* "WHAR DEW I CUM IN?”
(Being the Soliloquy of a Farmer on the Free Raw Sugar Question.):
r **Thar’s a mighty lot er talkin’ about farmers 'n tliar rights,
N the wonderful prosperity thet beet growin’ invites,
i liar a a heap er foolish crowin’ ’n the ‘beats’ begin ter shout
n holler fer the laritf ter keep free raw sugar out!
But 1 notis thet the beet-producin’ farms are very few,
An the farmers through tile country ain't got much ef it ter dew.
The hull land ain't a-raisin’ beets, ’it ain't goin’ ter begin.
Beet growin's right fer sum, I guess—but, whar dew l cum in?
'The farmer gits four dollars now fer every ton o' beets—
A hansom price, I must allow—-but hidin’ sum deceits.
Beet sugar manyfacterers admit cs they liev found
"Ibet "granylated” costs ’em sumthin' like tew cents a pound.
In fact thet leaves a profit on which they’d greatly thrive—
And—if it kin be sold fer three, why should we pay ’em FIVE?
It seems ter me es thet's a game thet’s mighty like a skin—
But—if tliar's any benefit—waal,—whar dew / cum in?
When Unde Sam's in want o' cash we’re glad ter help him out,
'N well stand all the taxes thet are needed. ne\er doubt.
But when his pocket-book's well lined an’ nary cent lie lacks,
Et seems ter ntc bis duty’s ter repeal thet sugar tax.
1 hem fellers wot is interested sez its to protect
The beet-producin’ farmer thet the duty they collect,
But I guess thet explanation es a little bit too thin—
1 he sugar maker,—lie's all right;—but—whar dew ivc cum in?
Take off raw sugar duty an’ the price will quickly fall,
To everybody’s benefit, fer sugar’s used by all.
The poor will bless the Government thet placed it in tliar reach—
(’n millions of our citizens free sugar now beseech)
The dealer 'll be delighted—less expenditure fer him—
More demand ’n bigger profits—which at present are but slim.
An' the farmer ’ll be as well paid as he ever yet lies ben—
But he’ll buy his sugar cheaper—thet’s whar he an’ I’ll cum in.
Now, wliar’s the sense er reason of the sugar tax to day,
When our treasury's a-bulgin’ an’ we liev no debts ter pay?
The duty on raw sugar's Fifty million every year—
An’ the people’s got ter pay it—thet’s a fact thet’s very clear.
Fifty million! Great Jerusha! Ter protect beet magnates, too.
Why should they tax ALL the people—just ter help a scattered FEW?
And the FEW? Beet-sugar MAKERS! Don’t it really seem a sin
Thus ter help an’ fill tliar coffers? Whar dew you an’ I cum in?
The farmer growin’ beets lies got a contract price fer years,—
Free raw sugar wouldn’t hurt him, an' of it he lies no fears.
But mebbe, like myself—lie's also growing fruit so nice—
Ter preserve it—at a profit—be needs sugar—at a price!
The repealing of the duty surely cuts the price in two—
Thet’ll make a mighty difference, neighbor, both ter me an’ you!
Let the sugar manyfactrer make such profits a* lie kin—
Ter him it may seem right enuff—but whar dew I cum in?
An’ I ain’t a-goin' ter swaller all the argyments they shout
Thet the farmers need protection—an’ must bar raw sugar out.
Common sense is plainly showin' that the people in the land
Want raw sugar free in future—an’ its freedom will demand.
’Tis a tax no longer needed—hateful to the public view,—
Taxing millions of our people to enrich a favored few.
They can't blind me any longer with the foolish yarns they spin.—
While they’re busy niakin’ money—whar dew you and I come in?
I’ni a-goin’ ter keep on hustlin’, talkin’, pleadin’ with my frends,—
Ain't no sense in lettin' others gain tliar selfish privet ends.
I'm a-g"in' ter write ter-niorrer to my Congressman 'nd say
Thet he oughter do bis best ter kill that tax without delay!
Feller-farmers, do your utmost—whether you grow beets or not
To repeal the tax on sugar—you can but improve your lot!
Cheaper sugar helps your pocket, greater blessings you can win—
When we’ve threc-cent granylated—that’s whar you an’ I come in!”
