The Daily Missoulian., 1914-09-06

Plenty Of Room.
The republic OF Panama further
grants to the United States in per-
petuity the use, occupation and con
troll Of any other lands and waters
outside OF the zone above described
which may be necessary and con-
venient for the construction, SANTA
.ion and protection OF said canal.''
In other words, II at any time the
United States feels that the extra
land and water is necessary to the
operation OF the canal we may absorb
the whole isthmus
Less than q week after this treaty
was signed President Roosevelt ap-
pointed the first isthmanian canal
commission. These men were at once
confirmed by the senate. The com
mission consisted of the following
men; Major General George w Da-
Wis, William p. Parsons, who was
fresh from his work on the New
York subway, William H. Burr,
professor Of civil engineering in a
~SN9'' aNAtA "HAfoAolky, A1SiiJhhiiIl iN.
Harrod, q civil engineer of New
Orleans; Carl f. Grunsky Of San
Francisco; Frank r. Hecker of De
troit, and Rear Admiral John G..
Walker. The brusque General Davis
was appointed civil governor of the
canal zone. On his arrival he went
to work with such vim that he had
little time to attend the banquets and
dinners which the citizens of Panama
had planned for him, and the feelings
of these people were deeply wounded.
They proceeded to President Roose-
Welt and finally General Davis was in
duced to attend their banquets and all
went we'll.
Wallace Takes Charge.
Some time during June, 1904, Mr..
John Findlay Wallace, who was at
that time general manager of the Illi-
nots Central railroad, was appointed
chief engineer of the, canal work. Mr..
Wallace was regarded as one OF the
best railroad construction men in the
country and was at that time about 80
years Of age. When he reached the
lsthn1us he found things in a wretched
condition. miserable living conditions
with no sewers and no water tit for
drinking. Less than 800 men were at
work IN the cut and these were dig
cling with hand tools. IT was next to
impossible to keep Workmen on the
zone on account OF lack OF decent
housing and food. Mr.. Wallace was
handicapped too, by red tape. When
one looks hack on those awful days
on the zone, when there was little
or no ice obtainable, and when water
for bathing had TO be caught from
the roofs where buz2ards roasted. it
seems unjust to nensure men for
seeking other climes.
Wallace Quits:
On April /. 1906, d second 18TH
nlian canal commission was appoint
ed. Heading this was Theodore p.
Shonts, as chairman, with Charles e.
Magoon as governor of the canal
zone. MIR. Wallace was the chief en-
gineer. and the other members were
Rear Admiral Mordecai 4. Endicott.
Peter C. Hams, Oswald III. Earnest
and Benjamin NJ. Harrod But some
how things did not so well on the
tsthmus and the hostile press of the
United states. which seemed to take
delight in publishing disagreeable
stories about the canal work, added
to the spirit OF unrest among the
workmen. Then came an epidemic of
yellow rever and Mr.. Wallace
packed UP and left the zone and
his resignation was asked for a few
days later after he had been publicly
reprimanded By Secretary Taft. Mr..
John r Stevens was the next chief
#engineer. He WAS about TO start for
the Philippines to surerintend some
f.ltirnaA fsfonafra,effnr whow hn ..,n.