The Leavenworth Weekly Times from Leavenworth, Kansas • Page 5

THE LEAVENWORTH WEEKLY TIMES THURSDAY, MARCH 3, 1910 CITY NEWS. every white employe, and bows to all workers of his own color. G. WALLACE DIES Spanish workmen. The Spanish are said to be excellent workers, but the Spanish! government will not permit any more of its subjects to come here.

There is no labor problem in Panama, and never has been since Uncle Sam took possession ia LATE WHEAT CROP SUFFERS FROM THE ronnn nfinnnnmr mm w. 1111 i i ki iti lii ED HOWE VISITS IGLESl'SGIG DITCH AT COLON I uum sr iiy MIUMPBISDI ly, thirty thousand of these are negroes, four thousand Spaniards, and live thousand Americans. To properly feed and house this army of men is another great problem, and along the forty-eight miles of the canal may be seen many populous towns, mostly built by the Americans. Indeed, in making the railroad trip across the isthmus, you are almost never out of sight of towns or villages, most of the houses being of the modern tropical construction, with verandas all around them. And in and about these houses, which are mostly of two apd three stories, you see swarms of women and children; fami lies of the employes.

The route of the canal and railroad is not only (Hfferent from what I. expected (winding, as it does, through mountains), but the houses along the line are of better construction than I expected. When you see Panama, you will say as I did: "It is better in every way than I expected." The laborers are better dressed than I expected to see them; it is no hardship to work at Panama probably no laborers in the world are as well cared for as the laborers at Panama. And during our stay of twelve hours, all of us were constantly saying: "How delightful the climate! How bracing the air!" The day was a delight, as to weather. True, this is the most pleasant season of.

the year, but the summers here are probably not so terrible as we have been From Thursday's Dally Times. Judge Porter and Judge Graves have Bent their nomination petitions throughout th state. They were received here to be circulate! for signers a few days ago. I Miss Gladys Booth has returned her home In Kansas City after week's visit with Miss Helen Fritsche In the city. Ben Banks of Kickapoo spent yesterday transacting business with local merchants.

W. 8. Pyle of Mclxmth attended to business in the city yesterday. Miss Maymie Gumett of Chicago will arrive in the city today to be the guest for an extended visit of Mr. and Mrs.

J. E. Reedy, Fifth and Osage streets. William Lcckrldge, representative for a clothing house of Kansas City, spent yesterday calling on local merchants. Joe McEvoy of Lansing attended to business in town yesterday.

The German Club of the High School will give a large social affair at the High School Friday in form of a real old fashioned kaffe klatch. The club Is endeavoring to make this an annual affair. John Gear of Stillings was transacting Miss Mary Bubb attended the performance at the "Willis-Wood Theater Tuesday night, as the guest of friends. Henry Weinright of Stillings transacted business with local merchants yesterday. G.

Malley, traveling representative for a St. Louis shoe house, attended to the Interests of that firm In the city yester day. Mr. Malley says that spring is surely on its way. "I am sure that the spring season will open within fifteen days and that the present conditions are indicative of a very heavy season, not alone for the wholesalers but more es pecially for the retailers." George Orr of High Prairie spent yes terday In the city attending to business, Mrs.

Morris Bernstein and little son and sister, Miss Sadie Lampert, will leave Sunday for an extended visit with rela tives In New London. Conn. Heese 01 Boung spent yes terday in the city before going to Kan sas City where he attended the cat show. Mr. and Mrs.

Joseph Moses of Boling spent yesterday visiting friends in the city. E. Winters will be able to leave Cushlng Hospital this week after having1 been ill there for the past week. Preparatory to the exceptionally heavy expenses which the Junior Class of the High School is burdened witht it has already commenced preparations whereby it will be able to raise a fund by giving a food sale Saturday. The Juniors always give an annual play with which to ward off expenses for the annual Junior prom for the Seniors.

The following were among those who attended the hop at the post Saturday night: Misses Elizabeth Abernathy. Virginia Tarr. Mary Bubb, Eleanor Hurley, Helen Fritsche, Gladys Booth of Kansas City, Jean Elliott of the Soldiers' Home, Lucille Sexton and Viola Stiles. Malcolm Purvis of the Soldiers' Home, who was arrested Tuesday and whose case was continued by Judge Hoffman yesterday morning until March 1, was ar rested again yesterday afternoon. Purvis was arrested first for getting drunk and destroying property and the second time for being a plain drunk.

