The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1906-12-03
ROOSEVELT GETS
AT BOTTOM FACTS
VISIT TO CANAL ZONE IS WHIRL
WIND TOUR.
Private Letter from Engineer on 18th
mus to Minneapolis Man Tells How
President Saw Everything He Was
Not Expected or Wanted to See and
How He Waded Thru Mud.

Interesting inside information con-
corning President Roosevelt's trip to
the Panama canal zone is contained in
a letter from the zone under date of
Nov. IS to E. G. Patterson, manager
Of the Minneapolis branch of Hapgoods.
The letter is written by an engineer on
the isthmus, who is close friend of
facts and has added interest from the
fact that it gives an accurate personal
sketch of the president visit and the
manner in which he made his inspec-
ton. Furthermore ut holds out a rea-
son for believing that President Roose
welt w will have things to say later.
st. 1.-The president u has made US ehar-
uratively, all the front yards and en-
frances were cleaned and busted and
frightened for his inspection, but he
fooled them all It was the back
yards he came to see, and he saw them,
too. The commissioners tried to steer
his way among the. things that had been
He would not have it that way, and
for three days their plans were abso-
lutely smashed to bits. If they said
Now let's 90 over here he said, mo;
we III go over there They tried to
keep him from finding out the troubles
that make the lives of the laborers mis-
eiaDle, OUT ne leo the way ana saw 1t
all for himself.
Gets Bottom Facts.
"I think from all I hear that in these
three days he has learned more about
| actual conditions and has seen with his
own eyes more than the commission has
seen in two years.
"He was always in the lead and
led the party merry pace in the mud
| and rain. He rushed like a wild, Jolly
| cowboy here and there and everywhere
| in the heaviest rain and the deepest
mud. He wore leather leggins and was
| often splashed with mud from head to
! foot. He dashed among the laborers
barracks and saw many filthy places
and said that such conditions were not
ut for human beings, no matter what
their color. He was fearless about
entering places. Single, married, white
and black quarters were visited. He
walked in and looked around for him.
self. He announced that the white
quarters were unfit for even the blacks.
Eats Workmen's Food.
cat one place spread had been
the government hotels. He couldn It
| be caught that way. He went into
the public part of the house and sat
down beside the engineers and told
the waiter to bring him exactly the
same food served to the mechanics. He
announced that what they ate was good
enough for him. When it was brought
he looked at it, tasted it and then the
air got, lurid. He asked who was re-
on the isthmus, and when told, he Or
dered the person to come to him. Jack
son Smit tn, the chief of this branch of
the service, had a depressing half hour
The president informed him that such
food could not enable any man to do
justice to the work the government en-
ployed him to do.
All he would have at noon was a lunch
OF bread and cheese at small Chinese
canteen at Mount Hope. 'Didn It have
time for more. he said. After the
Panama reception he caught a few
hours sleep and at 6 am. was at Gu
Zebra cut, fifteen miles away, alone on
an engine, surveying the work. In a
hill to, the, shops. He asked every Ia
borer how he got along and talked even
to the colored fellows. He seemed tire
less as steel springs. He had CHEEKY
word for everybody and his democratic
WAYS have filled the hearts Of white
and black with rare devotion. He is
wonder, man among men. I am
WOuuS1Iul1y LII pT6SSou WIFI MS person.
ATTY and am proud to give him my
Wise in Speech.
"He made an impromptu speech at
the reception. It was wise speech
with not a single reference to any of
the unhappy things he had seen. There
was not word as to what is wrong or
as to what he plans to do to correct
them. He WAS too wise for that. To
have done that would have been like
dropping q lighted match in a pile Of
stray: The great; canal, the gigantic
owed all and that was his theme.
"Down here we. feel that he will set
about righting things and things will
be more speedily changed by his visit.
In all eases he was direct, forceful, and
vivid in his remarks to the commission
and they know now where they stand
with him and what he demands. Here
toforee, every United States dignitary
who has come here has viewed things
from the rear Of an observation car. It
remained for the greatest one Of them