I'VE hope 10 do things after the best of
modern business methods, and at the same
time not act contrary to government regu-
lations. There are some things that might
perhaps be changed to the benefit Of the
work. One rule is that all accounts have
10 pass through the hands OF the auditors
Of two or three OF the government depart
ments. In the great railroad business Of
the United States. a business which In
the vast sums involved equals, II 1t does not
surpass. that of the federal government,
one auditor is suficient for each road, and
almost nothing is lost. II would seem that
il the accounts pass through the auditing
branch Of one great government depart
ment that might be sufficient. The chief
thing with us in the canal construction is
results; We should like any changes that
will facilitate our work, and enable us &c
do Il more quickly and more cheaply with
due regard 10 careful government inspeo-
ton"
Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1905-10-29

Presbyterian college at Monmouth, Ill.
There is no better stock and no better
training to make men.
Mr.. Shonts began life as a bank clerk in
Iowa. He made a reputation as a bank
accountant, and, working along business
lines, rose to be a builder and manager of
railroads He has the reputation of being a
good organizer andNa successful handler of
men, and that in the west, which, after
all, is the best business working part of
our country and which today is producing
the leaders of all branches of business.
Another big element in the makeup OF
this man in his health. He is, l judge,
about fifty, but his eye is that OF a man
ten years younger. His cheeks are rosy
with red blood, He eats we'll, digests we'll
and is the personihcation Of vigor aud
vitality. He stands over six feet In his
stockings. a big man, with a big frame
padded with lean, muscular flesh.
The Lord has given him the physique for
the werk. his life seems to have furnished
the training, and President Roosevelt has
picked him out as the man for the place.
1t is now up to him to make good.
Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1905-10-29
In Panama and Colon.

what are you doing in the cities?"
I'VE are cleaning up Panama and Colon
and completing the sewers and water
works. Panama has now plenty of water
which comes from a dam far up in the
mountains The water is very pure and
better than that Of many of our cities.
We shall also supply Colon with good
water The sewers are rapidly being put
into Panama and we shall soon have the
streets paved. We shall lay the chief thor
oughfares with brick, and we are now TAX
ing brick there in great quantities. We
are cleaning the city. 1t has not been in
a sanitary condition for ages; we are wip-
ing out the cesspools and we hope 20
make it as healthy as any town Of our
gulf states. Heretofore Colonel Gorgas
and the other doctors have been devoting
themselves to trying to prevent disease by
wiping out the mosquitoes and isolating
the yellow fever patients. These methods
are good. but we also believe In the old
fashioned theory that cleanliness is next
20 health, as we'll as next TO goodness.
We are doing some thorough cleaning on
that basis throughout the canal zone"
How about the food for the men and
those food contracts which involved mil
lions Of dollars, Mr.. shonts?" asked.
There has been a great Misrepresentation
about those food contracts. 1t was neees-
sary that the contracts be let out at once.
When we reached the isthmus we found
the workmen out OF food and that they
could not labor for lack of IT, The whole
population OF the isthmus Is but a few
thousand, and when the 1000 or 1900
canal employees were added. thu supplies Of
Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1905-10-29
situation at Panama.
What is being done at Panama p

What is being done at Panama.
We are doing everything we can TO Mt
the isthmus for our working force. II is
useless 70 try TO push the canal excavation
until we have food and houses for our
workmen. We can only make haste slowly,
The work We are now doing will hurry up
the real work of the future.
In the hrst place. We need yards for the
Panama railroad and docks at which to
Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1905-10-29

new NHlle SlOHe bulluihB lOOhlhB
out upon New York harbor at the foot of
Broadway, that talked with Mr.. Theo-
dore p. Shonts, the new head of Uncle
Sans biggest new project, the Panama
canal.
/ say the new head, because. since Mr..
Wallace left there has been no question as
to who is the manager of the canal scheme.
Where Theodore Roosevelt sits. as we all
know, is always the head OF the table.
That goes without saying. But even our
mighty president cannot be in more than
one place at a time. and Mr., Shonts, under
him and congress, is supreme. He has
the direction and the control 81 the chief
engineer, Mr.. Stevens; he is the chief over
the governor of the Ten-Mile Strip, Mr..
Magoon; and he is the president and gem
eral manager of the Panama Railroad and
Steamship company. Every man in the
ten or twelve thousand who now make up
the canal forces has his work and his re-
sponsibilities, but all are subordinate to
Theodore p. Shonts, and 30 him the presi-
dent looks for results. In other words, the
canal work is at last under one head, and
that head Is Mr.. Shonts.
Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1905-10-29