Purvis was found yesterday at Fourth and Marion streets in a condition that prevented loco motion and he was hauled to town in the patrol wagon. Fourteen pigs were frozen to death at the Federal Prison Farm Tuesday night. The porkers on the farm are given the best quarters that Uncle Sam can afford, but the cold was too severe for their tender bodies. Roy Murray of High Prairie was in Leavenworth yesterday. Arden Purvis of St.

Joseph was In the city yesterday visiting "Dick" Madison. The county commissioners let the con tract for putting a maplewood floor In the district court room to John Wright yes terday. Wright's bid was $144. Mrs. Charles Hensel, who underwent an TO CARE FOR ill After Applying for Support in Court Mrs.

Morrison Is Flooded With Offers But Gives Hand In Marriage. Kansas City, Feb. 23. Mrs. Mayme Morrison, a widow 59 years old, who applied to the juvenile court here to find her a home yesterday, is not going to be an object of charity after all.

Dan Cupid has stepped in and is to provide her a home. After tomorrow the old woman, who found herself destitute this week right in the midst of the coldest weather of the winter, will be known as Mrs. George linn. The man who is to be her husband is 50 years old and able to provide comfortable home. Linn read the story of Mrs.

son's plight in a newspaper her a Morri- today, Then he got busy. He hurried down to the detention home determined that if the widow suited him he would of fer himself along with a home for her. But Linn had a struggle to get an au dience. One hundred and fifty people were there ready to care for Mrs. Morrison.

Some came in motor cars. Linn arrived on a street car. Finally Mrs. Morrison sifted the applicants down to four. There were three people besides Linn.

"I've a different offer to make," volunteered Linn. Then he whispered to the widow. I They took a walk. Returning in a short time Mrs. Morrison dismissed the three waiting applicants.

Linn had won. King Ferdinand Visits Crar. St. Petersburg. Feb.

"3. King Ferdi nand of Bulgaria arrived today at Tsars-koe-Stlo. where tonight they were the guests at a private dinner given by Emperor Nicholas. King Ferdinand's visit has no special political purpose, and It ia not connected with the Balkan crisis. CUPID wins MOW All varieties of preacher men are found along the canal.

If workmen require a certain variety of preacher men. they are supplied; likewise, if they desire a certain variety of beans, they are supplied. Many varieties of men are employed, and they represent most every different religion, and eat many different kinds of food. The social problem in the canal zone which is ten miles wide, and extends from Colon to Panama, distance of forty miles is serious, also amusing. The social standing of the white families is regulated by the pay of the head of the house.

The wife of a man receiving 00 a month stands higher socially than the wife of a man receiving only $150. and the women insist on these rights. Every Sunday, and every holiday. Colonel Goethals hears complaints from whoever cares to apply to him. One Sunday a woman appeared before him to complain because a woman 5 a month below her in the social scale had more electric light bulbs In her house.

Colonel Goethals cannot do much toward remedying the complaints made to him, since they are usually trifling, but people are always better satisfied after they have "made a fuss." Colonel Goethals said several times while I "was with him: "There are three kinds of lies." Finally, I asked him to complete the joke, as I hadn't heard it, and ne enumerated the diffeffrent Kinds of lies: -Uie8, damn lies, and statistics." No man over 45 years old is brought to Panama to work on the canal, and every man must stand a rigorous physical examination, and as soon as a worker is taken ill, no is sent home. So that the statistical tables showing that Panama is healthier than Kansas, or New York, or Iowa, or Illinois, are probably misleading. "Panama is not a white man's country," I frequently heard American residents say. Exercise, it is said, is the secret of health in the tropics. The death rate from accidents on the canal is greater than from any other cause.

(According to statistics, but note what Colonel Goethals said about statistics.) During my day's visit to the canal, I heard an official say: "The toughest proposition we have to deal with is one American citizen standing up for his rights." Someone in the party remarked: "A man on the ship says he will never live to see the completion of the Panama Canal." "He'll die young." Colonel Goethals said. "The canal will be completed without a doubt, by January 1, 1913. and I'll bet that it will be completed before that date." Colon now has a population of before the Americans took hold of the canal it had about 1,200. The town of Panama has 20.000 arid the Panama Republic 200,000. I heard Colonel Goethals says the Panama Republic has a standing army of twelve men, but a book I picked up somewhere says the republic has 1.200 soldiers, who act as policemen.

