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Show rnnipluined of. und that the trouble was mainly due to the extreme dillu ally, and often impossibility, of providing in every place for the roimt.inl Incieme In the niiuilieis of employes, flenerully the provision is made In adtxiice. hut It la not (Miscible that Ihi should ulwuy he the n case, when it is not there ensues liertiHi uf lime during winch the rondi-lion- s me unsatisfactory, until a remedy can tie provided; bill I never found a cast- where i lie iy was nut buing provided .is speedily us Improvements in Cities. The sanitation work in the cities of Panama and I'ulon lias just ns TIE PRESIDENTS SPEC! MESSAGE - ; tm ON PANAMA n-- int le-c- n Gives Results of His Obser vations While on Tour of Inspection to Congress. THE WORK IS BEIN6 PUSHED Important as In the sone Itself, and In mu n y respects mm-l- i more diMlcult. because it was necessary to ileal with the nlrcady exirding population, which naturally hud eyinpiilhv with changes,a ih,- - value of revolutionary whli-l- i were for long tunc nut they aide to perceive. Ill ('Inn the poimla-tlo- n consists largely of colored laborers who. having mine no r from (lie West Indies to work on the canal. Mhuiidun the work and either take to the brush or lie Idle in I'ulon itself: thus peopling f'oloii with tho least desirable among the Iniporlid laborers, for the good slid steady men of course continue at the work. Yet astonishlias been made in hath ing progri-Mcities. In Panama 0 per cent of tho streets that are to bo paved at all are lirick already paved with an excellent a few pavement laid In heavy In . of the streets being still process of The sewer and water aervlces paving. in the city are of the most modern hygienic type, some of the service having Just been completed. In Colon the eonditions are peculiar and It Is aa regards Colon that moat of the very hitter complaint has been made. Colon Is built on a low coral Island, covered at more or less shallow with vegetablo accumulations depths or mold, whlrh affords sustenance and g of strength to many varieties of the tropleal plants. One-hasurface of the Island la covered with water at high tide, the average height of the land being 14 feet above low tide. The alight undulations furnish shallow, natural reaervulrs nr freshwater breeding places for every variety of mosquito, slid the ground tends to he lowest in the middle. ,When the town, was orlglnslly built no attempt was made to fill the low ground, either In the streets or on the building sites, so that the entire surface was practically a nnagmlre: when the ntlHg-mlr- e became certain of the streets were Impassable crudely Improved by Ailing especially bad mud Imlra with soft rock or other material. In September, 105. a systematic effort waa begun to formulate a general plan for the proper sanitation of the city; In February last temporary relief measures were taken, while In July the prosecution of the work was begun In good earnest. The results are already visible In the sewering, draining, guttering and paving of tha streets. Home four months will be required before the work of sewerage and street Improvement will be completed, hilt the progress already made is very marked. IJit rhea have been dug through the town, connecting the salt water on both sides, and Into these tlic ponds, which have served as breeding places for the inusqnltoes, are drained. These ditches have answered their purpose, for they are prolwbly the chief cause of the astonishing diminution of mosquitoes. More ditches of the kind are being constructed. Unjust Criticism. Care and forethought have been exercised by the commission, and nothing lias reflected more credit upon them than their refusal either to gu ahead too fust or to be deterred ly the fear of rrillrlNm from not going ahead fast enough. It is curious to note the fart that many uf the most severe critics of the criticise them for precisely opimsite reasons, some complaining bitterly that the condiwork la not In a more uilvsin-ei- l tion, while the others complain that It has hast that there been rushed with sni-lias been Insufficient prrtmrutlon for the hygiene and comfort of the employes. As a matter of fact neither criticism la Just. It would huve been Impossible to go quicker than the commission hua gone, fur such quickness would have meant Insufficient preia ration. On the other hand, to refuse to do anything until every possible future contingency had been met would have caused wholly unwarranted delay. The right course to folluw was exactly tha rouraa which haa been followed Every reasonable preparation was mad In advance, tha hygienic conditions In especial being made aa while on the nearly perfect aa posslbla; other hand there has been no timid rebecause work fusal to push forward tha of inability to anticipate every possible emergency, for, of course, many defects ran only be shown by tha working of tha practice. system In actual Inasmuch as so many both of tha white and colored employes hava brought