Shoshone journal. [volume] (Shoshone, Idaho) 1884-1931, 1913-08-15

canal feels bound to use that phrase
and though It Is trite, 1t is no lesi
true.
Possibly when Balboa first stood or
the Peak of Darien" and gazed en-
tranced at the waters OF what he called
the Southern sea the thought OF cut
ting through the isthmus came to him
Certainly, within three years after his
great discovery or in 1916. he had
transported two ships, in pieces, across
from the Atlantic to the Pacific and
there put them together
II could not have been very much
later that the Idea OF an isthmian
canal was born for during the reign
OF Philip II. OF Spain (1556-159S) the
Inquisition declared that any such pro
I ject to alter the face OF the earth was
! impious, and the Spanish ruler forbade
it's further discussion. The ban OF the
( church was effective for some time,
/ but la 1899 "A Scotchman OF the name
I of Patterson revived the scheme. es-
tabIished colony on the shores OF
the isthmus and even made a crude
survey OF the proposed route. Gale
DOMAIN bay, on the north shore of Pan
ANA. alone preserves the memory OF
that attempt French scientists in
1885 advocated Nicaragua canal, fifty
years later the Spanish government or
dered survey OF the Darien route,
and early in the niueteeth century Won
Humboldt declared a canal was prac-
tlcable. In 1926, Immediately after
Latin America had freed Itself from
Spain. the Central American and
United states Atlantic and Pacific Ca
nal company was organized. and one
of the directors OF the concern with
the high-aounding name was Dewitt
Clinton. Various schemes were start
ed and fell through, and in 1885 the
United states senate voted for the
building of a Nicaragua canal An ex-
petition was sent to that country and
reported that TIE canal could be con
structed at a cost OF S25,OOO,O0O.
After the Cival war there was much
negotiating by our government for AN
canal concession, but when the Mica
ragua route seemed to be the favorite
the Bogota government became impa-
tient and gave the concession for a
Panama canal to Lgcieu Napoleon
Bonaparte Wyse a French lieutenant
He made some maps and organized a
company which sold out TO the finan- T.
ciers with whom Ferdinand de Lesseps /.
had associated himself.
Albert Edwards in his admirable /
book on Panama thus describes the /
beginning of the tragedy of de Les
seps and his company;
1.-THE digging of the suez canal was
the accomplishment OF his life. All
his yleor and energy had gone into IT.
He came back 10 Paris literally carried
on the shoulders Of his nation. The
government made him comte' and
NE people called him le grand Fran
,als. Nut he fell among thieves. The
lld man tumbled bliudly into the trap
81 spectators, who forosaw a rich har-
rest Ia the drawing together of his
great name and the shady concession I
II Lieutenant Wyse. They set the
stage by summonlng the scientists OF
he world 10 a great congress to dis
,uss an Atlantic Pacific canal AZ
hodeh 1t was called a scientific con
,ress. most Of It's 1876 members were
.peculators aud politicians Only forty
wo were engineers or geographers
they elected Count de Lesseps, rail
oaded through a resolution that the
Panama route was Che only practicable
me. and formed The Universal Inter
Canal company by buying the
vyse concession for 100000 francs,
lefore the bona lde members OF the
ongress knew what had happened and 9
d The face Of much protest There
an be little doubt that Che congress- q
vas packed like q ward caucus. but
here Is no evidence that de Lessers G
called that Il was
"Tho company was launched with @
iany banquets. fiorid speeches by lie 9
rand Francals. and champagne with
ut end. And all the time those who p
'ere On the inside were playing the a
iarket from both ends. sending the a
locks tumbling down the steps OF the e
curse on a manufactured report that
40 tnitcu Ntd'eH was again NoftAb -
be Monroe Doctrine, shooting them r.
p again with a misquotation from the II
residents message to the effect that Il
10 were enthusiastic in favor OF the o
rench enterprise. A sorrier exhibit e
on Of conscienceless finance has sell a
ON been seen" c
Old de Lesseps, however, was In \
arrest. He sent over engineers who h
iscovered that Wyse's maps were in "
and that yellow fever was II
eadly. Then in December, 1879. the II
cunt himself, with his wife and three
hildren. arrived from France. After O
eceDtiors and epeech-making 10 Colon p
e crossed % Perrma. and there, cn q