Uncle Sam keeps only a small force on the Isthmus; mainly marines (a variety of soldiers connected with warships.) As I have stated elsewhere, the skilled workers employed on the canal are main ly Americans, with a scattering of Eng lishmen. A magazine article 1 read late ly says these workers receive from 40 to 80 per cent more than similar workers receive in Anierrca. Common laborers re ceive from 10 cents an hour up. and as- nearly all these laborers are. negroes from the West Indies, the pay is much greater than they have been accustomed to.

The commissary, which is operated by the government, including wholesale dry goods and grocery stores, twenty retail stores, twenty-six hotels, an Ice plant, several bakeries, many kitchens lor workers, a mall order department. a newspaper, printing plant, etc. Work on the Phnama Canal began thirty years ago, according to a special article in the New York Independent. It seems to me that it was longer ago than that, but I have no means at hand of verifying or disproving the date. Nor can I recall from memory when the first talk of a canal across the Isthmus at Panama was heard but it was certainly hundreds of years ago.

Get a map. and hunt up the isthmus connecting North and South America. This will give you the best possible idea of why the canal Is being built. Colonel Goethals says that to connect the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans by means of a canal across the Isthmus of Panama, will double the efficiency of the American navy. There has been a railroad across the Isthmus since and long before that time passengers walked across the Isthmus, or were carried in stages.

During the gold rush in 1849. several Atchison men now living went to California by way of the Isthmus, going to Colon by ship, and thence to Panama by stage, to a California ship waiting on the Pacific. It is possible to stand on a high place near Culebra cut. and see both oceans. Freight was hauled across the Isthmus In early days by bull teams, a good macadam road having been constructed long before the railroad.

The Panama Railroad made a profit of a million and a half dollars last year, which indicates that there is still a greal amount of business across the Isthmus. The Suez Canal pays enormously; there is every reason to believe that the Panama Canal will also pay, when it is finally completed. I have no desire to be profane, but the canal wrkers here say there are two seasons in Panama; the wet season, and the wet season. Colonel Goethals has a French servant, who; he says, owns his house. This old servant has worked in the official residence for six Frenchmen, and for three Americans; "and he hopes there will be others," Colonel Goethals says.

Colonel Goethals thinks the American are more cordially detested than any other race. You are so proud: you might think this over awhile. He looks for a war with Japan about 1915. The Japanese probably love us less than any other race. 80 far as I am personally concerned.

I hope we will never te compelled to go to the trouble of whipping the Japanese. We can do it. but it would be an awful lot of trouble. It has been said that we are building the Panama canal In order that we may get at the Japanese quickly. If this is true, and the Japanese regard i a fight with us an inevitable, thy will i certainly jump us before we complete th canaL E.

W. 11. UWS TOJE SETTLED United States Supreme Court to Consider Oklahoma Prohibitory Cases On Petition of Gov. Haskell. Washington, Feb.

23. On next Monday the Supreme Court of the United States will decide rrobably whether It will con-elder the question of lending a hand to the State of Oklahoma in Its enforcement of its prohibition laws. One of the laws In the state authorizes the' issuance of writs for searching places where liquor is suspected of being kept in violation of the law and of seizing liquor. i found. Numerous actions have been brought In the circuit courts of the United State to rejoin prosecution under this law.

In the name of the state Governor Haskell has asked the supreme court to prohibit the Judges In the circuit courts from their decrees in these cases. GONFLICTING 1011 1901. The united States controls a five mile strip on either side of the canal, but the terms of a sort of lease which does not seem very s-atisfaetory to the leading canal specialists. Neither do we satisfactorily control either entrance to the canal at Panama, on the Pacific, or the entrance to the canal at Colon, on the Atlantic. How much will the Panama Canal finally cost? Colonel Goethals is probably the best living authority.

He told me it would cost complete 375 million dollars. Of this amount, he says we have already expended ISO million dollars. But this does not take into account the money spent by the French which Colonel Goethals stated as between two and three hundred million dollars. You will recall that we paid the French 40 million dollars for the canaL and Colonel Goethals says we got a great bargain. When will the canal be completed? Col.

Goethals says in 1915, without any doubt. He is sure the canal can be completed by that time, but certainly by 1915. We are spending a million and a half dollars a month at Panama, in wages, and this must be kept up for certainly five years. And this million and a half a month does not represent all we are spending on the Panama Canal, by any means. The French who failed to complete the canal, paid no attention to its workmen.

