Shoshone journal. [volume] (Shoshone, Idaho) 1884-1931, 1913-10-10

y
H Everyone who writes OF the Panam
canal feels bound to use that phrase
and though it is trite, it is no les
true.
Possibly when Balboa first stood OF
the peak of Darlen" and gazed en-
tranced AZ the waters Of what he Gale,
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 H. of Spain (1556-159S) the
! Inquisition declared that any such pro-
{ Ject TO alter the face of the earth was
impious, and the Spanish ruler forbade
its further discussion. The ban of the
church was effective for some time.
but In 1899 a Scotchman of the name
OF Patterson revived the scheme, es-
tablished a colony on the shores of
the isthmus and even made n crude
survey OF the proposed route. Gale
DOMAIN bay, on the north shore of Pan
anna, alone preserves the memory of
that attempt. French scientists in
1875 advocated Nicaragua canal fifty
years later the Spanish government or
dered a survey of the Darien route,
and early in the nineteeth century Won
Humboldt declared a canal was prac-
ticable. 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-sounding name was Dewitt |
Clinton. Various schemes were start |
ed and fell through, and in 1885 the |
United States senate voted for the |
building of Nicaragua canal. An ex-
petition was sent to that country and
reported that the canal could be con-
structed at a cost OF S25.OOO,0OO
After the Ciyal war there was much
negotiating by our government for a
canal concession, but when the Mica
ragua route seemed to be the favorite
he Bogota government became impa-
lent and gave the concession for
Panama canal to Lucien Napoleon
3onaparte Wyse, a French lieutenant
lie made some maps and organized a
company which sold out to the finan
,iers with whom Ferdinand de Lesseps
lad associated himself.
Albert Edwards in his admirable
'ook on Panama thus describes the
BEGINNING of the tragedy of de Les
cps and his company:
"The digging of the Suez canal was
he accomplishment of his life. All
is yigor and energy had gone into it.
lie came back to Paris literally carried
n the shoulders of his nation. The
made him 'comte' and
he people called him lie grand Fran
ais But he fell among thieves. The
ID man tumbled blindly into the trap /
spectators. who foresaw rich har- |
ast In the drawing together of his |
-eat name and the shady concession |
Lieutenant Wyse. They set the /
age by summoning the scientists Of /
e world TO great congress to dis
lss an Atlantic-Pacifc canal. Al
ough il was called a scientific con
ess, most OF its 1876 members were |.
eculators and politicians, Only forty =
70 were engineers or geographers. g
ley elected Count de Lesseps, rail =
AIDED through a resolution that the
mama route was the only practicable on
e, and formed the Universal Inter- ca
eanic Canal company by buying the NJ
Use concession for 100000 francs, vo
fore the bona fide members of the mi
ngress knew what had happened and di'
the face OF much protest. There
a be little doubt that the congress a
IS packed like a ward caucus. but FIR
IRE is no evidence that de Lesseps ce
llized that It was, TO
The company was launched with Of
ny bouquets, norid speeches By lie de
nd Francois. aud champagne with no
end. And all the time those who PR
re on the inside were playing the An
rket from both ends. sending the An
cks tumbllng down the steps of the ed
irse on manufactured report that
United States WIS again waving car
Monroe Doctrine, shooting them rou
again with a misquotation from the full
sidents message to the effect that 70
wero enthusiastic IN favor OF the Of
ncb enterprise. A sorrier exhibit ear
j OF consclenceless finance has sal and
4 been seen" con
Id de Lesseps. however. was In Me-
nest He sent over engineers who nov
covered that wyses maps were IN. wrg
lrate aud that yellow fever was Ing
dly Then Ia December. 1879, the ing
"a himself, With his wife and three r
dren. orrieod from France, After on
pieus aud spaoChmaklng ID Colon pro-
9rossel % pAuaHs. and there GA Ihe
1ary q. 1850 the iorma, onenina Ell tie