davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1906-12-18
MERCHANT MARINE
ADVOCATES BUSY
HAVE BY NO MEANS ABANDoNE,D
HOPE OF SUBSIDY
Situation as It Is Presented in ona
of Associations Circulars to
the American Public
The Merchant Marine 1eaeua wb,cn

The Merchant Marine league which
is advocating the building up of
merchant marine by government anb-
sidy, Is as active as ever despite the
many defeats 1t has suffered In con-l
gress and the hostile sentiment of theS
american people toward its project
1t has the advantage of the fact thatA
the country has few merchant shtps
that American commerce is carried
IN foreign bottoms. The latest cir
cular Of the league argues plausihly
as follows:
Foreign steamship corporations
now monopolize nine-tenths Of the
ocean carrying trade Of the United
states, and receive about 5000, 200,
ooo every year for conveying our ex-
ports and imports, our mails and pas.
sengsrs. rms enormous revenue,
which enables the European govern.
ments to maintain their huge naval
reserves at our expense, Is a prize
which they do not wish to surrender
to. or even share with, American
snip owners. They are determined to
retain 1t II they can, and, more
over, they would like to dispossess
t SHIPS OF the pttiable one
tenth OF our ocean commerce now
conveyed beneath the stars and
stripes
There is a further advantage IA
european advantage even beyond
the 1900, 600, 600 year earned out
OF our freight and passenger money
-and that is that the monopoly OF
our ocean carrying by Great Britain,
France. Germany. Italy. etc., enaHs
pies these powers. our competitors in
the worlds trade. to check the ma
tural expansion of American corr.
merce. The great European steam
snip companies are made up Of
european manufacturers, bankers,
merchants and others, whose prime.
interest in many cases is not. after
all, In their steamship dividends. but
IN the sale of their European goods
IN the worlds markets. They would
Ike to have us buy heavily of the
articles they make. but they do NOT
want to see us selling similar goods,
made by ourselves. in the markets
Of South America, Africa and the
Orient. Thus. though these Euro-
pean steamship corporations maintain
on the whole very good service be-
tween our ports and their ports IN
Europe, they provide either a very.
poor service or no service at all be-
tween our ports and the ports Of
south America, Africa and Asia.
Controlling the delivery Of our
own wares to our foreign customers
these European merchants, our com
petitors for the trade. can decide at
any time to smother a threatening
increase In American exports by rails.
ing their freight rates or withdrawing
their ships or conducting an infre-
quent and irregular service, Thev
have done this time and again IN the
past, and they will do it time and
again in the future, unless the Amer-
can people provide themselves with
marine delivery wagons Of their own
to deliver their goods to their ous-
toners without depending upon theiy
Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1906-12-18
THE WORK OF CONSTRUCTION
Certain Features of Engineering Are
Still Subject to Chance

The work IS now going on with a
vigor and efficiency pleasant to wit
ness. The three big problems of the
canal are the La Boca dams, the
Gatun dam, and the Culebra cut.
The Culebra cut must be made, any
how; but of course changes as to the
dams, or at least as to the locks adj
jacent to the dams, may still occur.
The La Boca dams offer no particular
problem, the bottom material being
so good that there is a practical GER
tainty, not merely as to what can be
achieved, but as to the time Of
achievement. The Gatun dam offers
the most serious problem which we
have to solve; and yet the ablest men
on the isthmus believe that this prob
lem is certain of solution along the
lines proposed; although, Of course,
it necessitates great toll, energy and
intelligence, and although equally, of
course, there will be some little risk
in connection with the work. The risk
arises from the fact that some of the
material near the bottom IS not SO
good as could be desired. If the huge
earth dam now contemplated is
thrown across from one foothill to the
other we will have what is practically
a low, broad, mountain ridge behind
which will rise the inland lake This
artificial mountain will probably show
less seepage, that is, will have great
er restraining capacity than the aver
age natural mountain range. The
exact locality of the locks at this dam
as at the other dams-is now being
determined. In April next Secretary
Taft, with three Of the abIest engi-
neers of the country--Messr Noble,
Stearns and Ripley-will visit the
isthmus, and the three engineers wifi
make the final and conclusive exam
nations rs TO the exact site for each
lock. Meanwhile the work Isl going
ahead without a break.
The Culebra cut does not offar such
Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1906-12-18
SINGLE COMMISSIONER BEST
Better Organization of Canal Work is
Needed for Speedy Action