Uncle Sam makes a specialty of taking good care of his workers on the Isthmus, and, it is often said, has made Panama. as healthy as New York, althougn tnere were a few cases of yellow fever the day I was there, the first in three years. The streets of Panama and Colon are paved with vitrified brick from America, and sanitary conditions generally are carefully looked after. Wherever you go along the canal you find workmen cutting grass and oiling the pools of water, to drive out the mosquitoes and flies, which spread disease. During my day on the Isthmus, I particularly remarked the absence of fifes and mosquitoes.

In the days when the French were trying to dig a canal at Panama, thousands of laborers died of disease, as they did at Suez. Between Colon and Panama, there is a railroad station known as Matachun. The word means "Kill a Chinaman." It is said that during the French days forty Chinese laborers joined hands, and walked into the Chagres River, where they were drowned; they committed suicide rather than face yellow fever. Speaking of the Chagres River reminds me that it is one of the great problems in connection with the canal. An in-sinificant river at most times, it is subject to great floods.

Colon had 160 inches of rain last year, as compared with 33 at Atchison, and the reader can easily understand that the floods of the Chagres River are a problem in building the canal. The route of the canal crosses the Chagres River seventeen times between Colon and Panama, and when the canal is completed, the valley of the Chagres will become a vast lake: and a very important one, since it will be a part of the Panama Canal. The Chagres River was the enemy of the French, but Uncle Sam is trying to make it his friend. At Gatun, when the canal is complete, there will be a great dam, which will hold the Chagres River; in time of great rains the flood water will pour off over a spillway. The water from the Chagres River will form a lake extending twenty-seven miles, from one great lock to another, and this lake, eighty feet deep, will not only form par of the canal, but form an inland harbor for ships, after they pass through the Gatun A fresh water harbor for ships is important and valuable, since fresh water destroys barnacies that form on sea-going vessels.

The water from Chagres Lake will fill Culebra cut. Beyond Culebra cut another lock smaller than the great one at Gatun will let ships down to the level of the Pacific. There is a difference in the tides of the Pacific at Panama and of the Atlantic at Colon, so locks become a necessity. The French at first talked of a sea level canal but changed to a lock plan before they finally gave up the entire project in disgust. I am not certain that I exactly state the figures at Panama, but the above will serve to give you the idea.

Anyway, there is a huge lock on the Atlantic side within six miles of Colon, where all records in mixing concrete have been broken. And it may be stateo that all other records in big construction work have been broken at Panama; the canal Is the greatest work ever undertaken by man. I remember seeing, in passing into the Mediterranean at Port Said a huge statue of Ferdinand De Les-sep, who built the Suez Canal. It Is not at all improbable that a similar statue of Col. George W.

Goethals will be seen at Colon by future travelers. Four big men failed where he seems to be suc ceeding. In the United States the fear is otten expressed that an earthquake may wreck the locks of the Panama Canal, colonel Goethals says accurate records have been kept, and that for a period covering a number of years, there have been more disturbances of an earthquake character at Washington, D. than at Colon; that there Is no more danger of the Gatun locks being destroyed by earthquake than there is danger of the capital at Washington being destroyed by earthquake. In short, there is no dancer at all of earthquakes affecting the Panama Canal.

"The only earthquakes we have to fear," said Colonel Goethals, "are the earthquakes in the American newspapers." An amusing thing happened vhile we were seated in the observation end of Superintendent Smith's private car. Some one said: i "It is possible to place fifteen sheep In four pens, an odd number to be in each pen. And we all forgot about the wonders of the canal, and discussed the foolish sheep question, Colonel Goethals taking part. 1 A million pounds of tfynamite a month are used on the Canal. Eight hundred machines are used in drilling the holes.

They are the ordinary churn drills, used in well boring: diamond drills are not much liked. The ideal lift for one of the big steam shovels is twnty feet, so holes twenty feet deep are drilled, filled with dvnamite. and fired. One of the big shovels lifts five cubic yards of dirt at everv load, and, when everything ia working smoothly, one shovel will load an ordinary flat car in a minute. I heard i the statement made, though not by Col.

Goethals. tnat, counting everyimng. costs $1.25 per cubic yard to handle the dirt in discing the Panama Canal. It cost the French $4 per cubic yard for handling dirt. The big steam shovels handle the rock as easily as they handle earth.