tlielr families with them, schools hava been established, the school service being under Mr. (Jl'onnor. Fit the white pupils white American teachers are employed; for the colored puplla there are also some while American teacliera, one Spanish teacher, and one colored American teacher. moat of them being colored teachers from Jamaica. Barbados end St. Lucia. The schoolrooms were good, end It was a pleasant thing to see the pride that the teachers were taking In their work and their puplla Care of Employes. Next in Importance to the problem of sanitation, and Indeed now of equal Is the problem of securing and mechanics, laborers and caring for the who actually ilo the work employes njher canui on the and the railroad. This great task has been under the control of Mr. Jackson Smith, and on the whole has been well dune. At present there are some C.uilO white employes and some 1M.UU0 colored employes on the Isthmus I went over the different places where the different kinds of employes were working! I think I saw reiraentntlvra of every type both at their work and In their homes; and I conversed with probof them all ably a couple of hundred random front told, choosing them at who came those and class Including every especially to present certain grievances utmost Invariably expressed far greater content and satisfaction with the conditions than did those who called to make complaint. Nearly 6.im of the whit employes had collie from the United Plate. No man cun ace these young, vigorous men duty without energetically doingin their them aa Americana u thrill of pride They represent on the average a high clssa Doubtless to congress the wage paid them will seem high, but as a matter of fart the only general complaint which 1 round had any real Imsls uniting the complaints made to me upon the Isthmus ass that, owing to the peculiar the surroundings, the cost of living, slidwere distance from home, the wages . In should us as not they high really euiu-rcto- Perfection of Sanitary Conditions in Canal Zone Has Taken Much Time. He Found But Little Ground for Complaints and Rafutea Statements of low-lyin- lf Critic Calls Some Writers SlanApproves of Type and Route of Canal. derers and Liars" The following Is the text of President Roosevelt's special message to conareas on the subject of tha Panama canal: To the Senate and House of Representatives: In the month of November I visited the Isthmus of Panama, going over the Canal Zone with considerable rare; end also visited the cities of Panama and Colon, which are not In the sone or tinder tha United Elates flag, but as to which the United Htatea government, through Its agents, exercises control for certain sanitary purposes. I chose the month of Kuvemlier for iny visit partly because it Is the rainest month of tlia month in which the work goes Jear, the at the greatest disadvantage, one of the two months which the and medical department of tha French Canal company found moat unhealthy. Following tha Introduction to the massage tha president gives a resume of his .programme during the duya he waa on the isthmus, and than Buys: At the outset I wish to pay tribute to tha amount of work done by the French canal company under very ll circumstances. Many of tha buildings they put up were excellent and era atilt In use. though, naturally, the bouaea are now getting out of repair anil are being uaed aa dwellings only until other houses ran ba built, and much of the work they did in (ho Culebra cut, and aoma of tha work tlu-- illd in digging has been of direct and real bem-lll- . This country has never inmle a tie t ter dhvesiment than the tto.ftm.wo which It paid to tha French company for work and betterment. Including especially tha Panama railroad. An Inspection on tha ground at the height of the rainy arnaua served to convince me of tha wisdom uf mngrexs in or refusing to adopt either a high-leva canal. There seema to he a universal agreement aiming all people competent to Judge that tha Panama route, tha one actually chosen, is much superior to both the Nicaragua aiul Darien routes. Preliminary Work Being Done. The wisdom of tha canal management has been shown In nothing more clearly than In tha way In which tha foundations of the work have been lahl To have yielded to tha natural Impatience outaldera and begun all uf kinds of experiments in work prior to a thorough sanitation of the Isthmus, and to a fairly satisfactory working out of the problem of getting and keeping a sufficient lubor supply, would have been The various disastrous. measures had to be taken preliminary flrxt; and these rouhl not be taken eo aa to allow us to begin tha real work of construction prior to January 1 of tha present It then became necessary to liave ?ear.type of the canal decided, and tha only delay haa been the necessary delay until the 8th day of June, the date when tha congress definitely and wisely settled that we should have an level canal. Immediately after that the work began In hard earnest and has been continued with Increasing vigor over