1 The Lincoln Eye and Ear Infirmary i
*J«H J
Successfully[
treats all curable *
•
diseases and in- s
juries of the
i EYE, EAR, NOSE and THROAT,
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• Contarious and incurable cases not admil
t ted. 1'atieniR boarded, nursed and treated,
s Letters of inquiry promptly answered,
i Write for announcement.
DRS. CiARTEN & COOK,
! Oculists and Aurists in attendance. Lincoln.Net).
When Answering Advertisements Kindi;
Meutiofl This Taper.
Better go about than fall iuto the
j ditch.
PIT© Permanently ruren. No fits or nerTotinnePs after
■ ISO flrat use oi i»r. Kline's Great Nerve Ke*tor>
*-r. Bend for FKKK 9 3.00 trial bottle ami treatise.
i>B. H. il. ki.ijfK, I,td , 031 Arch Street, Philadelphia, l a.
A man doesn’t mind being a fool a3
long as he doesn’t know it.
There is no trick in dyeing. You can
do it just as well as any one if vou use
PUTNAM FADELESS DYES. Boiling
the goods for half an hour iB all there
Is to it. Sold by druggists, 10c. package.
Few men have enough self-confi
dence to enable them to ignore their
own mistakes.
A good companion makes good com
pany.
Vcriatllf Nlro'ay
The late John G. Nicolay was a
man of many and varied accom
plishments. Beginning his career as
a clerk in a country store, he became
successively a printer, editor, pub
lisher and proprietor of a newspaper,
a private secretary, a diplomat and an
author. Besides, he was an accom
plished linquist. a connoisseur of mu
bIc and art and something of a poet.
As to his part in the preparation ol
the biography of Lincoln, which was
jointly the work of Mr. Nicolay and
john Hay, the latter is credited with
the graceful explanation that he did
half and Mr. Nicolay the other half.
Hero of M^mpliiH Dead.
Father Aloysius Wiever, a Francis
can priest, who died in the Santa
Barbara mission, in southern Califor
nia, on the morning made memorable
by the death of President McKinley,
was the man who. in 1878, earned the
title of "the hero of Memphis." He
was a native of Vreden, Germany, hav
ing been born sixty-three years ago.
Ho came to this country when 20
years old. In 1870 he removed to St.
Louis, and in 1873, when the plague
of yellow fever broke out in Memphis,
he voluntarily went to the stricken
city and remained through the plague,
rendering assistance alike to whith
and black.
CANADA'S^ CAPITAL AFOUSED.
Never Wu There Sacli Kxetteiuciit—
riijildMui' Amim tiitiou Trying;
to Fx|»l*lii.
Ottawa, Canada. Nov. 25th.—This
city is stirred up as never before.
Some seven years ago the local papers
published an account of a man named
George H. Kent of 408 Gilinour street,
who was dying of Bright's Disease and
who at the very last moment after
several of our best physicians had de
clared he couldn't live twelve hours,
was saved by Dodd's Kidney Pills.
People who know how low Mr. Kent
was refused to believe that he was
cured permanently and the other day
In order to clinch the matter the pa
pers published the whole case over
again and backed up their story by
sworn statements made by Mr. Kent,
in which be declares most positively
that in 1894 he W'as given up by the
doctors and that Dodd's Kidney Pills
and nothing else saved him, and fur
ther that since the day that Dodd’s
Kidney Pills sent him back to work
seven years ago, he has not lost a
single minute from his work. (He is
I a printer in the American Bank Note
Printing Company.)
Mr. Kent is kept quite busy during
his spare hours answering inquiries
personally and by letter, but he is so
grateful that he counts the time well
silent. Indeed he and his wife have
shown their gratitude to Dodd's Kid
nej Pills in a very striking way by
having their little girl—born in 1890—
christened by the name of "Dodds."
Altogether it is the most sensational
case that has ever occurred in the his
tory of medicine in Canada and the
perfect substantiation of every detail
leaves no room to doubt either the
completeness or the permanency of
the cure.
The local physicians have made the
case of Kent and Dodd's Kidney Pills
the subject of discussion at several of
the private meetings of their associa
tion.
Helen Gould's Vn*«r Git*.
Miss Helen Miller Gould has given
to Vassar college two scholarships ot
110,000 each for the benefit of grad
uates of the Tarrytown high school
and of the Washington Irving high
school at Irvington, N. Y.