While we were at the bottom of Culebra cut. a place was pointed out where, fifty men were killed by a premature explosion of dynamite. Twelve railroad trains are required to transport to and from their work the men who are employed on the Panama Canal. The eight hour law Is enforced as far as possible, although some of the men work only fix hours, while some of them claim they work nine and ten hours. The men receive better pay here than similar workers receive in the United States.

Men with families pay no house rent, and are able to buy supplies from the government at cost. Asa result, canal workers live for considerably less than they could live for in New Tork. White men occupy all the responsible positions, and are known as "gold employes," while negroes are known as "silver employes." Kverv "gold employe" Is given an annual vacation of forty days 'on pay. There are unions In Panama, but the big canal is really an open ahop. There Is some friction, but not as much as on smaller mk.

colonel GQfrriii GDRDUS WINTER Farmers Fear Late Crop Is Half Killed by Late Cold Spells Although Early Wheat Is Injured Little. THE WHEAT ROOTS ARE EXPOSED Intermittent Cold and Thaws Proved Disastrous to Crop Planted Late in Fall Early Crop Had Attained Sufficient Growth to Stand It From Thursday's Daily Times. That the late wheat in Leavenworth. County is nearly all killed by the last cold spell is the general opinion of the farmers. "The late wheat looks very bad." said Ben Banks of Kickapoo last night, "hut it is hard to tell to what extent it is damaged.

We have had noweatfi-er 80 far to start it growing so we can not tell, but if we have a couple days of warm weather we will be able to tell the extent of the damage. 1 think that it is badly injured." Some farmers claim that the early1 wheat, although it is hurt, is iu fair condition, and they are expecting a good crop from it. The late wheat haa been heaved up by the continued thaw ing and freezing spells to such an extent that it is nearly all killed. "I have not examined the wheat very closely," said Ben Banks of Rural Route 6 yesterday, "but my men, who have gone over the field, reported to me the other day that the late wheat Is in bad condition. We have had so much wet weather, and then the freezing has put the wheat on the bum.

TIiIh has been one of the worst winters that the farmers have witnessed for many years and so far they have been unable to do hardly anything. The early wheat looks pretty good in my neighborhood, but as yet I cannot say how bad that Is Injured either. Some of the late wheat was heaved up by the cold spell so that it is about an inch out of the ground." Ed Alexander of Rural Route No. 1, who was on the market yesterday sayi that he does not think the wheat is as bad as most of the farmers say. "I have not examined the wheat very much," Mr.

Alexander said, "but I don't see how thty can say that it is nearly all killed as they really don't know. They have to wait until we get some warm weather before they will be able to be positive about It. The early wheat, I think, is hurt In the lowlands where th water has lain all winter and froze. They arc what we call wet spots in the land. The thawing and freezing In thse spotf is sure to kill all the wheat that Is sown In them." "I think that the late wheat la badly Injured," siild Felix Rogan last night, "but the tremendous growth that the wheat had last fall is going to hHp it a lot.

I never saw wheat take on nuch a growth as It did last fall. To tell the truth I really don't know what to say as the wheat roots are exposed, especially where It was sown in the heavy blnek soil. I went over the farm the other day where I have my wheat planted and I am positive that it Is going to he pretty well thinned out this year. The heavy growth the wheat lad will help us a lot as the wheat will be able to stand a groat deal more cold weather than if it had a puny growth. Wo will have to wait for two oi three moie before we farmers will be able to tell positively whether or not the wheat i killed.

I don't want to see it killed because if we farmers are scare of wheat this year the price will go up, and then what will poor people do for flour to make bread? Why, It will be an awful price. CASE: SPECIAL PANEL With Eleven Jurors ia Box, Judge Dill Adjourns Court Until Twejve Specials Can Be Summoned. From Thursday's Dally The regular panel of seventeen jurymen was exhausted before a jury was secured for the Oliveski case iu the district court yefeterday and a ppecial panel of twelve waa drawn from the jury wheel. Sheriff Brown served summonoes on the special jurors lat night ard they will be on hand when court convenes this morning. The specials are: Name.

