The Red Cloud chief., 1911-11-30

IL
scorings ever given q public official.
Probably the country does not
know the inside history connected with the fnal
employment Of army engineers to build the Pan
anna canal. The engineer corps OF the army AT
the outset thought that It should be given charge
OF the canal work. but influential civilians brought
pressure to bear the administration on behaf
of engineers in civil life. It was said by certain
civilians OF prominence that the army was not
accustomed to handling great business PROPOSE.
a work Of anything like the magnitude Of the one
proposed There were all sorts Of attempts to
belittle the engineering work of the army.
This sort of thing had its effect although 1t is
probable that It was with considerable reluctance
that the administration disappointed the proper
ambition of army engineers to be assigned to
the work Of canal building. When three civilian
engineers. one after another had given over the
work, President Roosevelt and Secretary Of War
Taft concluded that the time had come to give
the army chance. In effect the president told
the secretary that no army officer would desert
his post, even by the resignation route, for dis
cipline and inculcated will to do his duty would
keep him at the digging until 1t was finished or
until failure had come. Moreover 1t was known
that no army officer would fee in the face OF
yellow fever or in fear of death from any cause
Colonel George w. Goethals of the West Point
class of 1880 selected by the secretary Of war
to take up the work that the civilian engineers
had dropped Colonel Goethals Is still at It and
success has marked every step Of the way. The
colonel chose at the outset two chief assistants.
Lieutenant Colonels David d. Gaillard and William
L. Sibert, who graduated from the military acad.
emy in the class of 1884. Since that time other
army officers have been detailed in addition to the
three who were first assigned. three who are still
working and who hope to be present when the
first ship pokes It's prov into the completed canal
Colonel George w. Goethas is a tall, slender
man with a firmly knit figure and snow white
hair He has a face remarkably youthful and
neither the climate, the hard work the anxi-
eties of the sthmian life have touched his vigor.
He travels from place to place on certain days
and establishes headquarters for the hearing OF
complaints He brings hard, common sense to
bear on all kinds of matters. from the settling OF
q family row to controversies to seniority In
rank OF some of the civilian superntendents. La.
borers can 60 to him with complaints of bad
food and be sure of a hearing, and also be sure
that any kind of a wrong will be righted He is
a sort Of shepherd Of the flock, father Of
family of $4,000 children
Colonel Gaillard. who is the engineer in charge
of the central division of the work. and Colonel
William L. Sibert. engineer In charge Of the At.
lantic division, az has been said were classmates
at West Point. Gaillard's first name II David
When he and Sbert entered the military academy
40 "plebes" they took great liking to each other
They were chums and conAdants all through their
cadet course. Sibert 10 . big man. physically.
and the cadets nicknamed him Goliath. 0aillard