The Mitchell capital. (Mitchell, Dakota [S.D.]) 1879-1918, 1907-11-08
ON THE PANAMA CANAL
Splendid Exposition Given of the
Construction of the Canal by
Senator Kittredee.

Senator Kittredee.
Thursday evening an audience of
fully 500 people gathered at the city
hall auditorium to hear the address
OF Senator Alfred B. Kittredge on
the Panama Canal construction. The
senator appeared In connection with
the high school entertainment and
to the school he donated his services
in order that they might secure the
nucleus for their fund to start a
manual training department.
Previous to the address the girls
Rlee club sang two selections, under
the direction Of Miss Jessie Walrath,
both Of which we're given in file
shape, the harmony being good and
the ~phrasing nicely done. Misses
Helen Powers and Ruth Turney
played a piano duet.
When Senator Kittredge appeared
on the platform in company With
President Nicholson, Of Dakota
Wesleyan, he was greeted very heart
lily. In introducing the senator DR..
Nicholson commented on the high
standing of the Mitchell high school
in the state, and that it makes a
better showing and sends out better
prepared students than any school in
the surrounding states-and he is in
a position to know something of the
conditions in that department of
educational work. In presenting the
senator to the audience DIR. Nichol-
son said that 1t was but American
that the people wanted to known
their representatives at Washington.
He said that Senator Kittredge at
Washington was regarded as a man
who knows bis business thoroughly,
of his great capacity for handling
difficult questions and for his deep
study on matters Of vital Importance.
Senator Kittredge prefaced his SUBJ
ject matter with an interesting
historical story leading up 20 show
ing the necessity Tor the building of
the great Panama canal, by referring
to the war with Spain, when the
American fleet was assembled around
Santiago, and when the Oregon had
to be sailed around Cape Horn Ia
order to get to the assistance Of the
feet, going a distance Of 1900 miles,
which ought to have been traversed
by a shorter route. 1t vas then
that the people of this country were
agreed on the proposition that a
canal must connect the Atlantic and
Pacific oceans. That it was the
dream Of 400 years the senator
showed by The efforts of the naviga.
tors Of the fourteenth and fifteenth
centuries, whose efforts he spoke OF
In an instructive way. The interest
in che construction Of a waterway
was revived in the nineteenth CEN
fury, he said, and from away back
in 1916 he traced the growth and
development of the canal enterprise
down to the present day, giving an
interesting account of the DeLesseps
project and showing the reason for
its failure, due to the lack of manage
ing ability and the great sums of
money which we're stolen. He
touched with interest the commence
ment OF the action OF the government
in its first steps toward the canal
nrOnOc3finn If noc In 1QO0 kl,ok k1o
American people decided that the
canal must be built, but the treaty
then existing made it impossible for
this country to do one thing In that
direction. and it was necessary to
have the treaty abolished, which was
accomplished when the Hay-Paunce
fort treaty was made which gave this
country power to construct, main.
tain, defend and operate the canal.
The canal property was purchased fol
$40, DOC, 600, and the senator went or
to show what the government go,
for its money. When the choice Ct
routes was up before congress, the
house voted nearly unanimously fol
the Nicaragua route and the senate
made a thorough investigation
through the oceanic committee ane
finally decided by eight being 10.
Nicaragua and four for the Panam;
canal route. The senator said tina
the distance by the Panama cana
was much shorter and that ship.
could travel through that routs in II
hours when it was shown that i
would take 80 hours to go via th,
other. The senator showed the wis
dom of the selection of the Panam;
route be relating what the govern
ment secured in the way of a railroa,
which had been established along th
route which was built in 1855 an,
which a kaan amino diyido,1