M Ejcceil eHt fAH'iy l^-XAT^6
CEltBMT 'a ro the^as^
*t is F?EFRBSf1'^ and Acts &
, „ Pleasantly and (Jently.
i^SS'STS 0Ne. ^Co^,
t° OvER.COfAt Permanently ^
With many millions of families Syrup of Figs has become the
ideal home laxative. The combination is a simple and wholesome
one, and the method of manufacture by the California Fig Syrup
Company ensures that perfect purity and uniformity of product,
which have commended it to the favorable consideration of the
most eminent physicians and to the intelligent appreciation of all
who are well informed in reference to medicinal agents.
Syrup of Figs has truly a laxative effect and acts gently with
out in any way disturbing the natural functions and with perfect
freedom from any unpleasant alter effects.
In the process of manufacturing, figs are used, as they are
pleasant to the taste, but the medicinally laxative principles of the
combination are obtained from plants known to act most bene
ficially on the system.
To <Jet its beneficial effects —
buy the djervuirxerMArwjf&ctured by
Louisville. Ky. FV'Anc.ioco.Cal. New YorK-NM
for Sale bv all druooibts price JO* PER bottle
HTTi
Nicaragua Route Is the Best and
Cheapest.
COST ABOUT $189,864,062.
By tht» rananist Route the Coat I* K.ntl
mated at •233,374,858, and in Addition
the <'aii'il (onreHfilon Would Cost the
i'nlted State* 11109,141,000.
The Interoceanlc Canal Commis
sion’s report is in favor of the Nicara
gua route and it will be submitted to
Congress before the holtddnys. Here
is the report in full:
The Invest gRtlons of this commission
have shown that the selection of "the
most fenslb’e and practicable route” t\>r
an Isthmian canal must be made bets * -n
the Nicaragua and Panama locations.
Furthermore, the complete problem In
volves both the sea level plan of canal
and that with locks. The Panama route
alone Is feasible for a sea level eanal, al
though both are entirely practicable and
feasible for a canal with locks. The time
required to complete a sen level canal
on the Panama route, probably more
than twlre that needed to build a canal
with locks, excludes It from favorable
consideration, aside from other serious
features of its construction. It Is the
conclusion of this commission, therefore,
that a plan of cnnal with locks should
be adopted. A comparison of the prin
cipal physical features, both natural and
artificial of the two routes, reveals
some points of similarity. Both routes
cross the continental divide less than ten
miles from the Pacific Ocean, the Pana
ma summit being about double the height
of that In Nicaragua.
Both Routes Require Costly Dains.
l-'or more than half Its length the loca
tion of each route on the Atlantic side
is governed by the course of a river, the
flow from whose drainage basin is the
only source of water supply for the pro
posed canal; and the summit levels, dif
fering about twenty feet In elevation—
Panama being the lower are formed by
lakes, natural In the one case and arti
ficial In the other, requiring costly dams
and water ways for tiielr regulation and
for the Impounding of surplus waters to
reduce the effect of floods and meet op
erating demands during low water sea
sons. The Investigations made In con
nection with the regulations of Lake
Nicaragua have demonstrated that the
lake affords an Inexhaustible water sup
ply for the canal by that route. The In
itial proposition, on the other hand, for
the Panama route, is to form Lake Bohlo
so as to yield a water supply for a traffic
of 10,000.000 tons, which can be supple
mented when needed by an amount suffi
cient for more than four times that
traflic by means of the Alhajut-li reser
voir. For all practical purposes this
may be considered an unlimited supply
for the Panama route. So far ns the
practical operation of a ship canal Is
concerned, therefore, the water supply
features on both lines are satisfactory.
The difficulties disclosed and likely to be
encountered in the construction of the
dams are less at Oonehuila, on the Nica
ragua line, than at Bohlo, on the Pana
ma route. Both dams, however, are
practicable, but the cost of that at
Bohlo is one-half more than that at Con
chuda.
Commission Desires a Perfect Structure.