A seven headed commission is of
course clumsy executive instrument.
We should have but one commission
err, with such heads of departments
and other officers under him as we
may find necessary. We should be
expressly permitted to employ the best
engineers in the country as consult
ing engineers.
I accompany this paper with a map
showing substantially what the canal
will be like when It is finished. When
the Culebra cut has been made and
the dams built Of they are built as at
present proposed) there will then be
at both the Pacific and Atlantic ends
of the canal, two great fresh water
lakes, connected by broad channel
running at the bottom Of ravine.
across the backbone of the Western
Hemisphere. Those best informed be-
lieve that the work will be completed
in about eight years; but 1t is never
Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1906-12-18
WORK ON ISTFIMUS IS SHOWING RESULTS

lay in the fact that the vans, PLAN
ta1ns and the like are rather perish
able food, and are very bulky COM
pared to the amount of nourishment
they contain, so that 1t is costly to
import them In large quantities and
difficult to keep them. Nevertheless,
l felt that an effort should be made
to secure them a more ample supply
of their favorite food, and so direct
ed; and l believe that ultimately the
government must itself feed them. I
am having this matter looked into.
The superintendent having imme-
diate charge of one gang of men at
the Colon reservoir stated that he
endeavored to get them to substitute
beans and other nourishing food for
the stringy watery yans, because the
men keep their strength and health
better on the more nourishing food.
sInasmuch, however, as they are ac-
customed to yams it is difficult to get
them to eat the more strengthening
food, and some time elapses before
they grow accustomed to it. AT this
reservoir there has been curious ex-
perience. 1t is off in the jungle by
itself at the end of a couple of miles
of a little toy railroad. In order to
get the laborers there, they were Civ
en- free food (and of course free
lodgings:) and yet it proved difficult
be where they could reach the dram
shop and places of amusement.
/ was struck by the superior comfort
and Responsibility OF the lives of the
married men. 1t would. in my opin-
ion, be a most admirable thing if a
much larger number of the men had
their wives, for with their advent all
complaints about the food and cooking
are almost sure to cease.
had an interview with Mr. Mallet,
the British consul, to find out if there
was any just cause for complaint as
to the treatment Of the West India
negroes. He informed me most en-
phatically that there was not, and
authorized me to give his statement
publicity. He said that not only was
the condition Of the laborers far bet
ter than had been the case under the
old French company. but that year
by year the condition was improving
under our own regime. He stated that
complaints were continually brought
to him, and that he always investi-
gated them; and that for the last six
months he had failed to find a single
complaint of serious nature that
contained any justification whatever.
Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1906-12-18
SOME ADJUSTMENTS ARE NEEDED
Great Care for Welfare of the Men
Is Shown in Every Department

ora of tho ora.tes+ needs of nras-
ont &c tn nrovide om,Isamarts both for
the white and tbe black rrha youne,
Mems christian association is trvine
tn do GOOD work ana sho,,1d he in ev.
ery 1,ay encouraged Rnt the govern
mani should do tho main work
have eneoif,coIly called the ottention
of the commission 10 This matter and
sonatbine has been reconnaissance al
ready Awning done for the vel
fara of tho mon adds To their effician-
cv and money devoted to that mr.
nose Is therefore properly TO he CON
sidered nc snent in hni1dina the canal
If is in,nerativejv necessary TO nro-
vida emnln recreation and amnse-
n,ent If the man are to he kent we'll
and healthy 7 call the sneciaI atten-
tion of congress- TO This need
This gathering distributing and
caring for tho great force of laborers
is one of the giant features of the
wor, That friction will from time
70 time occur IN connection Herewith
is inevitable The astonishing thing
is that the wor, has been nerformed
ca we'll and that the macbinerv rms
50 smoothly From INV own exnerf-
ence am able TO saw that more care
had baen exercised in housing feed
Ing and penerally having heed to fine
needs of the skilled mechanics and
ordinary ,aborers in tho 1porl, an this
canal than is the case in the construc-
tion Of new railroads or in any other
Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1906-12-18

