New-York tribune., 1910-11-27

/ But, it may be said, any petty martinez
might do the same The next thing the
canal builders noticed was that when the
colonel said, You will do something, the
| man in question did it, with the means and
| In the time that the colonel had allowed
him. When they asked one another why 1t
was that things turned out that way they
agreed that 1t was because the colonel was
good engineer and took the pains to find
out whether q thing could be done De1ore
he ordered any one to do it. He was giving
! orders soon after he reached Panama, but
it was observed that none of them changed
the important features peculiar to the great
work Each bore on a simple problem in
engineering IN which the colonel saw a
prospect of immediate economy. The things
that eminent engineers had decided upon
after long study of conditions he was in no
hurry to alter.
! That was the characteristic that won
first the respect then the answering
loyalty OF the force-their chiefs scrupu-
lous fairness. He had been a very young
man, as many of them were and he knew
what misery an unreasonable superior can
cause Then they learned that those terse
orders were not half so cold as they sound
ed. That you Will really meant, Son,
1
can handle. but you're going to measure up
TO it. could do it if they put me in your
shoes. It's up TO you"
A superintendent came to him one day
in August and told him that a building
which had been scheduled to be in use
by the middle OF the next month was COM
ing on SO slowly that it would not be fin
tshed in time. The colonel took the super
m l.
gether they visited the building. Colonel
GoethaIs looked over the foundations which
were hardly finished. saw that only half
the lumber was in sight, counted the men
on the work and had the young foreman of
the Job called TO him.
This building Will be ready September
15," he said.
I'm sorry. SIR" the foreman said. but
I'm afraid"-- and he rehearsed the rea-
sons why the work could not be done.
The colonel heard him patiently.
you didn't understand what 1 said" he
said when the other had finished. This
is to be done September 10
The young foreman drew himself up.
I'm do my best. SIR" he answered.
You don't understand me yet" the col
onel repeated. "This housekeeping with
a pencil on the pile of rough lumber-"win
be ready on September 15.'
'AIl right" said the foreman.
And ready it was. though the foreman
made himself a pest to all the older men
Of his acquaintance who might possibly
know something about how to build houses
in hurry.
But strict as he in holding his men
to account, the new chief showed no dis
position to put on side" He expected
respect for his order. but no p rticuiar
Difference to himself. Last --ea., when
some ships Of the Pacific fleet were a.
Panama for Christmas. the colonel went
to see the games that had been arranged
between the canal diggers and the men of
the fleet AS a 300-yard dash was about
TO start one of the officers who had en-
tered asked chaffingl.- if tn col. ..el would
like to run The colonel measured the dis
tance with his eye, stripped off his coat and
stepped 10 the starting line.
He wor the race, and the naval men
who had lagg~d at tlrst ou+ of respect for
their rivals gray hairs. came In blowing
behind the three canal runners who knew
what sort Of stuff their chief was made of
and had sprinted from the tape
Uncle Sam is father and mother and all
his relations. to borrow an Eastern express
sion, 10 the man who works for him on
the Panama Canal. That is, he furnishes
quarters. furniture and a few other things
free and commissary supplies at cost AS
q consequence. the housewife who finds
her steak tough, her potatoes spotted or
her canned tomatoes fermented waits until
kick day" and then the colonel hears her,
but he never loses his patience. 1t is his
contention that half the discomfort which
led 10 the kick is abated when the com
plant has had Il fun and patient hearing.
once the colonel was perplexed wom-
an of somewhat puritanical ideas came to
him with a grievance it took long time
10 tell because she seemed to find its deli
cacy an obstacle to its narration. Finally,
however. the colonel learned thS SreundS