The daily telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1901-1926, 1906-01-18
ADDRESS
ON PANAMA
CANAL

4 canal across the Isthmus Of
Panama was suggested to the King
of Spain as early as 1850 By a
Portuguese navigator, Antonio Gal
vac. The first work was done in
1881 by the French company under
Ferdinand De Lesseps, who had so
successfully constructed the Suez
Canal. This company spent $780,
900, 100000 and then went into the
hands of a receiver with less than
two-fifths of.the work done. The
directors received each, a salary of
$50, 900 per year with $4,000 per day
for expenses. 4 second French
company was formed and spent
$l3,000,000. but accomplished little.
In 1902, Congress authorized the
President of the United States to
purchase the property and franchises
Of the French company at $780,
100000 and authorized the secretary
of war to construct a canal ait a
cost not to exceed $13O,000, 900. The
Republic Of Panama was paid Sl0,-
100000 for the american Bone"
which Is a strip of land extending
five miles on each side Of the canal.
This has. by treaty, been ccded to
the United States for ''its perpetual
use, control and occupation" AT
ter ten wears the United States will
pay to the Republic Of Panama
s250,000 annually.
President Roosevelt in his speech
at Richmond, Va. Oct. Is. 1905,
said: "Tn particular we must re-
member that in undertaking to
build the Panama Canal We have
necessarily undertaken to police the
seas at either end Of it; and this
means that We have a peculiar inter-
est in the preservation Of order in
the coasts and islands Of the Carib-
bean. | firmly believe that BY lit
tie wise and generous aid We can
help even the most backward of the
peoples in these soasts and islands
forward along the path of orderly
80 that they can stand alone.
If We decline to give them such help
the result will be bad for both them
and us: and will in the end. in all
probability cause us 10 face humil-
iation or bloodshed."
The commercial advantages Of the
Panama Canal will be very great and
will help the development Of our
Northwestern resources. BY means
Of water transportation through the
anal. freight can be put in San
Francisco, Portland, Seattle and
elsewhere, at less than onc-half OF
what it costs by the railroads. Then
the canal will bring the western
coasts Of Central and South Ameri-
case much nearer us than the Euro
pcan markets, that we will be great
ly favored in the lessening Of freight
charges. In addition it will open
up country Of great natural resour-
ccs, where our capital. brains and
Drawn will find large rewards in
thcir development.
The climate is warm. 1t is hot
only in the direct rays Of the sun,
hut not sultry. The nights are al
ways cool, but the radiation is in
tense and the dews are heavy. The
seasons are two. They are the wet
and the dry. The latter extends
from December Il 10 May Is. While
the rest i the wet season. most of
the rain falls in the months Of Sep
temhcr. October and November. The
wet season is not uncomfortable.
No part Of the day is disagreeably
hot in the shade. There is no rea-
son why Americans may not live on
| the ISthmus in health and comfort.
Mosquitoes are few and other
troublesome insects less numerous
than in some parts Of the United
States.
All tropical fruits abound. All
vegetables Of the temperate zone, ex-
cept celery and asparagus, grow the
year round. Three crops of corn
can b raised in one year on the same
piece of land.
Clarksburgers will have an opPor-
tunity 10 hear great things about
this project Monday night at the Y
NJ. {. A.: also Sunday at 80 ?. m.