since; and It will continue so to In the future. When the conprogress tracts are let the conditions will be such os to Insure a constantly Increasing amount of performance. Successful Sanitation. The flrat great problem to bo solved, upon the solution or which tha success of the rest of the work deivnded, was the problem of sanitation. This waa from tha outset under tha direction of Dr. W. O. Uorgaa, who la to ba made a full member or the commission. It must be remembered that hla work waa not mere sanitation as the term la understood In our ordinary municipal work. Throughout tha so ne and In the two cities uf Panama and Colon, In addition to the sanitation work proper, he haa had to do all the work that the Marine hniitul service docs aa regards the nation, that tha health department officers do in the various states and clltra. and that Col. Waring did in New York when lie cleaned its street. The result have dllll-hu- y el sea-lev- el I ot been astounding. The iHthtnua had been a byword for deadly unhealthfuliie. Now, after two year of our occupation the conditions a regard alrknca and the death rate comiwre favorably with localities In the reasonably lieulthy United State. Kspecial care ha been deveted to iiilnliiiixlng the risk due to the of mosquitoes presence of those which huve been found to proiWKUte malarial and yellow fever. In all the town settlements, the little or rill.- - composed of thetenqiorary white and blurk employe, which grow up here ami there In the tropic jungle a the need of the work dictate, the lit moat care j exercised to keep the conditions heulihy. seen (lie drainage Everywhere art tu ditches whh li in the water have removed the breeding places of the mosqiiltues. while the whole Jungle la rut away for n considerable space around the habitation.,, thus destroying the 111 which the inosqiiiini-- s take aliel-;Klaces These drainage ditches and clearings are In evulem e m every scitlcineiit, mid. the invariable presence of together with luosiiuito si rccus around the mid of inuui.ito doors to the houses, not to speuk of the iui,fil fumigation that Imh gone on In all infected houses, doubtless ahseiue of explu'n the extraordinary uiDHiiuitiH-s- . As a mailer of fact, hut a single moHimto. a ml this not of the dangerous Specie, wax seen by any nienilier of our party during my three Equal care is duys on the isthmus. taken by the iiim cli-- i of the healllt to set lire eleaulmess in the house and pron-- hygienic conditions or and every kind. I inn ted 30 those most by the White employes anil those used by the colored lahorei. In almost eicry ease I ierfeet. In but unlfound the ciiiidlliuu earn- did I find them really laid. In this a settlement of iiimi.tr-riccane, I tin-ifound white employes, very bad indeed, hut the buildings were ail Inherited from the French company and were list temporarily while other buildings were in the course of construction: and right near the defective miter closet a new und excellent closet with a of congood sewer pipe was in pro-cs-s struction and nenrly linished. Xcvcrlhe- excuse not did the fact till the that iess condition liiul tieen allowed to prevail. Temporary at comnioilations, even a soldier urn when ciiiiiihhI if only in the Held, should have been provided. Order to thin effect were Issued, append the I report of IT, (iorga on the Inwa struck, however, by the cident. fact that In this Instance, a in almost every other where a complaint wa made whlrh proved to have any Justittratinn that step had al.whatever, it ready been taken to remedy the evil a e r. r water-closet- s. afft-iliii- g ii n 1 1 Ih-- I spoke to roll fact, almost every niun more that be ought to Im receiving avermoney-- a view, however, which the in home the at age mail who slays likewise holds I'nited Stales probably 1 iipM-iias regards himself. llgurcx of t ail Hie wages paid, so that Hie Judge the matter for itsell'. I. liter I shall with certain on confer the subject . 'Illative labor men here ill the lnlte-Slides, us well HS going over Willi Mr. on Sievel.s. Ilie colllpaiallle w.iges paid Ha- - none and at home; and I iu.i Iiot canal to the roniiiinmrutr my ilinlings commit levs of the two houses s Chinese and Other Labor. lif the l,..(ii0 or iit.Oi'u day hiliorcrs oil the canal a few hundred emploi o excellent These are Spaniards. Their foreman told me that work t Ik v dot twice as well as the West Indian laborers. They keep healthy and no diltieiilly is experienced with them in any way. Sonic illItalian la holconnection ers are also employed As niiglil he cx-with tli-- - drilling as with labor a high priced at priseiit in the 1nilcd Slat--- , it has not so fur proved pracliealde to get my ordinary laborers from the I'nited Til American Stales on the isthmus are tin- highly paid skilled mechanic of the types inrii-- i A steady effort is Honed previously. ItnlriiiN. and esbeing inode to secure more to Spaniards. pecially of I procure lie Very satisfactory ri. troin tlo-i- r emsuits lliat hare ami tlielr numbers will ployment us far