The Washburn times. [volume] (Washburn, Wis.) 1896-1976, 1913-08-14
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The Panama Canal


canal, little larger crew than old
King Solomon employed on his
temple. 1t is history that the vari-
Gus bands of workmen were so care
fully arranged that nothing disturb
ed the universal peace which pre-
vaded the world when wise old Sol.
built his harem. Solomon had Moth
ing on Goethals in the way OF
harmony, every thing moves along
as smooth as grease" on the 18th.
mus. Colonel Goethals, whom we
honor and admire in the states, is
loved on the Isthmus, and everyone
there will tell you that "there is q
square deal here for ALL"
Forty thousand writer's have at
tempted to describe this canal, and
working collectively they might
have succeeded, but individually
they have failed, just as Solomon's
methods OF wooden mauls and tall
cedars would prove inadequate In
this engineering job where miles OF
steam shovels and cement by millions
of tons are playing their important
part. The moral is plain. Don't
think that you can explain the canal
1t can't be done. II there were a
book written that contained nothing
but adjectives I might consume it,
and then perorate, ringing In the
recollections OF my journey on The
Maid of the Mist beneath Niagara
roaring cataract, or the narrow
margins which mark the sweet
present from the great divide In
Canada's Rockies. Nov II there
happens to be anything big enough
in human experience and recollec-
tions-including fish stories hoard
at sea, It might be used to clarity
a story OF achievement uneqnaled Ia
the history OF the world.
The picture has the literary chaps
interested, and now that | have seer
for myself. the only recollection Of
beforehand knowledge, are Of nights
at the movies" and particularly the
lkinemacolor views. And even these
lexpenslve films lack in showing
distance, they failed absolutely ID
depicting the magnitude. the over
awing bigness o: things.
| In "a document ] have before me i
is related that seven years after
Balboa discovered the Pacific ocea,
in 1913, an enterprising SpaniarG
had crude notion OF piercing the
Tsthmus. and spasmodical.y som'
long-haired individual has con tract
ed the same idea, until the railroad
has crossed the Isthmus to supply
the demand OF the ''forty-niners, ;
who travelled In that path to the
California gold fields.
| We rode out through Culebra cut
with Congressional party from
Washington and saw evidences lef
| by the Frerch who gave up thu
ghost in 1902, and were GLAD
enough to take 40, 900, 900 American
dollars to get out. Ours was
personally conducted party" with
one of the great engineers of th,
canal in charge, and Colonel Zinl
told me that Americans have M
Icrit!cism of the French methods
He added that they simply lacked
funds to 20 ahead. We saw places
where they had left off, evidentl,
having accomplished much to aid
| the Americans who came after them
Considering that 600 out of each
| 1000 persons who went to Panama
died within the year, tie French dc
lsplenlidly. Now in this health
full zone men, women and children
live in vertable health resort
where the health rate is less than
nine in each 1000. The black men
with their little Squirt guns" that
shot petroleum from huge tin cans
continue to keep mosquitoes and
vermin out of the canal zone and
this s9ory which we have heard re-
minds one that st. Patrick's job
with the snakes of Ireland is crude
compared to what Colonel Gorgas
has done for civilization fn driving
mosquitoes from the canal.
1t is Sunday morning as write,
IN shipboard. somewhere a few
hundred miles off the coast OF Flori-
la, and | wobble and hesitate, for |
do not know what to say OF Culebra.
Forewarned that so many others
have failed in the description, and
Determined to avoid the dangerous
trail. close nay eyes for moment.
and the picture is there@it must
answer: There 10 my sailor bat
sailing down culebral watch it
| 20, in full confidence that Q Jamai-
can Negro will use it for party raj.
! ment, or that steam shovel will
L axxo L. f4,,. d;nxan Monlz M q n auaru.