Heppner gazette. [volume] (Heppner, Morrow County, Or.) 1892-1912, 1910-07-28
CANAL WORK
MOVES RAPIDLY
1t is Estimated That the
Great Task Will be
Finished in 1915.

william H. Macfarlane left Panam
On "a Gays leave of absence. an
when his time is up he will send hi
resignation to the Government an
will remain in Portland to engage i
business.
In Panama Mr.. MacfarIane he'll
the responsible position of inspecto
of construction for the Government
works on the Isthmus.
With J. W. Travis and Colonel l.
10. Garrigus Mr.. MacfarIane hal
formed the Suburban Home Con.
struction Company, which was incor-
Dorated in the office of the Secretary
of State yesterday.
Mr.. Macfarlane saws he is glad to
get away from Panama, although the
country now. he declares, is good to
live in. All the rough features of
the pioneering have been overcome
all the sanitary work has been done,
the place is as civilized as the States.
The first month he was there 240 cases
of yellow fever appeared among the
workers on the Canal. with 80 deaths.
There has not been a single case
since then. he says.
"All the building incidental to the
work of digging the canal has been
finished. " said Mr.. Macfarlane. 1.-THE
Government has built a new country
there. Every trade under the sun is
represented and the Government runs
a bakery. turning out pies and cakes;
has coffee plant. roasting and sack
iaR the berries which are bought from
the planters; owns machine shop,
with which is connected a foundry:
has built houses, hotels. sheds and sall
the structures that go to make up
city. In short, you have there an
example Of paternal government.
4yan don't need any money to live
there. either--that is, if you have a
Government job. When you 90 to q
hotel for a meal you present your
hotel book and a coupon is torn out to
represent that meal. 1t is the same
with lodging for the night. When
you go 10 store to make purchase.
you hand over your book and coupons
are torn out to pay for what you get.
"It is marvellous. the variety of
industries that Uncle Sam is mixed
ND In. He built the Tivoli Hotel at q
cost of $3.50 900, which l superintend-
ed, and this is as good hotel as You
would care to find. He takes care of
the grounds. runs water systems and
light systems and has two of the
largest power plants in the world.
All these things are run simply to
get the digging of the canal done and
the building of the dam nfiished, and.
let me tell you. it will all be COM
pleted by 1916. In reality it will be
done a year earlier. for this is the
time the present Commission has set.
''I have seen three chief engineers
on the WORK since have been there,
Theodore F. Shouts, John F. Stevens
and Colonel Goethals. and the best
of the three was John F. Stevens. He
is the man who originated the system
that is in use today.
"My own work was sort of a general
supervision Of the buildings there. IT
some woman thought her house
should be painted different color
was the one whom she had to try to
convince. 1t didn't do any good, for
the Government decreed that all the
houses should be exactly the same
white ceiling, pea green |
walls and brown base. and outside
sort of slate color. Members of |
the official classes though. might
chose their color. These are the men
who draw salaries of S40O or more.
This was one result of the tender
exercised by the paternal |
1T rains some down there. The
rainy season lasts from April to
January. and in one month | saw 58
inches of rainfall. 1t is hot. too,
about SO degrees all the year with q
of SIS. Those are some of
the things that make me glad am
not going back. especially since l have
seen Portland and have a chance to
get into Part of the business that is
going to make a great city here. "