Balance TO be earned by mem-
T Tf e an .a animate made IL sss tro
twenty Families Of average inteili4
gence, average employment and avers
age living.
from studies covering the time from
September /, 1905. to September / !,
1905. Since that time meat has ad-
vanced in Chicago more than 40 pers
cent, milk from to cents quart,
and cream from 8 to cents quart.
Taking account of the advance IA
these and other necessities, It Ia SAFE
family Of six to live in Chicago at
present on less than the amount SEQ
down for New York.
To Live Decently In New Orleans
A family Of six can live deoently m,
New Orleans on $3.50 per year, but
through the strictest economy. New
Orleans has growing reputation as a.
high priced city, and one who has
studied conditions declares that living
expenses have increased 10 per cent
this may be traced to the unpreoe-
denied rise in rental values, due to-
the installation Of sewerage and All
tered water.
A family Of SIX could not employ a
servant on $3.50, and opportunities for
social relaxation would be limited 4.
Following Is the estimate for thia
city:
Rent ..-.---~~-.... s24o'
Larder ..s....s..ss~%S $50,
Clothing ......-.>s>~sIs... $50
Total $3.50
That leaves only SO For other nee,
essary expenses not including phys
sicians' fees.
Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1906-12-18
NEW RECORDS FOR EXCAVATION
Great Blasts OF Dynamite are Tear
ing Out Sides Of the Hills

ing Out Sides Of the Hills
AS soon as the type of canal was
decided this work began in good ear
nest. The rainy season will shortly
be over and then there will be an i'm
mense Increase in the amount taken
out; but even during the last three
months. In the rainy season, steady
progress is shown by the figures: In
August, 242 900 cubic yards; in Sep
TENDER, 291 900 cubic yards, and in
October, 1926 900 cubic yards. In
for the output of individual shovels
as well as for the tonnage haul of in
diVidual locomotives. / hope to see
the growth of a healthy spirit of emu
lation between the different shovel
and locomotive crews, just such a
spirit as has grown on our battle ships
between the different gun crews in
matters of craftsmanship Passing
through the cut the amount Of new
work can be seen at a glance. In one
place the entire side of a hill had
been taken out recently by 81 tons of
dynamite, which were exploded at one
blast. At another place was given a
presidential salute of 81 charges Of
dynamite. On the top notch of the
Culebra cut the prism is now as wide
as it will be; all told, the canal bed
at this point has now been sunk
about 200 feet below what it original
" was. 1t will have to be sunk about
$50 feet farther. Throughout the cut
the drilling. blasting, shoveling, and
hauling are going on with constantly
increasing energy, the huge shovels
being pressed up, as If they We're
mountain howitzers. into the most
unlikely looking places. where they
eat their way into the htllsides.
Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1906-12-18
AND THE DoUBTERs
There Must Be Some Failures But the
Original Policy is Fast Progress

1t is not only natural, but inevita-
BILE, that work as gigantic as this
which has been undertaken on the
isthmus should arouse every species
Of hostility and criticism. The con-
ditions are so new and so trying, and
the work so vast, that it would be
absolutely out OF the question that
mistakes should not be made. Checks
will occur. Unforeseen difficulties
will arise. From time to time SEEM
ingly well-settled plans will have to
be changed. AT present rs, 900 men
are engaged on the task. After a
while the number will be doubled. In
such a multitude it is inevitable that
there should be here and there a
scoundrel. Very many of the poorer
class Of laborers lack the mental de-
velopment to protect themselves
against either the rascality of Others
or their own folly, and 1t is not pos
sible for human wisdom to devise q
plan by which they can invariably be
protected. In a place which has
been for ages a byword for unhealth-
fulness, and with so large a congre-
CATION of strangers suddenly put down.
and set to hard work there will now
and then be outbreaks Of disease
Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1906-12-18
NEGROES DO OWN COOKING
Chief Complaint Among Them is That
the Price of Vans Is Too uiph