BY this time, of course, all the initial
strangeness has worn of. The children
have come to look upon the little cottage
colony, which, with it's smooth roadways.
broad lawns and handsome cottages Of
varied architecture, resembles high-class
suburban settlement, as their home. The
life at the institution is varied and interest
ing, a strong contrast to that of similar
institutions under the old-fashioned con-
gregate system. There is no undue re-
straint, and no fences or iron palings to
shut in the asylum grounds from the open
country. The cottages are ranged about
great oval, girded by roadway, it's
widest ends being north and south, and
Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1905-10-29

NEN YORK, oct. ga colony for
Il neglected boys at which each lad
is known, not by a certain num-
kS%kff Der as at most institutions, but
by his own name, so that he is
made to feel himself to be a distinct en-
tity and to count for something in the
world-such ar institution necessarily
teaches lesson of the importance of fos
tering self-respect in the midst of healthful
surroundings when It Is a question of turn.
ing the waits of the slums into worthy
American citizens.
AS healthy and self-respecting a gather
ing of boys probably as one can find in
the neighborhood of a great city anywhere
these autumn days are the 300 children
of the tenement and street who are housed
In the newly built village of the New York
Juvenile asylum at Dobbs Ferry N Y.
This is the time of year when the waif
is apt TO be at his worst physically, when
he is exhausted by a long summer In the
fetid atmosphere of the tenements and
the grilling streets; but the children of the
asylum have enjoyed more than three solid
months Of outdoor life amid country sur
roundings and they are bright-eyed, rosy
checked contrast to their less fortunate
little brothers of the town
.
Healthy Life on a Farm.
This contrast IS a sign OF the success of
the experiment begun by the Juvenile Asy-
lum, when in the latter part of last May
II moved from the building In the upper
part OF Manhattan island to it's country
farm of fs5 acres, on a ridge Of land over
looking the Hudson river. where the boys
are housed in pretty cottages thirty in a
M te 40
like as possible. The change was a mo-
mentous one for the waits. many of whom
had never seen the country before. for the
children that come to the asylum have
either become orphans or been abandoned
by their parents or. because Of parental
viciousness have been flung on the world,
or as happens occasionally, the parents
have given them into custody as incor-
rigible. Their ages range from to 10
years
The children rapidly accepted their new
Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1905-10-29
Panama for Young Men.
EnnerImentaI work.

EXperImentat WORK.
what are the engineers doing at Fan
ama?"
'Thev are working away, testing the diff
ferent parts of the canal route, making
borings and other experimental investiga-
tons"
rs there any excavating going on at
Culebra Cut?"
'cNo: that has been stopped. There is no
use of wasting work, time and money there
until we have the machinery, tracks and
other facilities needed for the work. 1t was
a mistake 10 use the little French and Bel
gian engines and the baby dump cars
Each of those cars holds only about I'VE
cubic yards of earth. Our new steam SHOW
els each take up five cubic yards at one
mouthful, and when they drop II into SUCH
a car they are likely to break it or spill II
out II, as is sometimes the case the
shovel takes up an eight or ten~ton rock II
may crush the car. They are worthless for
a job like this Another thing, as It is'
twenty-five such cars make a trainload for
one Of those engines. When you have n
trainload you are only carrying away 40
cubic yards of earth. and as We have only
one track you can see how fast the work
goes on. Indeed, / think II was a calamity
that we got that lot of refuse stuff with
our French bargain. Had we started free
we would have bought the best OF modern
machinery. We must have that now. The
best is by far the cheapest"
How much excavation has actually been
done since we took hold?"
About 100000 cubic yards, l should say. >"
How much will have TO be done?"
That depends upon whether We have &
lock canal or a sea level canal. We may
have as little as 100000 cubic yards, and
we may have more than iOO,OO0OOo We can
not tell until We know just what kind OF q
canal is determined upon"
What is your opinion. Mr.. shonts, should
the canal be one Of locks or at sea level?'
Il have 10 opinion TO express. The presi'
dent has called together the most eminent
Of the worlds engineers TO pass upon thai
question. They are now investigating tbs
different problems. They will go TO Pan
anna, ana in due time WIN report. II theh
conclusion should be a unanimous one
Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1905-10-29