ns possible. It has not proved possible, however, to get them in iinytliing like the numbers needl'd for the work, and from present we shall In the main huve appeurancis tu rely, for the ordinary unskilled work, partly u poll colored laborer from the West Indies, partly upon Chinese labor. It certainly ought tu l unnecessary tu puihl out that the 1 1 wage-work- Americ'iu workingman in the United Stall's lias j I'oucern whatever In the as to whither the rough work quest oil the iHlInniis. which is performed tiy aliens in any eient, is dune by aliens from one country with a black skin or by aliens troin another country with a yellow skin. Our business la lo dig the cminl as efficiently and as always provided qulikly as possible; that nothing is done that is Inhumane to any laborers, and iiolliing (bat Interferes wiih the wages of or lowers the standardI of living of nur own workiiii'ii. hiving In view this principle. I have arranged tu try several Ihiiusruid Chinese laborers. This Is desirable both liciause we must try to Hiul out wliui l.ihorers are most and furthermore, because we sluMilil nut have ourselves at ths mercy of any one type of foreign At presi nt the great bulk of labor. the unskilled labor on the ifcthmus Is done by West India negroes, chiefly from Jamaica. Barbados, und the other Kuglish pm session. One of the fat. rnors of I lie lands In question liss -- n own an uufriedly disposition to nur work mid has thrown obstacles In the our getting the labor needed; way of iw and it liiirlilv unde-orhlt tn give any outsiders the impression, however ill founded, that they arc indispensable anil dictate terms to us. The West India lahorera are fairly., but only fairly, satisfactory. Korns of the men do very well Indetd; the better class, who are to he found as foremen. as skilled mechanics, as policemen. are good men; and many of the ordinary ill V lahorera are also good. But thousands of those who are brought over under contract (at our go off Into the jungle to live, expense) or loaf around Colon, or work ao badm Heat three ne tone dSVS h II, flee ly ns lo rause a serious diminution of ths amount of labor performed on Friday and Saturday of each week, I questioned many uf these Jamaica laborers as to the conditions of their work and wlmt. if any chunges, they I received many complaints wished. from them, lull as regards most of these complaints they themselves contradicted one another. In all eases where the rnmplaint waa aa to their treatment by any Individual it proved on examination that this Individual was himself a West India man of color, either a policeman, a storekeeper, or an assistant storekeeper. Doubtless there must lie ninny complaints against I spoke to whom Americana: but those did not happen to make any such complaint to me. Work of Construction. The work Is now going nn with a vigor and efficiency pleasant to witness. The three lilg problems of tilt canal are the 1st Itia-- dams, the Uatun dam, and the Culehra cut. The Culebra cut must he made, anyhow; but of course changes as lo the dams, or at least as to the locks adjacent to the dams, may still occur. The U Boca dams offer no particular problem. the bottom material being so guod that there la a practical certainty, not merely as to what ran be aa to the time of achieveachieved, but ment. Tli- - (Jat u ii dam offers the must serious prublein which we have to solve; and yet the ablest tnen on the isthmus believe that this problem Is certain of solution alung the lines proposed; all hough, of course. It necessitates great toll, energy, and intelligence, anil although equally, of course, there will lie some little risk In connection wiih the wurk. The risk arises from the fuel (list some of the materiel near the laittom Is not so good IIS rniild be desired. If the huge earth dam nuw contemplated la thrown across from one foothill to the other we will huve what Is practically a behind low. broad, mountain ridge which will rise the Inland lake. This artificial mountain will probably show leas seepage, that is. will have greater restraining rapacity than the average natural mountain range. The exact lo- lia-kat thla dam aa at cality of t Ik-iliwna is now being dethe other termined. In April next KecretHry Taft, with three of the ablest engineers of the country Messrs. Noble, Stearns and Ripley will visit the will isthmus, and the three engineersexammake the Anal and conclusive inations aa to the exact site for each lock. Meanwhile the work la going ahead without a break. The ('ulelira cut does not offer such riaka; that la, the damage liable tq great occur from land llie wHl not represent what may be called major disasters. The work will merely call for Inand executive telligence, perseverance, capacity. It Is, however, the work upon which most labor will have tn he spent. The dame will be composed of ths earth taken out of the rut and very possibly the building of the locks and dams will taka even longer than the cutting in effi-le- nt a Culebra Itself. In Culebra Cut. The main work le now