Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1920-07-20
The Country Home
BY MRS. w. III. FELTON,
KAYE YOU FORGOTTEN THE
PANAMA CANAL?


l have been examining some pic
| lures of this big ditch-and also the
expenses incurred in digging it.
| think it ranks among the few great
est wonders of this world. Our
| young readers should be interested
| in reading about it. 1t cuts two OF
| the greatest bodies of land in half
Perhaps these countries of North and
South America were gigantic islands
and the force of the waves drove
soil and stones until the two were
formed together. Or it may be that
range of mountains elsewhere con-
nected North and South America
fathoms under the ocean waves.
But the canal was cut through rock
,, formations good part of the way
and crossed some rivers and filled
the swampy places, until it was COM
pleted in the year 1910.
1t should be named the Roosevelt
canal, for the deceased president was
the master spirit of the enterprise.
When the canal was opened it mad
cost the American people little over
$375, 100000. We paid $4,000, 900 for
canal rights. We paid SIC, 100000 to
own and control Canal Zone rights.
In 1902 there was spent $10,000,000.
The French government undertook the
canal and failed. There were actual
ago) more than $4,000 people. I
could set down the number of steam
shoEels, ETC., it space allowed.
They dug through from the Carib-
bean sea on the Atlantic ocean to
Panama bay on the Pacific. They
had to go out several miles to per-
feet d safe entrance into the canal.
The bottom of the canal is forty-five
feet below the average level.
, There are giant locks built on the
canal proper, near both entrances.
The canal proper is over thirty-two
miles. There are nearly five miles
at one end and seven at the other
reaching out into the great oceans
The great ships of the world can
pass through. These leviathan YES
sells are raised eighty-five feet above
the mean level in one of those great
locks.
When you are financially able, go
and see it. If l were twenty years
younger I'd be glad to go with you.
Careless Handling Of Deadly
weapons
You are well aware of the fatali-
newspapers. Yesterday morning
there was the story of the death of
sleeping wife, who was killed by
such careless handling of a gun. The
poor dear girl was shot to death in
her innocent composure-5never hav-
that death was present.
Last evenings paper also told of
young mother being shot to death
by a four-year-old child. that was
allowed to handle a loaded shotgun
What tragedy! 1 would be afraid
of any age, to fool and tumble with
loaded weapons. Wouldn't you?
Many years ago I was on my way
to church (and we lived in the coun-
try with a visiting relative. We
were nearly opposite neighbor's
house, when people began to rush
out and scream. l drove UP to the
doorf1 and was told that boy of six
or seven had gotten hold of a load
ed pistol, and had shot a three-year-
old brother to death.
The little innocent's face was pow
der burnt black, the pistol was SO
at church and that tragedy came
that near to my own home.
Somebody had laid the pistol on
the dresser top and the boy had
pulled it down and concluded to play
at war, with the hapless brother. He
meant no harm.
The evil starts away back. It is
the habit Of the majority of house
holders to keep guns and pistols.
Nine times out of ten little children
are given toy guns for playthings.
Vmas gifts usually include such
things as initiate deadly weapons
The child is brought up to be ia
mfliar with such playthings. On
July 4 there are cannon and fire
crackers. We Americans are daft
On noisy and dangerous explosives
things. Il am glad 1 am not one of
the many.) When people get mad
and want to fight, especially if they
are drinking-it is the first thought
for JOHNNY, get YOUR gum" How
awful it all is.
There are hundreds of such unnec-
essary fatalities all over our country
growing out of such familiarity with
deadly. weapons. And concealed
weapons are generally in evidence in
great crowds. How easy it is to get
in a mind to shoot on short notice!