the Price of Yams Is Too High
The negroes generally do their own
cooking, the bachelors cooking in
sheds provided by the government and
using their own pots. In the different
camps there was a wide variation in
the character of these cooking sheds.
In some, where the camps We're conf
pleted, the kitchen or cooking sheds.
as we'll as the bath rooms and water
closets, were all In excellent trim,
while there were board sidewalks
leading from building to building. In
other camps and kitchens or cook
sheds had not been foored, and the
Sidewalks had not been put down.
while in one camp the bath houses
We're not yet up. In each case, how
ever, every effort was being made to
hurry on the construction, and / do
not believe that the delays had been
greater than We're inevitable in such
work. The laborers are accumstomed
to do their own cooking; but there was
much complaint, especially among the
bachelors, as to the quantity, and
some as to the quality, Of the food
they got from the commissary depart
ment, especially as regards vans.
On the other hand, the mar
ried men and their wives, and
the more advanced among the bache-
lors, almost invariably expressed
themselves as entirely satisfied with
their treatment at the commissary
stores; except that they stated that
they generally could not get vans
there. and had ITO purchase them
outside. The chief complaint was that
the prices wera( too high 1t is un-
avoidable that the prices should be
higher than In their own homes; and
after careful Investigation I came to
the conclusion that the chief trouble
Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1906-12-18
WORK IN THE cuLEBRA CUT
Entirely New Machinery For the,
Work Had to Be Purchased

NOrK ttaN 10 BE furCnaSeQ
The main work is now being done
In the Culebra cut. 1t was striking
and impressive to see the huge steam
trains carrying away the rock and
earth they dislodged. The imple-
ments of French excavatlng machin
cry, which often stand little way
from the line of work, though of ex-
cellent construction, look like the
verfest toys when compared with
these new steam shovels, just as the
French dumping cars seem like toy
cars when compared with the long
trains of huge cars, dumped by steam
ploWs, which are now in use. This
represents the enormous advance that
has been made in machinery during
the past quarter of q century. No
doubt a quarter OF q century hence
this new machinery, of which we are
now SO proud, will similarly seem out
or date, but 1t is certainly serving its
purpose we'll now. The old French
cars had to be entirely discarded We
still have in use few of the more
modern, but not most modern, cars,
which hold but II yards of earth.
They can be employed on certain lines
with sharp curves. But the recent
cars hold from % to 80 yards apiece,
and instead of the old clumsy meth
DDS of unloading them, a steam pillow
Is drawn from end to end of the
whole vestibuled train, thus immense
~ eeonomizfng labor. In the rainy
season the steam shovels can do but
little in dirt, but they work steadily
in rock and in the harder ground.
There We're some 25 at work during
the time l was on the Isthmus, and
their tremendous power and efficiency
were most impressive.
Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1906-12-18
CONTINUED from Preceding Page. }
with them In any way. Some Italian
laborers are also employed in con-
nection with the drilling. As might

with them In any way. Some Italian
laborers are also employed in con-
nection with the drilling. As might
be expected, with labor as high pric-
ed as at present in the United States.
1t has not so far proved practicable
to get any ordinary laborers from the
United States. The American wage
workers on the isthmus are the high
ly paid skilled mechanics Of the type
mentioned previously. A steady effort
is being made to secure Italians, and
especially to procure more SpanlardS
because Of the very satisfactory re-
suits that have come from their en-
ployment; and their numbers will be
increased as far as possible. 1t has
not proved possible, however, to get
them in anything like the numbers
needed for the work, and from pres
ent appearances We shall in the main
have to rely for the ordinary unskill-
work, partly upon colored laborers
from the West Indies, partly upon
Chinese labor. 1t certainly ought to
be unnecessary to point out that the
American workingman III the United
States has no concern whatever In the
question as to whether the rough work
on the isthmus, which is performed
by aliens in any event, Is done by
aliens from one country with black
skin or by aliens from another country
with a yellow skin. Our business is
to dig the canal as efficiently and as
quickly as possible; provided always
that nothing is done that is inhumane
to any laborers, and nothing that
irterferes with the wages of or lowers
the standard Of living of our own
workmen. Having in view this prin-
ciple, have arranged to try several
thousands Chinese laborers. This is
desirable both because we must try
to find out what laborers are most
efficient, and, furthermore, because
we should not leave ourselves at the
mercy of any one type of foreign la
Dor. AT present the great bulk Of the
unskilled labor on the isthmus is done
by West India negroes, chiefly from
Jamaica, Barbados, and the other
English possessions. One of the gov
errors Of the lands in question has
shown an unfriendly disposition to our
work, and has thrown obstacles in the
way of our getting the labor needed:
aud 1t is highly undesirable to give
any outsiders the impression, how
ever i'll founded that they are indis-
pensable and can dictate terms to us.
Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1906-12-18
Ptttsburg Mythology