being done In the Culebra cut. It waa striking and Impressive to see the huge strain snovels In full play, the dumping trains carrying away the rock and earth they dislodged. Tha Implements of French excavating machinery, which often stand a little way from the line of work, though of excellent construction, look Ilka the veriest toys when compared with these new steam shovels. Just as the French dumping cars seem like toy cars when compared with the long trains of huge cars, dumped by steam plows, which are now In use. Tills represents the enormous advance that has been made In machinquarter of a cenery during the a quarter of a century tury. No doubt hence this new machinery, of which we are now so proud, will similarly seem out of date, hut It la certainly serving It - well now. The obi French car fiurpuMVe still be entirely discarded. hava III use s few of the more modern, but not nmsl modern, earn, which hold hut 12 yards of earth. They ran bo emlines with sharp ployed on certain l cara hold fnsu curves. But Hu- S to 3l yardsniethods and Instead of tils of unloading them, old clumsy a steam plow drawn from end to end of the whole vestihuled train, tliua Immensely economising lalmr. In the rainy can do. but reason the strain shovel little in dirt, but- tliry work stolidity in riH-ami in llu- harder ground. There were some I-- at work during Hie time I waa nn Hie IsHnuns, and tlielr tremendous were most Imprespower amt sive. New Records for Excavation, Hie type of canal waa deA Him III h in said earnest. cided this work The rainy season will shortly be over and then there will l an linniense inrrraiie In the Hiiimnil taken out; hut een during the lust three iinuith. tn the rainy season. steady progress I shown by the In August. :c..'Xi cubic yards; figure: In September. 2'l.ixi cubic yards, and in i cubic yards In October October. new records were established for the Individual shovel as well an imlpul for lln- toiiliiiae haul of individual locoI motives. hope to see the growth of a ( emulation between the healthy spirit crews, liffeieiil shovel anil a spirit us has grown on our just sueh buttle sup U'lvifrii the different gun of murksniiinsliip. crews in inuticr I'assing through Hie - ut the amount uf seen Ht u gimme. In new work can one plnce the entire side of a lull had lieeii token nui rec. iiily liy cT of h;. '! were exploded at one ilyiiiimii i binsl. At another pi nI; ran s :l ih.iig-'hi presiileliluil I in the oi' ihi . ' top imli-lcill the pr sin is row us w o.- .is t will ' inis pouq Hi-- ' : all "ii..! sum :lm it ;. ,,lieluw has now ll will have in what it iirgwiuhy uus i feel further. Throughsunk out the cut Hie dnllhig. h!ni:ng. shovelme going mi with ing iiu-- l ihe huge Hilly increasing shovels pressed up us if they wero ituo the most hnwitiei. looking plaee. where they eat their way Into the hillsides. m-en- 1 n ;:;.'-.i- ilrn.i-mil- i e. 'nli-hr.- - I Ih-- - M-- : Critics and Doubting Thomases. It is n- -t only imi mul, but inevitable, that a wmk as gigmili-- ' asI thla whirli lie isthmus umlei taken nil has should srmise eierv Specie of hostility oiiilitioii are so new The slid criticism. lo-e-n that and n trying, and Hie work so vast, it would be ubsolutelv out (r till- - question that mistakes should not lie made, I'urorcseeii difficult! ('hecks will will arise From time to tune seemingly will liave to be plan men ara encluinged. At present After awhile tlia on tusk. tlic gaged iimnber will lie UnuhleU. In such a multitude it is inevitable that there should tie here and there a acmiudrel. Very many of the poorer class of laborers lack the mental development to protect themof selves against either the own follv, and tt I not other or wisdom to devise a possible for well-settle- d thr ram-allt- plan by which they ian invariably be roleclv'il. In a place which has been fur age a bynurd for uuiiealHifuliieH. of slid with so large a congregation grangers suddenly put down and set to bard work there will now and then ba outbreaks of disease. There will now and then tie shortcomings in administration; there will lie unlunkd-fu- r lo delay the excavation of the cut is the budding of tlie dams and locks Each such in Idem will be entirely natural. and, even though serious, no one of them will mean more tliun a little extra delay ur trouble. Yet eaeh, when discovered by m nsation mongers and retailed to timid folk of little faith, will as an exeuse for the belief that (lie whole wurk is being badly managed. Experiments will continually lie tried In bousing, tn hygiene. In street In dredging and In digging earth and suck. Now and then an experiment will a a failure; and among those who hear f it, a certain prutoirtlon of doubting Thomases will at once believe tliat tha whole work ie a failure. Doubtless hers and there some minor rascality will ba uncovered; but aa to tliia, 1 have to say lliat after the most painstaking Inquiry 1 have been unable to And a single reputable person who had so much as heard of any serious accusations affecting the