K-idence. John Sonerfelt Delaware John Blum Delaware Charles Myers Delaware Charles Kendal Tonganoxie Charles Irvin Delaware Ernest Toiganoxie William Dahner Laiton Wess Miller Tonganoxie i Bride Delaware 'Maurice Duley Kd Wet herald Alexandria Fred Xeedham Tonganoxie Eleven jurors were in the lox when court adjourned yenterday, but it is improbable that all of them will remain, as the attorneys have not finished their challenges as yet. Children Cr FOR FLETCHER'S a cmPi Opiate Taken By Wallace in Form Cough Medicine Taken from Dispensary By Another Prisoner. of iN 'THREE DIFFERENT PRISONS. Before Coming to Military Penitentiary Wallace Served Time In Elmira, N.

and Sing Sing Body Shipped to Home In New York. From Thursday's Daily Times. It came to light yesterday morning when the body of Christopher Wallace, a prisoner, was prepared for shipment to New York, X. that he had died from morphine poisoning in the Military Penitentiary. It is said that Wallace was a drug fiend, but during his incarceration in the Military Penitentiary all opiates were kept away from him until Saturday night, when he surreptitiously obtained sonio cough medicine, containing morphine in small quantities, and took a large dose, lie died Sunday rooming.

The dose, which probably would not have been too large for him if he had been accustomed to taking morphine regularly, proved fatal to him when he had been deprived of it since his imprisonment. Twenty capsules of the cough medicine were taken from the prison dispensary by a janitor, a prisoner, when the guard's back was turned. Wallace, learning that one of the ingredients of the remedy was morphine, persuaded the other prisoner to give him twelve or fourteen capsules, lie took all of them at a dose. It is not known how' much morphine each capsule contained, but it was in such a- small amount that it would have. been harmless had each capsule been taken separately.

Wallace, before being sent here, had served one term in the Elmira Reformatory in New York ana also several years in Sing Sing Penitentiary. He waa sent to the Military Penitentiary for denertion from the Coast Artillery. Ilis home was in New York. Wallace's wife in New York was telegraphed of his death and she requested that his body be sent there for burial. Ilis body was shipped there yesterday morning.

That Wallace's edath was dui to poisoning was not known outside the walls of the Military Prison- until yesterday morning, when his body was prepared for transportation. B7 FROM HEREATTEHDED BIG LAYMEN'S BANQUET Kansas City Banquet a Record Breaker, Surpassing in Attendance the New York Banquet By Fifty. From Thursday's Daily Times. Sixty-seven delegates from Leaven worth attended the Laymen's banquet in Convention Hall at Kansas City last night. The delegation went to Kansas City in a special on the Kansas City Western Railway.

The seating capacity, of the car being fifty-four a sufficient number of chairs were Improvised to fur nish seats for the unlucky thirteen who otherwise would have been compelled to stand up. The party marched in a body from Tenth and Wyandotte, carrying two large banners on which was Inscribed the words "Leavenworth Laymen." When the Leavenworthlans reached Convention Hall one of the banners was placed at each end of the banquet room. The I.eavenworth representatives were the only ones that carried banners of their city and they were exceptionally conspic uous among the hundreds that swarmed around the banquet tables. The banquet was a remarkable one In a way. It was the largest Laymen's ban fluet that has ever been held in this country, even surpassing In attendance the great New York banquet by fifty.

The attendance at the Kansas City banquet was 1,850 while those who sat at the tables at the New Tork dinner numbered only 1.800. The Leavenworthlans feel tht credit Is due them for making the banquet last night a more elaborate affair than the banquet at New Tork since they furnished more than half a hundred delegates. Governor Herbert S. Hadley was one of the speakers. Among the other orators of the evening were ex-Mavor H.

M. Pcardsley of Kansas City: H. O. Stunt of New York and J. Campbell White of New York, who was the principal speaker.

Sherley Bill Passes House. Washington, Feb. Sherley bill for a uniform bankruptcy law was passed by the today. The Senate heard an extended argument by Senator Brown in favor of an Income tax Senator Beveridge explained the na ture of the bills he had Introduced In the present Congress relating to Alaskan coal deposits. He predicted that these deposits would.

In time, be needed by the entire country. He estimated the total coal tonnage- of Alaska at fifteen billion tons. Atchison Editor Inspects Government Canal Which Will Connect Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. WILL COMPLETE DITCH BY 1915. Colonel Goethals Tells Howe That Work May Be Finished Sooner, But Not Later Than 1915 Great Number of Laborers Employed.

