The Oakes times. [volume] (Oakes, N.D.) 1906-current, 1914-04-23
Continued from last week
Had Been to Canal Before

The fact that We had been to the
Canal Zone during the early days Of
its construction greatly added to our
pleasure this time. We felt very much
at home and were able to measure more
exactly the magnitude and growth Of
the undertaking. Our first trip was
made with Col. Goethals, the chief en-
gineer. whom we found very pleas
ant and genial gentleman. This trip
We met = young engineer on the boat,
Mr.. Stephen Richardson, Of Houston,
Texas, who had been on the work for
nine years and was just returning
from vacation. He took us in charge,
in the hospitable way 80 natural to .
Southerner. We not only enjoyed our
time with him, but We learned very
much more about the canal than We
could have found out in any other way.
Colon
Colon, at the time our government
took hold Of the work, was largely .
swamp with . street or two, or 1t
most few blocks above water. Now,
large tracts have been reclaimed and
filled up several feet above the sealevel
and much has been done in the way Of
sanitation and development. The Pan
ANA Railroad, which is owned by the
government, has built beautiful con-
crete, fireproof hotel, "The Washing
ton," and laid out extensive and beau
tiful grounds at q cost Of $3.50, 900.
The hotel is q great convenience to
visitors but is run at loss. The food
and service are fully up to the best
hotels run in the United States, the
manager, Mr.. Thompson, having come
from the Plaza, one Of New York's
finest hotels. We spent as much time
Is possible 1T ''The Washington"
Work Done b the French
The French people spent about three
hundred million dollars, which meant
financial ruin to many families, and
wasted many lives in the attempt to
build the Panama Canal, and made q
dismal failure Of it. However, they
did move q considerable quantity Of
dirt, acquired an enormous amount Of
machinery, much Of which was worth
less, some Of which was useful. They
built at different places along the pro-
posed canal a large number Of houses
to shelter the employees, and built
them we'll. These houses are built
with large screened porches, one above
the other, making them look like huge
bird cages on the sides Of the hills.
They also built excellent hospitals and
located them on beautiful SITES. They
made complete serveys and collected
elaborate statistics as to the rainfall
and fiowage of streams. These were
very essential and were the work Of
years to accumulate. Our government
gave the French company forty million
dollars for their interests in Panama
and ut that it was q good bargain
being less than ten per cent Of the
whole cost of the canal.
How U. s. Acquired the Strip
The French did not have q very sat
isfactory title to the right-of-way, and
our government made the deal con-
ditioned on our ability to secure what
we wanted in the way Of needed terri.
tory and right-of-way. We met with
poor success in dealing with the Re.
public Of Columbia, their Legislature
having refused to ratify the treaty
An opportune, bloodless revolution ot
the State Of Panama against Columb:s
drought about largely by the fear o.
the Panamaians that they would lost
the canal and it's great benefits) wa.
under progress, and with just enough
moral support from the United State.
and big bluff on the part Of Presi
dent Roosevelt, Panama was enabled Il
establish an Independent republic.
Our government Immediately rec
ognized Panama, as did France, Ger
many and other foreign countries, ant
we made treaty with Panama for ,
perpetual lease for a strip Of territor,
across the isthmus, extending fiv,
tmiles on each side of the canal. Fo
this we gave them ten million dollar
cash and pay them an annual renta
Of $250,0O0 after ten years. Growing
out of this there has been an un
friendly feeling existing between tn,
United States of Columbia and ou
government ever since, until at thi
writing the news comes that q treat,
has been negotiated, whereby we pa,
Columbia twenty-five million dollars
and friendly relations are to be re
sumed. This treaty, Of course, has I