Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1914-10-27
SAYS THAT WORK
WAS CANAL SLOGAN
BRUCE MINEAR DECLARES THAT
HARD CONSISTENT LABOR
ACCOMPLISHED TASK.
TALK is ILLUSTRATED
Former OttumWa Y. M. c. A. Secre
tary Gives Interesting and In
structive Lecture on Devel-
opment in Zone.

Honesty to the limit in all branches
of work, an answering responsibility
in each individual for personal SER
vice, complete ignorance Of the word
impossible and lasting faith and
trust in God and his doctrines, were
given as the reason for the ultimate
success Of the United States in the
eventual completion of the Panama
canal, by Bruce Minear in his address
Sunday afternoon at the Y. M. G. A..
gymnasium. The seating capacity of
the room proved to be inadequate for
the handling of the large crowd of
men and women who attended the adj
dress on the canal, which was pro-
fusely illustrated with slides. A if-
teen minute concert and devotional
program preceded the lecture. This
was featured by music handled by
the association orchestra and the Y.
M. C. A. male chorus, a short prayer
and the singing of."America" by the
assembly.
Mr. Minears illustrated talk on the
Panama canal was strikingly different
from the ordinary addresses Of this
character in that his slides depicted
! the construction work and the mar
velous changes that have been made
| in that country, from the very first.
Mr.. Minear went to Panama shortly
after the United States government
first took up the stupendous task
which it has now accomplished in such
a splendid manner and he has pictured
J the different operations at all stages
of the construction, from the time that
the preliminary steps were taken un-
! til the work was finally declared by
the experts to be completed His
slides are in an excellent state Of pres
ervation and show that the photo
graphic work was done with the idea
in view not only of contributing to
their permaIency but also to be Of
the greatest service in illustrating the
scene from the best possible angle.
Trip Through Canal.
! The speaker, by means of his illus
! trations, took his audience on a pic
ture trip through the great feat of en-
gineering skill which has been accom-
plished by the United States in the
canal zone The start was made at
/; the Atlantic side and considerable
time was given to the showing of the
various phases in the constructing of
|
Gatun lake. A general view was
shown of the ground as it looked
when taken over by this country,
when the first breaking of the ground
had been accomplished, the prelimin-
airy steps taken toward installing the
locks, the piece by piece construction
of those great locks and finally their
completion and the passing of the
first boat through them.
These locks and the great Culebra
cut were the features of the address
with considerable thought given to the
comparison of the home life of the ma
tives before and after American occu-
patton. The original cut as it was left
by the French engineers was shown
by the speaker and then the different
steps that led up to the finishing OF
this greatest of all pieces OF construc-
ton were thrown on the screen. Mr..
Minear devoted a number of his illus
trations to showing the vast changes
that have been wrought in the civic
life since the United States has been
in charge of the work. The refinish-
ing of the streets, the installing of
modern conveyances, the building of
school houses, churches, hospitals and
the Y. M c. A. buildings were all en-
phatically instilled into the minds OF
the audience through the medium OF
the stereoptican slide.
Mr.. Minear's position with the inter
national Y. M. G. A. work in the canal
zone has particularly fitted him to
give a lecture of this kind. Associa-
ton officials all over the country have
said that he is the man that Is re-
sponsible for the state of Iowa lead
ing all the others in the work that
the associations are doing among col
lege students. The same zest which
characterized his work in the canal
zone showed up in the labors among
the students of the country. The o.
tumwa association and the city as
we'll are proud of the fact that this
man. now so dominant a power in the
national association work, made MS
start in the labors of the local 7. M,
C. A. While in the city Mr.. Mlnear
was the guest of Mr.. and Mrs. Walter