El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1911-06-03


chief engineer of the Panama canal on
February 2e. 1907, and actually as
sumed charge in April of that year.
Is Building Fame.
view of the fact that Col Goeth-
is building for himself a monument
It viii preserve his name as one of
the greatest engineers the world has
produced, and although his wonderful
ability has been universally recog-
nized, it is odd that the people of his
country know so little OF his person
atty. He is a modest man and il may
be said Of him that he breathes, moves
and has his being in his work. He is
the busiest man on the canal zone, and
one Of the busiest in the world, but he
has that rare. faculty Of never being
hurried The visitor to his office in
Culebra is impressed by the absolute
absence Of confusion around that place
of great tasks. Everything moves as
steadily as a big clock. There are lit
orally thousands of details to be looked
after, and yet things run so smoothly
that one does not even hear the hum
Of the machinery.
Keeps No One Waiting.
There is no tedious waiting to see
the tall. white haired. white mus
tached. bronzed faced man who is the
genius OF the canal. Apparently he
has more leisure than any other man
in the administration building, al
though as matter Of fact every mo-
ment of his waking hours is occupied.
He once said: Il have little use for
the man who always seems to be so
tremendously busy that ne must keep
everybody waiting. 1t does not take
a moment longer TO see man at once
than it does to see him later"
An army officer, intensely loyal TO
his military training, he is entirely
free from the business of the martinet-
It is said that he has never worn
uniform since he took charge of the
canal work His simplicity is not al
fected. but is that simplicity that
marks a mind occupied with bigger
things than frills of conduct. With
private train always at his disposal
and with a motor car always ready for
him. he prefers travelling over the zone
on the regular train, sitting in an or
binary day coach, contentedly putting
a cigaret while he observes every de- /
tail of the work over which he has the |
chief control.
Starts to Work Early.
At o'clock in the morning Col. Goe- !
thaIs has breakfasted and is ready for.
the DAYS work The forenoon he de- +
votes to visiting various parts of the I
work-today in Culebra cut. tomorrow !
on the Gatun dam, the next day at +
Toro Point, the next at Miranores-i
but always somewhere. He knows all
Of his men by sight, and most Of them {
by name He passes a Pheasant word
here, offers a suggestion there, pans
for some new work at another place.
When the noon hour comes ne Is tired
and dusty, but as soon as lunch is
over he is the first man back to his
he ha
attending to his office work. He comes
back after dinner and shuts up the
shop at 10 o'clock at night
He is an earnest advocate Of eco
nomical administration 1.-The leaks
are not in dollars" said he. but in +
pennies, and let me tell you the fellow
who watches out for the penny leaks j
IL the one who helps most TO reduce I
the cost OF building this canal" He /
insists that every engineer must ed |
here to this principle. Records of the /
coal consumed by steam shovels and I
OF the oil used on every /
piece of machinery. Of the idle min
utes of each particular piece of the 1
whole plant, he uses to give bases of
comparison to detect extravaganza in |
order that money may be saved.
No man is more willing to give full
credit to others for the work they have
done than is Col. Goetha1s- In speak
ing Of the problems that confronted
him when he took charge Of the canal,
he said frankly that the biggest con-
struction problem Of the entire work
already had been solved by his prede-
cessor In the Office Of chief engineer
John T. Stevens.
Gives Credit to Stevens.
People talked about putting the
army engineers IN charge OF this work