honesty of the commission or of any responsible officer under it. I append a letter dealing with the most aerloua charge, that of the ownership of lots In Colon; the charge waa not advanced by a reputable man, and Is utterly baseless. It Is not bio much to say that tho whole atmosphere of the commission breathes honesty as it breathes efficiency and energy. Abova all, the work has teen kept absolutely clear of politics. I hava never heard even a suggestion of spoils politics In connection with It. I have investigated every complaint brought to me for wlib-- there seemed to be any shadow of foundation. In two or three rases, all of which I hava indicated in the course of this message, I came to the conclusion that there waa foundation for the complaint, and that the methods of tha commission in the respect complained of could be bettered, in the other instances the romplainta proved absolutely baseless, aava In two or thres Instances where they referred to mistakes which the commission had already found out and corrected. Slandera and Llbelers. Bo much for honea't criticism. There remains an Immense amount of as reckless slander as has ever been published. Where the slanderers are of foreign origin I have no concern with Where they are Americans. I them. feel for them the heartiest contempt and Indignation: because, in a spirit of wanton dlslioneaty and malice, they are trying to interfere with and hamper the execution of, the greatest work of the kind ever attempted, and are seeking to bring to naught the efforts of their countrymen to put to the credit of America one of the giant The outrageous feats of the ages. urcuaatlone of these slanderers constitute a gross libel upon a body of publle servants who, for trained intel- tr ligence. expert ability, high oharac-teand devotion tn duty, have never been excelled anywhere. There le not e man among thoaa directing the work on tlie lathinua who has obtained hia position on any other basis than merit alone, and not one who has uaed hie position In any way for hla own personal or pecuniary advantage. Plan to Build by Contract After most careful consideration we have decided to let out most of tha work by contract If we can come to satisfactory term with the contracThe whole work la of a kind tor. suited to the peculiar genius of our people; and our people have developed the type of contractor beet fitted to grapple with it. It is of course much heller to do the work In large to do it all by contract than pHrt by the government, provided It Is possecure to tha to hnnd on sible the one contractor a sufficient remnueratinn tn make It worth while for responsible contractors of the beat kind to undertake the work; and provided on the other hand It can be done on terms which will not give an excessive profit to the contractor at the expense of After much con. the government. alderatlon the plan already promulwas gated by the secretary ofIta war essential This plan in adopted. features wee drafted after careful .and thorough study and consideration, by the chief engineer, Mr. Stevens, who, while In the employment of Mr. Hill, the president of the Great Northern railroad, had personal experience Mr. of this very type of contract. Bt evens then submitted the plan to the chairman of the commission. Mr. over It Khnnta. who went carefully with Mr. Rogers, the legal advler of see to that all legal the commisalon. difficulties were met. Tie then submitted copies of the plan to both Secretary Taft and myself. Secretary Taft submitted It to some of the bet counsel at the New York bar. and afterwards I went over It very carefully with Mr. Taft and Mr. Khnnta. and we laid the plan In Its general features before Mr. Root. My conclusion ad-la that tt combines the maximum of vantage with the minimum of disad-be will vantage. Under it a premium upon the speedy and economical put construction of the canal, and a penon delay and waste. The alty imposed la tentative; Sian aa promulgated changed it will have towebecan come In some respects before to a satisfactory agreement with reperhaps even sponsible contractors been received: after the bids have and of course it I possible that we can not come to a agreement. In which case the government will do the work Iteelf. Meanwhile the work nn the Isthmus Is progressing steadily and without any let up. Single Commissioner Desired. d commission Is of A course a clumsy executive Instrument. We should have hot one commissioner. with such heads of departments and other officers under hitn ns we We should lie may. find neaessarv. to the employ conexpressly permitted as in the country best engineers engineers. sulting I aoenmpsny this paper with a map what the esnal showing substantially When will he like when It is flniahed. made and cut been lies the Utilehrn are built as at ths dams built liMliey present proposed I liter will thenendbe st both the Ioelfle mul Atlantic r of tha canal two great freh-wate-channel by s broad lakes, connected bottom of a ravine, running at the across the backbone of the Western Informed bebest Those Hemisphere. lieve that the work will beItcompleted is never but in about eight years; safe to propheev about such a work aa this, especially In the tropica Confident of Ultimate Success. Of the success of the enterprise I can he am as well convinced a e one leiro-in- . It of any enterprise that our which work upon a is stupendous nir.irl- down fellow countrymen are ntnl we there on the Isthmus, accountashould hold them to a tlu-perway In which-. bility for the with form It. we shouhl frank generosltv. llu i'h-- enb- - .