Pittsburg Millionaire - There's
swell copy of "Diana's Hunt"
His Friend-So? Who the deuce
was Diana, anyhow?
Pittsburg Millionaire-What? AInd
you visiting New York most every
month? Why, Diana's the fairy do.
ing the pose on Madison Square Carr
den toWerl--Pueka g
Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1906-12-18

great risks; that is, the damage liza
BILE to occur from occasional land slips
will not represent what may be called
major disasters. The work will mere
ly call for intelligence, perseverance
and executive capacity. 1t is, how
ever. the work upon which most la
Dor will have to be spent. The dams
will be composed of the earth taken
out of the cut and very possibly the
building of the locks and dams will
take even longer than the cutting in
Culebra itself.
Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1906-12-18
Word From Bre'r Williams

talkin' bout de devil to pay?" said
Brother Williams. "An' what do de
devil want wild pay7 Eff what de pa
pers SEE is true he'll git SO many err
desc big nillionaires dat he'll have
money ter burn-bless de Lawd!".-l
Atlanta Constitution. :
Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1906-12-18
Cost Of Living (Per Year)

may be accepted for this reason by
the young. The rabbits foot's power
which is to bestow good fortune upon
its possessor is. of course, too
absurd to merit analysis, while the
bright, new penny fancy is good one
to hand out to children-with the
penny"
Evening journal., 1906-12-08

Fur Lined BrOadcIOth Coats
extra quality broadclothin black, blue,
brown, garnet, green and other de-
sirable colors; splendidly tailored
garments, lined throughout with
susHckie or squirrel. High shawl
collar of opossum, blended squirrel,
The Oskaloosa herald., 1906-03-08

The Oskaloosa Fuel & Feed Co. have
the best lice killers, both powder and
liquid. d1-wl
The Oskaloosa herald., 1906-03-08
EppYvlLLE.
(By John r. sipes.)

~
Ed Gray succeeded J. L. Griffin as
night Waterman Saturday.
Prof. ]. A. Yeager was at North
English Friday acting as one of the
judges in an oratorical contest.
Mrs. T. J. Clark was called to
Brookfeld, Mo-, Saturday morning by
the serious illness of her father.
Miss Mary Lewis, who has been
visiting with the Llewellyn family at
Pekay, departed Thursday for Hunts
vile, Mo.
Mrs. Ed Boucher of Bellingham.
Wash, arrived Friday, called by the
severe illness of he rmother, Mrs.
E. c. Bickford.
Eddyville Rebecca Lodge No. 1876
observed their thirteenth anniversary
with pleasant social on Friday ey-
ening. About rs persons were in at
tendance.
The Cemetery Association met at
the city hall Friday afternoon and ar.
ranged to give an entertainment in the
opera house next Friday evening,
Harch 9, for the benefit of Henry
Sparks, sexton Of the cemetery. He
is very sick with complications.
VIM. McMains, who moved to town
this week, on Thursday purchased
the A. G. Black property OF Trustee
Grant Cowley, and will occupy it some
time in April, after H. J. Wing moves
out. Mr.. McMains has just purchased
the hardware store of Elliott & Son.
Born, Thursday, March l, 1906, to
Mr.. and Mrs. Cakes belong, of Gray S
Creek, a baby boy. Mr.. and Mrs. De
Long have lately moved from a por,
ton of the ]. P. McCrea farm, near
Lakonta, to the McDole farm, which
they have purchased of W. F. jaeger
Or. and Mrs. F. E. Vance took their
little four.year-old daughter Esther
to the hospital at Ottumwa Thursday
afternoon and an operation was per
formed on the little girl for disease
of the mastoid bone Immediately back
of the ear. The disease was brought
on by an abscess and Inflammation OF
the middle ear.
Married. at 1850 o'clock Wednes
day forenoon, February rs, 1906. in the
judges room at the court house al
Oskaloosa, Miss Minnie B. Bennett
daughter of VIM. Bennett, to Harry
E. Besco son of J, H. Besco. Both
families are quite well known in tho
lneighborhcod north of town. and the
couple are highly esteemed.