Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1913-10-21
NUMBER AZ

uTSt WIS dttIuSleu W lhc SohS'"''ou
of freight on the wharfs and the self
evident fact that the Panama railroad
was in near state Of collapse.
Freight was piled up In the streets in
prodigious quantities and was moving
over the railroad at snail's pace.
As for the railroad tracks In the
Culebra cut, he said they were Zines
which by the utmost stretch Of the i'm.
agination could not be termed railroad
tracks" Mr.. Wallace had found the
Panama railroad. after half century
without competition. far behind the
times In equipment. and practically no
discipline or efficiency existed among
the employees. When Mr.. Stevens
took charge there was an improved
situation. but the long absence In
Washington Of Chief Engineer Wallace
and his sudden departure had caused
the railroad to begin retrograde
movement
For thirty-one miles the main line
Of the railroad had been retrackpd
with American rails. and the work Of
double tracking 1t was just getting IN.
der way. The principal shops were ut
Matachin. with a capacity Of over.
hauling five locomotives and $50 dump
cars q month The canal employees
soon saw the caliber Of man ut their
head by the way Mr.. Stevens straight
ened out the railroad tangle. for the
freight began to move. lax methods
were rooted out OF the system. and the
Eemblance Of an efficient organization.
operating along modern lines. appeared.
The commission visited the isthmus
In July and August and with Mr. Ste
vens reached the conclusion that con-
struction work should be reduced to
minimum. even to turning away en-
ployees. and all energies bent to build.
Ing up a system Of feeding and hous-
fng the men and their families Pre-
paratory work was given the right Of
way over construction. which accounts
for the comparatively little excavation
done under the Stevens regime The
general verdict was that the ground
work done by Mr.. Wallace was good
In spite Of dlsorganized conditions and
that no insuperable obstacles stood IN
the way of building the canal.
There were S3l2 men IN tn"
ment Of engineering ana ..uction.
and other employees brought the total
10 $500, not including the Panama rail.
road. Municipal Improvements In Co.
lon and Panama and certain canal zone
towns were well under way. Effective
progress had been made In the work OF
surveying the canal route. III making
borings for lock sites and In other
engineering preliminal'ies. AS noted,
741,644 yards had been excavated and
nine steam shovels were at work. The
357 renovated French buildings and
forty eight new structures housed the
employees, except those who provided
shelter for themselves In Colon ana
Panama. There was no commissary
and no hotels.
An executive order had made the
civil service cover the canal zone on
Nov. IS, 1904. but both Mr.. Wallace
and Mr.. Stevens protested so earnestly
against the restrictions OF this order
that on Jan. L. 1905. President Roose-
velt removed all employees except
clerks from the scope Of the act. thus
allowing Mr. Stevens to employ any
one he saw fit on any terms he chose.
The eight hour day restriction likewise
was lifted. hut agitation In the Unit
ed States caused the president later to
reimpose both limitations, with what-
ever increase In time and cost OF con-
structing the canal they might involve.
The Americans had been In Panama
more than q year, and still the type OF
canal to be built was Undecided. In
the meantime Mr.. Stevens rapidly was
rounding into shape IN organization OF
workers, getting suitable quarters
erected for the employees. who were
coming In large numbers. organizing
the commissary and hotel systems. Sc
curing mechanical equipment ana
bringing the transportation facilities
TO satisfactory standard Governor
Magoon simultaneously WAS ofSaniz-
ing a civil government along the lines
blazed by Governor Davis. Police'
courts. schools. fire departments. post