From Wednesday's Daily Times. Tuesday, February 1. It is pleasant for a traveler from a country town to receive a telegram on a railroad train, from the hands of the conductor; it is also pleasant to have one's name called out in the lobby of the Waldrof hotel, in New York. But it is most pleasant of all to a traveler from a country town to be sought out by a strange gentleman on the deck of a steamer in a foreign port. I had this agreeable experience this morning, at Colon, in the Panama republic Mateel and I were standing on the deck of the "Moltke," ready to go ashore to accompany the railroad excursion along the route of the Panama canel.

Two strange gentlemen appeared on deck, the ship having docked. They met a steward, and inquired for me. The steward pointed me out, and one of the strange gentlemen introduced himself as the representative of the Hamberg-American steamship line in Colon. He then introduced the other gentleman: J. A.

Smith, superintendent of the Panama railroad. Mr. Smith said his private car was attached to the rear of the excursion train, and would be at my disposal during the day. I stammered my thanks, and began collecting my party, Mr. Smith departing after saying he could not accompany us, but would send F.

W. Fitch the trainmaster. The train was run across the isthmus to Panama, stopping at several points along the canal, including the Gatun (pronounced site of the big dam and locks, and at Culebra, the site of the big cut. At Gatun, Colonel Geo. W.

Goethals, chairman of the canal commission, joined us. At Panama, after luncheon, we left on a regular train for Culebra, where we were taken through the bottom of the cut a. distance of nine miles, on Colonel Goethal's motor car. Then we were brought back to Culebra station, where the excursion train stopped for us, at 4:40 in the afternoon. I think we were thus specially honored because we were accompanied by Miss Eleanor Havens, of Leavenworth, sister-in-law of Congressman Dan Anthony, a mem ber of the military committee 01 Congress.

And the Panama canal is being built by army engineers. But however it happened, we saw all it was possible to see of the canal in 12 hours. Colonel Goethals has been prominent among army engineers for 30 years, and looks to be between oO and 00 years old. His hair is perfectly white, as is his mustache. He is the most perfectly tanned man I have ever seen, from exposure to the tropical sun, as he walks over tho work a great deal, in addition to riding from place to place on the Panama railroad in an ooen motor car.

You probably know that Colonel Goethals is czar of the isthmus; he is not only at the head of the canal work, but president of the Panama Railroad and Steamship company, and it is said of him that he has more power in the republic of Panama than the president of the republic. Colonel Goethals impressed me not only as a very polite and intelligent man, but as a very tirea one. I remember his saying, as we eat in the observation end of Superintendent Smith's private car, that he had the most disagreeable job in the world. I have always thought I had that job; probably you think you have it. But after looking over the Panama canal for 12 hours I waive my ciaims in honor of Colonel Goethals.

I regret to say that Colonel Goethals does not seem to like newspapers. He says he never reads them, and intimated several times during the day that they are unfriendly and unfair to the canal enterprise. ''So you are to spend twelve hours here," he said to me several times, "and then write about it?" 'Yes," I replied on one occasion, "but isn't it possible to tell in a newspaper or what may be seen of the canal in twelve hours So let it be understood that I was at Panama only from 6 a. m. to 7 p.

and that I am only attempting to give an idea of how the canal looks to a hurried Xo writer has ever made me zee Panama with my mind's eye as I actually saw it with my two physical eyes. Somehow I imagined that "the Fanama railroad ran through a great deal of tropical swamp. On the contrary, it winds around through mountain valleys, and a railroad ride across the isthmus would be worth while (or the tcenery, even if the trip did not afford a view of the great canal at two or three points. Here is another thing I did not understand; the railroad, completed in 1853, follows the route which wis afterwards adopted for the canal, and it will be necessary to rebuild thirty-five miles of the forty-eight miles" of railroad across the isthmus. This work is being carried forward, in connection with the canal work, and the new roadtjbd is being used at several points.

The Panama canal is the biggest undertaking in the history of man. Thir-I understood Colonel Goethals correct led to believe. I visited the Philippines in December, and remained eight days, but the weather was much warmer there in winter than it is here. San Juan was much better than I expected to find it; so is Panama. All along the canal, there are twenty-six hotels, twenty-four messes for European laborers, and twenty-four kitchens for West Indian negro laborers.

