Dakota farmers' leader. (Canton, S.D.) 1890-19??, 1911-03-24

cannon would crash upon the ear and
reverberate in among the mountains
in deep and resonant peals. The
shock Of the explosions would shake
the mountain or ridge along Whlch
the quarters and building were built.
The canal is practically so miles long,
with an average width of 800 feet at
the top and 200 feet at the bottom,
the average depth being probably
about As or so feet. There will be SIX
locks, each 100 feet wide and 1000 feet
in length.
To give you an idea Of the enormi-
ty of the work carried on In the con-
struction of these locks and dams
will mention that 1900 barrels Of ce
ment were used daily at Gatun alone
in the construction OF the reinforced
concrete dam and locks which were
being built there. The estimated
cost of the canal was $4,000, 900 but
it will probably amount TO $500, 900, ,OO(
The estimated time required for the
construction of the canal is ten years.
or from 1905 to 1915 However, l for
my part, hardly believe that it will
be completed in that time. From
Balboa Hill a good view OF the work
on the canal construction can be had.
1t is said that from this eminence
that Balboa of old, the Spanish ex-
plorer who discovered the Pacific
ocean in 1915, first looked upon the
gold fields and pearl fields which made
the isthmus so famous for many years.
Nesting close to the waters edge, on
the Pacific coast, is the town OF Bal
boa, more commonly called La Boca.
The city of Panama is farther in
land, and Balboa or LaBoca Is really
the seaport.
1 had intended to take passage on a
ship sailing between points along the
Pacific coast, which would land me at
Salina Cruz, the first seaport along
the coast of Old Mexico which had
railroad connections by which | could
get up through Mexico and come back
to the States. arriving at Ell Paso,
Texas The cheapest ticket | could
buy would have taken my whole pile
and left me stranded in Mexico with
out a cent in my pockets. And let
me tell you that l had seen enough of
that class of people which constitutes
the population of Mexico, to fight shy
Of that proposition. So l retraced
my steps and went back to Cuba and
|staid there about three weeks and
then took passage on boat sailing
from Havana to New Orleans.
And now 1 must hurry along, be-
cause, l dwelt longer on the subject
of the trip to Panama than l had in
tended.
Arriving at New Orleans about the
last of A pril 1910, and glad to be back
TO the "Good Old U. S. A., l boarded
a train for Houston, Texas. The
iamount of ready cash stored away in
the pockets of my jeans did not make
those receptacles sag much, 1 want
you to believe. But | am back in thc
States now, thinks l, so there will be
no trouble in getting work or navi-
eating about, But times were dull
in the country around Houston and
after trying in vain to find job, !
| took advantage of an excursion to
Galveston, spent all day in that town
which is built practically on a sand
bar out in the waters of the Gulf Of
Mexico. Since the memorable flood
which all but wiped the city OF Gal
weston off the face of the map on Sep
tenn ber 8, 1900, strong wall of rein
forced concrete has been constructed
along the south and west shores and
extending, l was told, five miles in
length. Galveston Is now known by
the name of "The Sea Wall City,"
Next l went out to San Antonio,
where l spent about four days. San
Antonio is not a small hamlet by a
long ways and it is also quite pretty
city. Many invalids, consumptive,
ETC., come to this place, seeking to
improve their health. The winters
In southern Texas are mild and warm
and the air is dry. Mineral water Is
also to be found there, which Is sup
posed to be beneficial to people troub-
led with rheumatism. While at San
Antonio, l visited the famous old his
torical Alamo Mission which was
founded by the Franciscans in the
year 1908, and which will always be
reyerenced in the hearts of the Amer
lean people because of the "Battle of
the Alamo Mission'' on March 6, 1886,
when Lieut.. W. B. Travis in COM
mand of a mere handful of liberty
loving Texans, among whom were
Dave Crockett and Col. James Bowie,
intrenched within the walls and re-
doubts of the old mission, for several
days successfully repulsed the Mexi-
can forces under Santa Ana, and
bravely held their own against over
whelming mum bers until finally on
the morning of that bloody day, March
6, Santa Ana, urging and storming at
his men, rushed them over the walls,
and scaling the ramparts, fell upon
the handful of wornout and bleeding
Texans and killed every single man OF
, them.
, The guide showed me the cham be I