Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1914-05-20
THE BUILDING OF
THE PANAMA CANAL
Biggest Part of the lob Was in
Getting Ready.
To Make Canal Zone HeaIthfuI Re-
CURED a Large Outlay Of
Money and Skill.

1t was early when we arrived at
Colon, which is the Atlantic entrance
to the Panama Canal. As we slipped
into the harbor past the giant break
water which when its mate is COM
pleted will form a snug harbor, we
could see even in this early light
evidence of unusual enterprise for
these ATTITUDES. Heretofore In our
travels everything had been sug-
gestive of age. The style of archi-
lecture the manner Of doing things.
whether in harbor or on shore was all
suggestive of ancient customs and
foreign methods. Here for the first
time since leaving New York were
seen the diamond sparkle of arc
lamps. The city of Colon was lit by
gas but farther up the canal entrance
the city of Gatum showed unmistaka-
bly, American in the very way they lit
their streets.
Colon, at one time the despair of
the health department of the canan
commission, has managed to pull her.
self together and now presents q.
fairly decent appearance. Only four.
feet above sea level the problems of.
drainage and cleanliness is a serious,
matter. However ten years Of
American occupancy has made a
wonderful change in the city. The.
swamps at the back of the city have,
been filled up and the streets have,
been cleaned and on the whole it is,
not such a bad place
THE CANAL FINISHED.
l might as we'll begin at the be-
ginning with the statement that the
canal is finished.
No longer is it possible for the re-
turned traveller to say he saw them
building the Panama canal. 1t is,
completed. All over but the finish
ing touches and the shouting and the
latter will come along about the first
of next January when the official
opening takes place.
THE END OF A GREAT EFFORT.
AS | looked upon this work of man
| was impressed with the thought
that this was the end Of a great
effort. It seemed to me that the
great future to which everybody was
looking was not the real keynote of
the moment.
The completed task represented
more to me in thought than all the
glorious hopes of the future, for the
future, now that the thing is possible
will take care of itself.
Here was not the glorious dawn of
a great commercial awakening but
the glorious end of dream that has
haunted the fancy of white men ever
since Balboa first peeped over the
dividing line 00years ago.
AN IDEA BORN WITH THE COMING OF
THE WHITE MAN
1t is noticeable that while evil
dences of prehistoric civilization
abound all through this country, from
Central America to Peru and that in
some matters they were far advanced
in the arts and in civilization, the.
idea of connecting the two great
oceans never occurred until the COM
ing of the white man. And with his
advent Immediately sprang the desire
to cross. Balboa, whose untiring
perseverance always arouses my
admiration, never gave himself rest
until he had forced a passage. Not
satisfied with this he took three ships
apart and forced the natives, at no
one knows what sacrifice, to carry
them over the isthmus where he
reassembled them and started mer-
chant marine of his own.
THE FIRST PROGRESSIVE.
Butt Balboa was too progressive for