New-York tribune., 1906-01-19
RECOGNIZES CHORUS.'
Fngineer Tells President F4n1aIs"
Rang When L. p. r. r. Was Built.

/ washington. Ian 1s-Presldent hooseV eIt ~
received a letter from General Grenville NJ boosF
| who was chief engineer anc superintendent
construction Of the Union Pacific Railway caii'ne
e.+ar,+;o, - the remarkable similarity hetweer
| the music of the anvil chorus IN those o"S
w., e,,arv forr, Of 'hammeTins' and KNOCK
-, 1ae ,,+iIized 70 discourage the ouliolng ol
+he, r-aa, +rarsoont mental link, and lhe liii'-
bta1-o,,s and malicious fault-hnding mat Is now
! rampant regarding the great isthrllar 'll,1.
| terprise. General Dodge writes from 80
| Broa dway, New-York. on January - ~ ''
! lows;
NV Dear Mr. President: These conds tons ana
persistent attacks upon the Panama 80 ~
! mind that very mnch the SlLlit - I5oila-a1
affairs existed when the Union Faclhf - -
was built AT that time II was colisloeIe1 co /.
national work as the Panama lana - si,o ~ :,
great deal of MY time was uSea III ans ,5 Ia
charges and threats. none OF which were oaseu
nm facts They were mostly OF the same ma tuIe ~
as +ba attacks upon the Panama Canal EFeI9
4;=e-,ooin+ad spplicant for position. every ols-
1narea5 engineer and workman ana o!9ap 1
pointed contractor knew they cooIo al. az SaT,
grievances and get Congress 10 S .o,.l5 OF
/ 916 rLa narers 10 take theE1 I'd, ana eouu . :
a hearing from the reporters ana - tuI
they made II very unComfoIld'ls - +bnr7 If
n-o,55ld baT-a neeD word from any OF men ~
tbaZ had not known they could get ihs ;++a
non of Congress and the pFppie .I1+l,or
aftar ror7r7iTtee of investigation was au5 NO -
ized and went upon the property d ;+L,,,+ an
eva1,ins+inn Of all the charges. ana "le-ll +ba
exception they always reported asa-;dariT7e
charges and in favor of the roa1, cpIss 80
- - 80 being ably bly, ana eto
r7on7caIlv built ! think the tast CoIilti!.e Jill f+sr
investigation vss appointed nj Zen 80 $500
1be coInpIetion Of the road Iliat CCiI-!lLi LL -.
,sde The ,,ost thorough exanlinat ton - ~ ~
and i-s report even after goins through 81 - I,
financial transactions of the coL1lpaLi az re
fa7-nra ble TO the property. nov s..o,o,,
o-garization of the Union Pacllc. the oeN eI't = :
roert Of the country and the greal ihIt eae
80 So across the continent have mace II heSoS
ranaciTv of the rodC, ICO1OI
frs grades take out its curvatures' suppIS 80
r7inaIs sidetracks, etc. the pe"plt ia -, o4
vrorl. in charge after going INTO Ie a. +,e
the original surveys and consll utLIoI I!. noeei~
road have paid II the highest conlptl roet
bic 10 give 10 any WORK 1&heE & :s--ovaT,ants .ut
raarlv half as much 70 make lhe lIllti Sl-L ~
os a. 7id 10 construct the road. IN d Sp0e-IL,t
Denver Mr Hartman paid a very ne! t55s;oa5 o1,+
rnenr to the builders OF the Toau 81 a-iT sncb as
MANY of the charges made Original ~ .b+o4r
!La.'s road vas increased in length 70 ooIa4l-
aTdirional subsidies, etc ana the clIel e he
of the road. Mr.. Berry IN his ms Ifgb cornpii-
changes made. also pays very ; mlgH nan
,,.-+ - the original location. construcColL' nc No,
areroen+ etc The highest conpllrae-lt' ~ ~ ~ .
a[-ar which was paid TO the coIlstL hen
80 --aS nv the Canadian government - NJ ~
j. made q contract for the constTuClIo1 g %
~era5ian Pacific One Of the condldVlls - "a !
+ao+ Nc that the road should be oullt equaI
coi!IL 70 T---son Pacifc When the final exanll1a
-. ~ The Union Pacific was MADE oy me eo,,+
eminent commission or ene-lleet - !. - hiring
,oT-- much money should be spent on ~ " ~ .
- ~, n the charter and specihcatlons OF - ~
government that commission pIpuEIl 49, PoCieo
e. rt-ar the chief engineer or the Cl4loLi
lSsSS-es ~ +l7at time for the same work ehls
ing mat the company proposed 10 niroa ouiia a.
hA++er road than the government -, T,-,,,,,a
,.--. m 5allbr myself that tne Panama
----I IN have 70 pass through the saI!ie S -
Ta-ience and I have no DOUBT thal II VIZ - -
out in the same way As !o5.g a. roTk9en.
engineers applicants for POSITIONS. ~ol - 49,,
az oa7 air their grievances ana gel CoI1sIV1
70 give them attention and the press oi,+ 20 pin+
-7777flea-a them so long will Congress apPoIEL pPL
,o-,=51fr-aee and vher they get at the tacts
these committees will make the same KIM o.
reports they did on the Union FaclnCr -.
f4 course in all great works there are mis- mis-
takes hut experience teaches from year TO year
v-hA~e Won can improve and meno. pui "ileIi
any commission or any set o. eRpe..s ma tsaA F+s
examination Of the work ana get al lne IA ,
ana the oiro,,rn stances and all the facts and
consider them ar the time they were done N
nv opinion they will give all people conTec yeo
With the hr,flding Of the Panama Canal full
credit and full Justice, but II may not come
sooner +ha~ i lid in the case Of the Union
Pacific 4ortv years after its construction. The
engineers and others see Who have been down
o the tst thuus ali speak we'll Of the Uork NOV
that YOU are getting the care Of the labor and
sanitation settled. i seems TO ne the nearer you
can get 10 one head the more effective II will be
Such g work as that has 10 be handled as an
army is handled. snd II is 4 good deal better
70 have one head than half a dozen. With one
head YOU can get sll the ability and advice you
want from experts and others by paving for it
There is one difficulty connected with the build
ing Of the canal that We did not have TO meet
on the Union Pacific, and that is the routine you
nave 70 90 Tlrolgn Win AL government Work
Again 7 an convinced that YOU can save great
deal Of trouble. annoyance and complaint # you
could contract the work and make the con-
tractor responsible for il. the government re-
tanning control Of the sanitation, lodging. food
and hospitals
was very glad 70 see Secretary Taft's answer
70 Bigelov. L Is a good thing when such state
rnents are made and on such utterly false foun-
dations 70 answer them promptly. That is one
thing We failed 70 do in the beginning on the
Union Pacific We did not consider them Of
importance enough, and let them drift along
until they became fixed in the minds Of the
people. It will also have a good effect in max
ing other people careful what they say The
idea OF a man spending tventy-four hours and
undertaking 10 say anything whatever a bout the
work is beyond my comprehension, but It is
more astonishing that reputable papers and
Congress would pay any attention to such
things It seems 10 me 70 indicate 4 desire TO