- n Hirel of the task worbl-wliiupon - which I and Its i's w i e j) are doing linrae-iMi-to D'C pr. it of uvrl-drn- ts BELLS M BAGHELOB HE Bachelor lived la a boarding houie. He waa 55 yeara old, and hla hair wr.a growing thin at the top and gray at the tern-pleHe had recently invested in a cane because of the gout which he had rheumastopiied calling tism. After he bad bought the cane he had grimly atalked to an oculist's. The new eyeglasses were in bis pocket now, and he was on his way to the boarding house (he disdained to call It home) to test them on the Rubaiyat that a New York friend had sent him for Christmas. All theae things (including the coming of Omar Khayyam) had made the ITachelor a iiesslmist or so, at least, he thought. It was Christmas eve. The Christmas spirit!" he growled, under his breath. ''Huh! The Christmas greed, I call it. Everybody seema to be rushing around like, mad, and everybody is filled to bursting with a lively sense of favors to come. Will that confounded car ever show up? I can't stand thla chattering rabble much longer. The car came at last and the Bachelor heaved a sigh that was almost satisfaction as he sank into the only vacant seat. The Bachelor found himself on the T WAS so cold that the snow looked blue under tbe dark sky when the Bells ran swiftly down the hard road. There were five of them Mary and Jimmie and the twins and baby Hell, and they were orphans and very oor. and It waa the day before Christmas. The fire Hells stopped in front of n big house. Now sing," said Mary Bell, and the five sweet voices were upraised: "Merry, merry Christmas everywhere. Cheerily it rlngeth throu-- h the air. sang ail the little Bells, with red noses and blue fingers, ns they stamped their feet and shivered in the snow. The door of the big bouse opened and a pompous servant came out and Go away," shook his finger at them. he said, "go away! We don't want you howling around here. Oh! gasped the little Bells, and away they flew, with Mary Bell bringing up the rear, aa she wiped the tears from her eyes, for she was the oldest, and at home there was nothing to eat and no fire, and she didn't know what they would do. They sang before other places until their throats were sore, but everyone was too busy or too selfish to listen; and the night was coming on when at last they limited Into the grounds of a dark old mansion that stood far back from the lonely road. In this mansion lived a bachelor, which isn't an ogre, although it la something like one, for bachelors haven't any children, and they are-ap- t to forget that they were ever young, and sometimes they are very fierce. He The bachelor was all alone. had sent his servants away to keep their Christmas at their homes, and he was in the loneliest room in the lonely house. The sang two songs before he 'moved. He drew bttk tlie curtain, away," he motioned. They turned to go out of the gate, but wlieu they reached it Baby Bell stum tilul and sat down and then she cried, and the other four cried a forlorn little gioup, for they were all so tired and cold and hungry that they didnt care what hapiiened. O, by George," said the bachelor, watching them. Hy George, they are nothing but babies! and he ran downstairs and out Into the snowy path. Threw Down the Book in a Rage. What's the matter? be demanded. No one wants to hear us sing,'" same seat with a little woman who Bell. held many bundles and a baby. The sobbed baby said the bachelor, gruffly. "I Huh!" looked woman was The asleep. baby do. fagged and tired, but when her eyes But Mary just looked at the bachelor chanced to rest on the Infant In her with eyes that reminded him of days matense arms, they grew soft with of ago, and suddenly he found long ternal tenderness. She apologized In himself holding her hand and talking when to haste Bachelor the flushing the babys restless movements set a eagerly. "Come In," he urged, where it paiier box squarely on his knee, but warm, and sing to me there. tried She the iiesslmist only grunted. The lonely room was not kmely any to recover the box, but this, as she had only two arms, and both were full, more when the five little Bells stood In a row In front of the fire, which proved difficult. bachelor poked into blazing brightthe Let the box stay, madam, snapped ness. They sang with a will, and the Bachelor. He had not thought to the bachelor clapped his hands, and It does not Inconvenience then took out his purse. help her. me In the least."' Here, he said to