The Lee County journal. (Leesburg, Ga.) 1904-19??, 1906-06-08
A CANAL TALK
BY MR.. SHONTS
Atlanta Citizens are RECALLED With
Some Lucid and Pungent Facts.
AROUND BANQUET BOARD
Chairman Of ISthmian Canal Tells Of
Difficulties Overcome in Inaugu-
rating Great Project.

One of the largest, most representa-"
tive and enthusiastically interested as
salnblages of Atlantans was that gath
cred at the New Kimball Wednesday
night to hear and welcome Theodore
Perry Shonts, chairman of the 18TH
milan canal commission.
The big banquet room of the New
Kimball was crowded, the guests conf
ing at the invitation Of the Atlanta
chamber of commerce. At seven
o'clock a delightful buffet supper was
served, and 1t was not until after
eight O'Clock that Mr. Shonts was In
troduced for an address. However,
just before making the regular ad-
dress which he had prepared, Mr..
Shonts stated that he had been asked
a number of questions by the mem
bers of the chamber Of commerce re-
garding the Panama canal, and he
would take great pleasure in answer
ing them.
Mr.. Shonts, in answering these
questions, said in part:
when the commission assumed
charge of its present undertaking, we
found affairs at the Washington end
in a chaotic condition. Our first work
was at this end to create a Wash
ington Office of administration for sup
plies, accounts, finances, etc.
preparing to start for the canal
in June, we received the resignation
Of Engineer Wallace, and for that
reason our trip was delayed, and it
was July before we arrived at Pan
anna. Here we found state of af-
fairs little short Of panic among the
employees, and it was evident that
the least trouble of any kind would
have preciptated such disastrous re-
suits as to end in real panic, which
would prove of terrible detriment to
the entire undertaking. I do not
mean to reflect on any one, but mere
ly state what were the existing con-
ditions.
Governor Magoon was holding the
fort steadily and the sanitary engin-
GERS were doing their work effective
ly, although it may have seemed to.
others that they were giving a very
great deal of attention to theory. But
they had accomplished much, and had
proved that their theories were all
right After careful examination, the
first thing we did was to stop the
work that was going on, close down
the shovels and prepare a regular
campaign for the purpose of getting
ready to work on sound and prac-
teal basis. Sickness was on every
hand, supplies were secured only at
enormous prices, and there were some
hardly able to earn the real necessl-
ties.
$50 all the digging was stopped, and
all available force set to work build
ing quarters to afford relief to all
classes Of laborers. Even the Amer
lean clerks were then living in ill
smelling and unsanitary buildings.
We fumigated each and every house.
We built administration houses and
the usual accessories. In place of the
seven or nine thousand men at that
time, with sickness and fear on every
side, we now have force Of twenty
seven thousand men who are happy,
and at the time left Panama the
percentage of sickness was less there
than It was in New York city, al
though l should add that this was the
healthiest season in Panama.
eve built sewers and roads, and
gave Panama the first clearing up in
two hundred years. We built water
works and have water from noun
tain streams, with four reservoirs Of
large capacity. After completing bet
ter health conditions building hotels
and mess halls, the laborers now have
houses fit to live in, and conditions
fit for work.