cottages fall in as the line passes, School
begins promptly at o'clock.
Only half the children attend school in
the morning The others are scattered to
work of various kinds, for the farm gar
den, the kitchen. the bake shop, the laun-
dry, the tailor shop. the printing Office and
the cottages themselves. all claim their
quota OF, hands.
Already the cooking brigade has been at
work over the breakfast in the pig COM
munity kitchen in the power house, red
brick building, somewhat shut off from
the rest of the structures, behind a group
Of trees and below the crest Of the ridge
There, under a competent chef, the boys
are initiated into the mysteries of the
culinary art They make good cooks too,
and most of them like the work, All tho
food cooked in this common kitchen, is
loaded In cans, which are delivered at the
various cottages by wagon. Adjoining the
kitchen is a finely appointed bake shop.
day for themselves and their hungry fell
lows $50 loaves of bread, of which a New
England housekeeper would not be
ashamed.
In the tailor shop the sewing detail
makes all the clothes required by the
wards of the asylum, and in the printing
office the boys get a practical knowledge
of typesetting and the management of
press machines, incidentally doing all the
printing necessary in the course Of the
ordinary asylum work.
Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1905-10-29

100 bushels.
The garden has proved also a practical
boon to the asylum in enabling it to fur
nish vegetables fresher and in greater
quantity than a similar institution In the
city could possibly afford In addition, &c
is worth mentioning that a quart OF milk
is provided daily FOR each boy. and, as
one of the youngsters mentioned with pride
to visitor there's pie twice a week"
school Sessions.
The morning school session lasts from
to II 80 o'clock and dinner is served in the
cottages at noon. In the afternoon those
boys who have done other work during
the morning attend school from l to 4
o'clock and the morning school squad does
the physical work. After O'Clock comes
play time The boys are free for base ball
or other sports until tea time at $50 A
fine athletic field and running track are
being constructed in the oval.
After tea, during the long summer days.
the boys usually resume their play out of
doors. But each of the cottages has an
admirable sitting and reading room, with
an adequate library, and checkers, domi-
noes and other games for those who like to
play. Twice a week. also, the teachers
have liz e entertainment in each cottage
and either read or sing to the boys, and
Ine youh SSterS feclle OF Sing songs tnaJ
they have learned.
Bed time comes early, at or $3.50 o'clock,
and the boys retire TO their dormitories on
the second floor Of the cottages. In two
OF the houses, called the "honor cottages"
the boys have individual rooms, small, but
light and airy, and those boys who win tho
right TO these are very proud Of the
achievement.
Thus far the model village has appar-
emily been very successful, but after all, the
success can be gagged fully only by the
careers of the boys after they have left
the asylum. Thousands OF young fellows
have gone out from the institution in it's
half century Of existence to become useful,
self-respecting citizens. The management
expects that with a more favorably To-
Gated plant and larger resources-which are
constantly being increased by well-wishing
friends-the successes OF the past will be
more than eQualled.
Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1905-10-29
Prattle of the Youngsters

Small Joe-This book says: During the
meal the young couple kept up a brilliant
fire of repartee." What does that mean?
Little Elsie-Oh, guess It means they
were married and fired the supper things
at each other.
Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1905-10-29

employees of the canal will be insured the
best Of fod and they will be protected
against extortion of any sort"
Men Now at Work.
How many men have you now at work."
Taking Americans natives negroes from
Jamaica. and all others, we have Just about
1900" replied Mr.. Shonts.
What are they doing?"
'"rhey are cleaning up the towns and the
zone. They are unloading lumbc- and put
ting 1t on the cars. They are building the
new houses for the men. There are about
1900 Americans; some Of them belong 70
the clerical force, others are mechanics and
engineers, We have large number Of
American carpenters and we are now send
ing down forty by every steamer"
How about wages? Does 1t pay an
American to go to Panama."
I'VE are now giving about so per cent
moro wages than are paid for similar
Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1905-10-29

land our supplies We have hundreds Of
men at work constructing them. At Crlsto-
bal Colon we are building wharves and
excavating, so that we shall be able TO load
and unload number OF ships there at a
time. This is also permanent work in the
building of the canal Instead of making
a great breakwater from Colon to the main
land across the bay at a cost of millions
we can build these wharves along the en-
trance to the canal. We shall have rail-
road tracks running beside them, so that
the goods from the cars can be taken al
most directly to the ships and vice versa
We are also improving the harbors at the
Panama end of the canal, and are rapidly
bringing in lumber for the new buildings"
Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1905-10-29
Houses for the Men.


