Arizona republican. [volume] (Phoenix, Ariz.) 1890-1930, 1907-01-07
PHOENIX. ARIz. JANUARY :. 1897
THE LIFE oF A CANAL JOB.

There appears elsewhere in The Re
publican this morning a partial report
of our trade with Panama last year
1t is all Of interest but one item in
the list of exports is Of especial in
terest, that OF typewri,ers Of which
S32,700 worth were sent TO the 18th
mus. Thus We are given assurance
that work on the canal is not lag
ging but on the contrary appears to
be going on with greater zest than
ever. probably in consequence Of the
late inspiring visit of the president.
Another encouraging item in the list
OF exports is that Of writing paper to
the amount Of $4,000.
There is no record OF the sending Of
any spades, picks, dynamite or other
q Instruments OF excavation but in due
time after the foundation for the great
enterprise has been fully laid by the
typewriters, those mental implements
Will be brought into play.
Most people have a wholly erroneous
idea regarding canal construction. To
them it is nothing more than digging
a channel long enough, wide enough
and deep enough and letting the waters
run through il.
The making of a canal is no ephem-
eral job as we are reminded by late
Intelligence from Massachusetts of a
purpose to carry out Immediately the
maturely considered project Of sever
ing the neck Of that part of the state
called Barnstable county. thus permit
ting mingling OF the waters OF Cape
Cod bay and Nantucket Sound or more
properly Buzzard's Bay This is TO b.
accomplished by digging a canal less
than ten miles in length greatly short
ming the distance between Boston and
other coast towns and New York beside
providing an outlet for the cod fish
which have been huddIed up in the bay
for centuries.
As We have stated this project now
ready for early contamination has
been matured by time. Il began to be
worked OUT go years ago and has
had the careful consideration Of sue
cess!ve colonial governments. Iegisla-
lures and administrations ever since. I
so We have just been informed 1t is
estimated that it will require less than
two years to complete the canal now.
that the details have been agreed up
on.
For our purposes We may therefore /
consider it already completed and thus .
We have basis for a reasonable esti- /
mate Of the date when the marriage Of /
the Pacific TO the Atlantic. or more
accurately, to the Gulf OF Mexico. .
shall. be consummated. As a rule we
may say that 232 years is the period .
which must elapse between the incep- /
ton and the completion Of a canal .
project. That at first thought seems
long time 10 wait for the opening
Of the Panama canal. but we are com
fored by a second thought It is al
ready no new thing. As long ago as
ISIS the inception was begun by the
Columbian government which actually
appointed a constructor. He was sue
ceeded by the French who made the
mistake OF actually digging into the
real earth for the typewriter had not
then come into common use.
Then We entered upon the work with
the American spirit Of determination
and an improved pattern Of typewriter
But time has been flying. Twenty-Five
years have elapsed since the beginning.
We are entitled 10 deduct this from
what We have shown to be the basic
canal constructing period Of Do years.
leaving only 2O3 years at the end of
" h!ch item the western continent will be
split in two and the great oceans will
be made one.