The mirror. (Stillwater, Minn.) 1894-1925, 1915-05-06

I'he Nicaragua route was adVOcat-
ed by French expedition sent out
in 1735, and in 1888, the DARN
route was surveyed by engineers
sent out by the Spanish Government
and again in 1914 the Spanish Gov
ernment took up the project, but a
series of revolutions had started in
South and Central America which
drove them from the mainland of
this Continent before anythingcould
be accomplished.
In 1925 Henry Clay, then Secret
ary of State. was approached by en-
voys from Central America on the
subject of canal, but nothing def
mite was accomplished.
One scheme followed another in
rapid succession, while our Govern
ment did little. but bark about the
Monroe Doctrine whenever any out
siders tried to start anything. How
ever, in 1885, the Senate voted to
construct canal by way of Nicara-
qua. The expedition sent out as a
result of this vote, reported that the
canal could be opened FOR twenty
million dollars.
Our first real knowledge of the
Darien route came with the discov-
cry of gold in California, and the
subsequent rush of the "forty-nin-
ers." We now come to the first def
mite step taken by our Government.
In 1857 President Buchanan sent
Craven of the Navy and Michler of
the Army to make surveys, but these
proceedings were interrupted by the
anti-slavery disturbances, and were
not taken up again until after the
Civil war, when Rear Admiral Davis
urged the construction of canal by
this Government. But our entangle-
ment with England. together with
Nicaragua and Columbia playing
against each other, was the cause of
our Government favoring the Mic
aragua route.
The Bogota Government then
gave a concession to French Lieu
tenant, by the name of Wyse. and
he was either too optimistic an en-
gineer, or the prince of swindlers,
for by Understanding the Difficult
ties and by beautiful, though inacur-
ate drawings, he succeeded in form
ing the Company, that sold out to
the gang of financiers who bad ell
trapped De Lesseps, who had just
completed the Sueze canal, and still
flushed with his recent success. he
fell an easy grey to the gang of
spectators who saw a rich harvest
by coupling his name with the sha-
dy concession of Wyse.
There was a conference called by
the promoters, supposedly of pro.
fessors and engineers to decide the
route, but there is no doubt but that
this congress was padded like an old
time ward canvus, for, before any,
one knew what was going on, the
Inter-oceanic Canal Company, was
formed, the Wyse concession bought
for ten million francs. and the Pan
anna route chosen as the only prac-
tical route, and with an abundance
of champagne, forid speeches, and
many banquets, the new company
was launched.
| 1t is doubtful if ever larger
gang of swindlers was organized. for
by waving the Monroe Doctrine, or
manufactured reports, the specula-
tors worked the Bourse from both
ends; but let us draw a veil over
the company in Paris, and follow
De Lesseps to the seat of operation.
On December 3Oth, 1879, he arrived
at Colon, and was received with
banquets and speeches. and the par
ty then crossed the Isthmus to Pan
anna. On New Years day the project
was formally opened.
The trials and tribulation of their
early adventures were severe from