What are you doing in the way OF
providing homes foH the workmen|'
I'VE have building going on everywhere
throughout the zone" replied Mr.. Shonts.
when we reached Panama we found the
chief canal officers in the city OF Panama,
in unhealthy localities. and in most cases
in buildings which were very unsanitary.
We found no adequate quarters for the
workmen along the canal route, and also
that the American employees of Panama
were living In the city. We decided to
devote ali our energies at first to getting
healthy working places. We are now build
ing offices at Ancon, a hill which rises
almost straight up from the sea, on the
edge of Panama City, and we shall have
the houses Of the clerks there. 1t is one
OF the healthiest places on the isthmus,
and far better than Panama proper.
I'VE are building hotels and lodging
houses all along the canal strip. We are
repairing the cottages and little houses
which the French built, and putting up
others. Many OF these are for the COM
mon native laborers, who must be well
housed If they are to do good work.
Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1905-10-29

Where does the rain come fromT' asked
the teacher.
From the clouds" Fern replied promptly.
We'll" said the teacher. Now what
makes it fan from the clouds?"
Fern studied a moment then announced;
'oh, know. They bump together"
Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1905-10-29
Gardening Attracts Most.

The most interesting work of all, perhaps,
is that done on the truck garden of twenty
two acres attached to the asylum. This is
in charge Of an experienced farmer and
the boys under him have been astonish-
ingly successful In their agricultural at
tempts. Most of them scarcely know
potato from turnip when they begin, but
they are quick to learn and soon become
expert with rake and hoe. They take
pride, moreover, in the growing things,
particularly as they appreciate that the
better the results they obtain the better
they will fare at table. Although the boys
this year began their work in August, the
truck garden has proved a great success
and the yield Of potatoes alone has been
Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1905-10-29


makes it fan from the clouds?"
Fern studied a moment then announced:
"oh, know. They bump together"
President Nicholas Brown, for whom
Brown university was named. was fond of
quizzing small boys. One day while walk
ing in. the streets OF Providence he came
upon a little fellow who attracted his no
uce. How do you do, my boy?" said the
president. What is your manner" MY
name is Harry, SIR" replied the child.
Harry. is it?" returned President Brown.
And did you know the evil one is often
called Old Harry" why, no, SIR" an
swered the boy. II thought no was called
Old Nick"
Two gangs OF urchins we're playing foot
ball in Thomas Jefferson park. New York
City. One youngster entered a protest.
'Youse fellers amt players" he saidt
''youse are just toughs an scrappers."
Well it's all in de game" growled an
opponent.
Not in de new game. Not as Teddy
says, and what Teddy says. goes"
TEDDY! Whose Teddy?"
A look OF scorn was followed by the
words: ''Youse better go to school and
know something"
D
The Sunday school teacher was telling
about It at supper.
Il had a new pupil today. a little girl
about 8 or I years old. Toward the close
/ thought 1 would ask her a question or
two Just TO make her feel at home. 80 I
sad:
r" Little one. do you know who made the
world?
She shook her head and moved her
finger to the other side OF her mouth in a
half bashful. half hesitaung way.
1t was some one up In heaven !
limited.
she frightened up At oncA
4 know abe hHpad; 1t was KlAndma -
Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1905-10-29

classes of labor in the United States. We
pay stenographers and typewriters $ll5,
S125 and even more per month. Mechanics
get so per cent more than at home, and all
labor is proportionately better paid As to
whether 1t pays a young man to go there,
l should say 1t does. He gets better wages,
and when We have our commissary ar
rangements in force he cannot help but
save money. He can do so now. Indeed,
don't see how a young man can possibly
spend more than $35 or $40 a month"
Panama for Young Men.
But Mr.. Shonts, do you think you can
make the health conditions at Panama such
that one would risk sending his son there
II you had a son who was an engineer, for
instance, would you dare send him to Pan
anna? Would you go there to live your
sels?'
Panama is not a health resort" replied
the chief of the canakzone. II don't think
1t ever will rank as such. do think, how
ever. that It will soon be as healthy as
many Of the cities of the United States L
have no boys, but had 1 one who was an
engineer / should not hesitate to let him
go to Panama in the course of year or
SO. AS for myself, expect TO spend good
part of every year on the isthmus, and l
shall be there during all times of the year
Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1905-10-29

{, 1906, by Frank g. Carpenter.)
wv YORK, Oct. 26.-(special Cor
respondence of The Bee.)-It was
in the new offices of the Panama
Railroad company, in the great
new white stone building looking