Mary, and handSo the box stayed. The Bachelor ed her a dollar. looked sedulously the other way. and But Mary shook her head. It is too tried to forget that It waa there. The much, she said. You must give us baby's pudgy pink hand was flung on a penny apiece for each song, for that his coat sleeve, and the Bachelor tried is all that it is worth. We can't to forget that, too. sing very well. We are not beggars. I get off at the next corner, sir, By By George, said the bachelor. arid the woman. Could you would George! I believe you are d. you She rose in hurried anxiety to her Then he looked at Mary. "Can you feet, and more bundles rained down cook? he asked. on the Bachelor. Yes. Indeed," cried all the little I could help you out, if that is what Bella I need a cook, said the bachelor, you mean," said the Bachelor sourly. I haven't anyOh, no, sir thank you, sir!" For with twinkling smiles. the Bachelor, red with Irritation, had one to cook my Christmas dinner, and If you don't take pity on me I shall gathered up the scattered parcels. The conductor grinned as he Jerked have nothing. Shall I begin now? asked Mary, the bellcord, and the perspiring BachI should love it elor could have beaten him with bis eagerly. I haven't anything in the house, cane. But there Is the 'Til carry these bundles home for said the bachelor. you. maduiu." he announced gruffly telephone. Is a telephone good to eat?" asked and reluctantly, when they reached the M.v car has left me, anybaby Bell. sidewalk. but it's No," said the bachelor, way." and he smiled grimly after the fine to talk into. Now take off your rapidly receding lights, Yea. sir," Bal'd the woman, meekly, things and Btay with me." I'm afraid we will be a troui Tain't far," she added, Just a ble.O, said Mary, uncertainly. block. Will your mother worry? asked When he at last reached his cheer less room, he adjusted his uew glasses the bachelor. said We haven't any mother, with a scowl and picked up Omar We are orphans, and we are Khayyam with a feeling of sudden dis-- I Mary. taste. The Christinas spirit!" he all alone. That settles it. said the bachelor. growled. "Pshaw! You are to stay." And he went to Hut he did not see the printed page. doud anil ordered (In telephone everything le ieiti ill the Hiiiugh his eyes screwed inrent-- ; ii,; America, nil1--n'T.l si for iiqes ly upon it Tor many minutes. Sudden- .from turkey to tarts and from plum woebl. and v to come. I I'lcr Mr pudding to pies. ly he threw down i he vel lu !n and lr. Horea this work forIt was the Jolllest Christmas eve, ' bonk in u ruuc of omen cvrrv good and loro niT the pinre started with mortliv :is - iiii-- s. and t and ihe jolllest person of all was the ums. Thev ii no., all!" said he are "liiing lowest furiously. from (to- highest to the lonely bachelor, because he wasn't entitled to tin- - - iiii- lcredit Hintof wo'I g hisses are no good. That drivieii wolllil glee lo more, and there were chilll, st Ilf eling idiot of an nrullsr ought to lie lonely any ciotocioo semi" foe tl-dren in the liouso to make Christinas und in it ami ereil! I'm will, great peace quail going what It should sl'io.l. 'IS imiinr lie verv druwji bp. down-town.ing slfui'tI'niium-elswhether of pence greatest "You must, stay with me always. win So he jiiinnii-i- l his hat on his head or of war. winch lime ever A if mankind. hy any of the people and went down town, und when he lie said, as they sat warm and well given lo eiery Ameribadge Is to be time raine hack Ills ovemiiit porkers were fed and rosy around the fire. "Tlie can eltixen who for a parhouse, is so big and I am away half lias taken part in tills work; for he held ; bulging wiih a tUxeii haired doll war the lime, and you could ticipation in It will hereafter sing for me m man "mamma" ranted the without much parsay to reflect honor upon come shall here." and he noon you reflect honor yes. it as Just ticipating ut tn a mighty pressure and a red Jumping-Jaca soldier to have belonged tossed baby Bell high In the air. roe in war agility. a startling righteousgrant army "0. how happy we will be sang ness. Our fellow countrymen on the For the Christmas spirit had cast Its children. "How happy you have isthmus are working for our Interest sweet and the the giient siell over the and for the national renown in effmade us. dear bachelor." same spirit and with tlie smile and he had llarheliir, suddenly tnen of the army and Hut the bachelor shook his head. iciency that the remembered what he had so often time of war. It benavy work tn our It is yon who have made the we do turn to all tried to forget that ills landlady was hooves us in with your music, dear ran to hold up tlielr hands and tn aid the mother of two riotous children. you them in every wav to bring tlielr Bells. Christmas Detroit Free little a to work "God bless 'em!" said tbe liachelor. great ROOSKVKJ.T Press. D- 17. lift Tbs White a T I llt-il- s half-starve- seven-heade- : j i y reeo-iiixi- j eiiT-ir-'i- hi-- I : I wi-r- e ! 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