The hotels include the big Tivoli, at Panama, which cost $1,000,000, and has two hundred or more rooms; we ate luncheon at this hotel, and the three hundred and fifty passengers from the ship were well served, the negro hotel waiters being assisted by a large number of German waiters from the ship, who accompanied the excursion train. The Washington hotel in Colon is also operated by the government, but is not so large as the Tivoli, where all the social affairs of the zone occur. Travelers may obtain meals at any of the government hotels along the line, but the rooms are reserved for white employes of the" canal. By the way, the color line is strictly observed by Uncle Sam; at railroad waiting rooms, I noticed these signs: 'For whites." "For blacks." The blacks also travel in cars patronized by blacks only. The building of the Suez Canal was regarded as a great undertaking; the building of a canal at Suez was talked about for many centuries before it was actual ly accomplished.

The ancients dug part of a canal to connect the Mediterranean with the Red Sea. but the undertaking was regarded with so much awe that it was actually accomplished only a few years ago. But the building of the Suez Canal was a small affair, compared with the building of the Panama canal, as the construction there was through a level desert of sand. Here great rivers are encountered, and a mountain must be crossed. In crossing this mountain, we get Culebra cut.

More dirt has already been taken out of Culebra cut at Panama than was taken out in completing the Suez canal. From the top of Culebra cut to the bottom of the completed canal will be a depth of six hundred and ten feet. This cut Is nine miles long. So far. at the summit, we have excavated five hundred and thirty feet, counting what the French did, and we have eighty feet yet to excavate.

It was into this cut we went in the motor car. On the way from Colon to Panama, we passed ten train loads of dirt in as many minutes; this dirt was being hauled along the main line of the railroad to various dumping places. While at the bottom of the cut we saw the dirt trains being loaded by the great steam shovels. Four shovelfuls of dirt fill an ordinary railroad car, and I timed an outfit, and found that it emptied three, shovels full of dirt into a car in a minute. The day I was at the bottom of Culebra.

five thousand men were working in the cut. Tnere is a network of tracks at the bottom of the cut, on four or five levels. Fifty of the enormous steam showels mentioned above, were at work in the cut the day I was there, there are one hundred and fifty of these shovels on the job at various places. Before the dirt is shoveled, it is blown up with dynamite, and at the bottom of the cut there are hundreds of drillers at work; men drilling holes for blasts. Ordinary well drills are used; compressed air, suDnlied through pipes from central power houses furnishes the power.

The network of railroad tracks extends from the upper to the lower end of Culebra cut. a distance of nine miles; we entered at the upper end, and went out at the lower, being delayed at many places by the dirt trains. I wonder how many locomotives are used by the Atchison, Topeka Santa Fe railway, extending from Chicago to a Francisco? The Panama canal has thirteen hundred locomotives. The Panama railway is the busiest railroad in the world; count was kept for twenty-four hours, and three hunred trains passed a certain point in the time named. In thinking of the Panama canal, it should be remembered that everywhere along the line may be seen great quantities of machinery -we acquired from the French.

Abandoned boats and dredges may also be seen in the rivers. This French machinery is now useless, and Is pointed out to travelers as "French Junk." At one place, I am certain I saw twenty or thirty abandoned French locomotives Much of thi is now being sent to america, as ship ballast, and sold as old ron. In the ride from Colon to Panama, the visitor is rarely out of sight of "French Junk." old Iron but believe we acquired two thousand house? from the French we are now using. Speaking of houses, thousands of houses along the line of the canal must be moved when the canal is used; If left in their present location, many of the towns would be flooded. Speaking of "French Junk." much of it long covered up, is being unearthed Fifty dump carta were found lately.

In excavating. One hundred and fivem of construction track are used in the canal work. This is standard guage railroad track, and it was track of this character that we passed over while in the Culebra cut. Every day, a mile track is shifted by the canal laborers, to accommodate the necessities of the work. Speaking of the problem of feeding the thirty-seven thousand employes of Uncle Sam at Panama, fourteen thousand loaves of bread are sent out every morning from the government bakery, and every five days a ship load of refrigerated beef arrives at Colon for the use of government employes only.

At the twenty-six government hotels along the line, an American can get a fairly good meal for thirty cents, wheeras Uncle Sam feeds a Spanish laborer at forty cents a day. and a negro laborer at thirty cents a day. A negro can't get a meal at Uncle Sam's hotel unless he works, and as soon as a negro quits work he must leave the tone. Formerly the locomotives here were marked "1. C.

(Isthmian Canal Commission), or TL (Panama Railroad.) but now they are marked U. At the U. S. hotels, the laborers are given the food thev are accustomed to at home. Although Uncle Sam Is taking a good deal of Interest In prohibition at home..