The Leavenworth echo. [volume] (Leavenworth, Wash.) 1904-current, 1911-09-01

the colonel with serious kick. He
was being Disseminated against. He
was being made to haul eighteen cars.
The other engineers we're pulling but
fifteen. He was asked if he could
successfully pull his eighteen cars. He
said that was all right, but it was the
discrimination that he objected to.
The colonel promised to so adjust mat
tiers that he would be placed at no dis
advantage. Next day he issued an
order that all engineers should pull
eighteen cars.
I'VE are for him." said great,
hulking steamshovel man to me the
other day. When the colonel comes
along on an inspection tour he greets
each band of workmen with cordi-
ality that makes them believe that they
are the especial object of his affection.
They feel that they are in with him
on things. AS result they redouble
their efforts when he has passed, feel
ing that they are not merely working
for a living, but are working for the
colonel"
The building of the Panama canal is
today demonstration school to all the
world. There is not day that it is
not visited by scores of men from all
parts of the world who are interested in
engineering. Many Of these men are
the greatest engineers in their given
countries. When the work is com
pleted there will probably be few big
engineers who have not seen and stud
led the manner Of it. The eyes of the
world are on the job, and the lessons
being laid down by the man who is &C
complishing it are to be emulated the
world around.
There is no lack Of appreciation of
the import of the task on the part of
Col. Goethals despite his modesty with
relation to it. He realizes that it will
stand monument through the ages.
He realizes that its success will lead
the engineers of the world to under
take things that have hitherto appalled,
them. He realizes that the ships OF
the world will constantly ply through
this waterway and that its lesson will be
constantly brought home to the world.
He knows, for instance, that the exam
pie in sanitation that Panama has fur
nished will 60 down through the ages
as demonstration of the possibilities
Of such work in the tropics. He knows
that all the equatorial countries of the
world are here being positively shown
that the burden of disease and death
under which they have always labored
is unnecessary and that they may be
made healthy as Panama has been
made healthy. This great, humani-
tartan influence of the canal is recog'
nized as one of the biggest things
being accomplished in thus linking
ocean with ocean.
Two years ago Col. Goethals stated
that the canal would be completed on
schedule time-June !, 1915. This
statement was taken as final and all
preparations have been making to that
end. While still holding to the orig
inal official statement, the engineer in
chief now says privately that the water
way will be complete December l,
1913, thirteen months ahead of time.
This leaves a good latitude for the
elimination of any difficulty that may
arise when the water is actually let into
the canals and the locks. There are
still few such possibilities as slides
into Culebra, but the worst Of these
may be easily met with no great delay.
Col. Goethals is tall, strong-limbed
man, fifty-three years old. He is gray,
curly-haired, good looking. His health
is of the best, and work is but stimu-
liant to him. With him on the canal
zone lives his wife. Their comfortable
home is at the top of the divide near
Culebra. 1t was built before he went
to Panama, and is probably much more
elaborate than he would have built had
the creation of his quarters been left to
him.
With the colonel and Mrs. Goethals
at Panama is now their eldest son.
This son graduated from the U. S.
Military Academy some four wears ago