Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1913-10-14

First Range Light at Pacific Entrance
to the Canal.
isthmus at Panama on his way to the
new California post An epidemic of
cholera broke out. costing the lives OF
eighty men. and the general hard
ships of the transit deeply impressed
CAPTAIN Grant with the need OF bet
ter passage.
Several American exploring parties
had been on the isthmus, and In 1854
Lieutenant Arthur Strain, with TWEEN
ty-seven companions, attempted to
penetrate the jungle. They got lost.
and after ninety days Of living death
Strain and two or three Of his men
reached Panama.
President Lincoln in 1868, when be
was freeing the negro slaves, cast his
eyes upon the Chiriqui province Of Pan
anna as a suitable place for colonizing
the negroes of the south after the civil
war. but his untimely death prevented
the opportunity to work out the idea.
That Captain Grant who had cross
ed the isthmus in 1852 became presi-
dent in 1869, and the very same year
he directed General Stephen A. Hurl-
but to negotiate q treaty with Colon
bia for a Panama canal. He knew
from experience how advantageous 1t
would be to his country. Such
treaty was signed at Bogota on Jan
20, 1870, but the United States senate
did not ratify it, and the senate OF Co
lombia mutilate1 1t.
President Grant then sent Admiral
Ammen to Nicaragua to investigate
that route, more in pique at Colon
bia than from q belief in its available
ity. Colombia returned the feeling by
turning to the French and giving
concession. At the instance OF Presi-
dent Grant the Panama route again
was surveyed by Commanders f. +.
Lull and T. o. Selfridge. In 1875. but
from this time onward the French had
the center Of the stage.
Their spread eagle operations served
to make the world and the Americans
think that canal was white ele-
plant proposition. The Spanish-Amer-
lean war. however. suddenly brought
the American people to a realization OF
the vital necessity, from a military
viewpoint alone, Of an interoceanic
canal
Day by day as the battleshlp Oregon
steamed around Cape Horn this lesson
was impressed upon the people. A
10000 mile journey could have been
saved by Panama canal. The war
over and peace allowing the country
and the government to consider other
things, President Mckinley reorgan-
lied the isthmlan canal commission
which he had appointed in 1897 with
the following personnel:
Admiral John g. Walker, chairman:
Samuel Pasco. George 8. Morrison.
Lieutenant Colonel Oswald 81. Ernst.
q. 8. A.; Colonel P. O. Hains, o. s. A.;
Lewis M. Haupt, Alfred Noble. Will
liam q. Burr and Professor Emory X.
Johnson.
This commission was appointed In
March, 1890. with instructions to In
vestigate all Central American routes.
The Walker commission unoficially
asked the French company what Its
property might be bought for, and
when quoted a price Of $101. .141.bCO
promptly decided that Nicaragua look
ed better. The report made on Nov.
1e, 1901. by the commission frankly
stated that the Panama route was pref
erable. but the price asked by the
French company was prohibitive. The
commission dropped the remark that
$4O.OOO,O0O was about what the French
holdings. were worth to the United
States.
When It had agreed to the COM
missions valuation the report to the
president promptly was revised Ii ia
vor Of the Panama route.
Theodore Roosevelt upon assuming
! the office of president promised to car
ry out the policies Of President Nc
Kinley, and, 80 far as the canal policy
Is concerned. he succeeded so eminent
ly that a deliberate Judgment, formed
from a perspective view Of the whole
undertaking, warrants the assertion
that his energy, decision and sound
Judgment made an interoceanic canal
possible In this generation.
The moment his dynamic personality
got behind the idea 1t received an I'm
petus, and he bucked the line OF OBJ
stacles that arose In the path OF the
project until he retired In 1909. when
the enterprise was advanced beyond
the possibility Of failure.
It was to President Roosevelt that
the Walker commission reported In No
vember, 1901. His first message to
congress urged immediate action. and
after q good deal Of wrangling over
the Hepburn act in favor Of Nicaragua
the Spooner act was passed on June
28, 1902.
The Spooner act, written by Senator
Iohn @. Spooner Of Wisconsin. provid'
ID for an isthmian canal commission
If seven members and authorized the
Panama route II the French property
could be bought for $40,000,000 and
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