A less expensive dam at Bohlo has
been proposed, but through a portion of
its length it would he underlaid by a de
posit of sand and gravel, pervious to wa
ter. The seepage might not prove dan
gerous, hut tiie security of the canal Is
directly dependent upon this dam, and
the policy of the commission has been to
select the more perfect structure, even at
a somewhat greater cost. The water
ways at both locations present no seri
ous difficulties. The advantages in the
design and construction of the dams are
In favor of the Nicaragua route. The
system of regulation at Lake Bohlo con
sists of the discharge of water over the
crest of a weir, ns the lake level rises
under the influence of floods In the
Chargres River. The plan of regulating
the level of Lake Nicaragua Is less sim
ple, though perfectly practicable. It In
volves the operation of movable gates at
such times and to such extent as the
rainfall on the lake basin may require.
The experience nnd judgment of the op
erator are essential elements to effective
regulation of this lake. The regulation
of Lake Bohlo Is automatic. The only
means of transportation now found on
the Nicaragua route are the narrow
gauge Sillco Lake Railroad about six
miles In length, and the limited naviga
tion of San Juan River and lake; but the
Nicaraguan Government Is now building
a railroad along the beach from Grey
town to Monkey Point, about forty-five
miles to the northward, where it pro
poses to establish a commercial port.
By means of a pier In the area protect
ed by the point goods and material for
canal purposes can readily be landed
and transported by rail to Greytown.
Such piers are In constant use on our
Pacific coast. This railroad and port
would be uf great value during the pe
riod of preparation and harbor construc
tion. and should materially shorten that
period.
Panama Has Railroad In Operation.
A well equipped railroad is In opera
tion along the entire length of the Pana
ma route, and existing conditions there
afford Immediate accommodation for a
large force of laborers. The Nicaragua
route has no natural harbor at either
end. At both the Atlantic and Pacific
terminal, however, satisfactory harbors
may be created by the removal of ma
terial at low prices and by the construc
tion of protective works of well estab
lished design. An excellent roadstead,
protected bv Islands, already exists at
Panama, and no work need be done there
for either harbor construction or main
tenance. At Colon, the Atlantic termin
us of the Panama route, a serviceable
harbor already exists. It has afforded
harbor accommodations for many years,
but Is open to northers, which a few
times In each year are liable to damage
ships or force them to put to sea. Con
siderable work must be done there to
create a suitable harbor at the entrance
of the canal, which can he easily entered
and will give complete protection to ship
ping lying within.
Kxcavatlon Work Compared.
The completion of the harbors, as
planned for both routes, would yield but
little advantage to either, but the bal
ance of advantages, including those of
maintenance and operation, is probably
in favor of the Panama route. The ex
istence of a harbor at each terminus of
the Panama route and a line of railroad
across the isthmus will make It practi
cable to commence work there, after the
concessions are acquired, as soon as the
necessary plant can tie collected and put
In place nnd the working force organized.
This period of preparation is estimated
at one year. In Nicaragua this period is
estimated at two years, so as to include
also the construction of working harbors
and terminal and railroad facilities.
The work of excavation on the Nica
ragua route is distributed; it Is heaviest
near Conchuda. at Tainberolto and in the
divide west of the lake. On the Panama
route It Is largely cono'uitruted In the
Culebra and Kmptiador cuts, which are
practically one. As a rule, distributed
work affords a greater number of avail
able points of attack, contributing a
qulckst completion, but In either of these
cases t vi h difficulties as may exist can
be successfully met with suitable organi
zation and efficient appliances.
labor Scarce There.
*rhe time required for constructing the
Nicaragua Canal will depend largely on
the promptness with which the requisite
force of laborers can he brought to Nica
ragua, housed and organized with the lo
co tons of heaviest work along the route.
The cut through the divide west of the
lake probably will require the longest
time of any single feature of construc
tion. It contains 1.4,000.000 cubic yards of
earth and rock execration, or a little less
than 10 per cent of the total work of all
classes Included. With adequate force
ami plant this commission estimates that
It can be completed In four years. This
'ndlcates, under reasonable allowance for
ordinary delays. If force and plant
enough were obtainable, to secure a
practically concurrent execution of all
portions of work on the route the com
pletion of the entire work might be exe
cuted within six years after Its being
started, exclusive of the two years esti
mated for the period of preparation. The
securing and organizing of the great
force of laborers needed, largely foreign
ers. so as to adjust the execution of the
various portions of the work to such a
definite program of close fitting parts
In a practically unpopulated tropical
country involves unusual difficulties and
would prolong the time required for com
pletion. The greatest single feature of
work on the Panama route is the excava
tion In the Culebra section, amounting
to about 43,000,000 cubic yards of hard
clay, much of which is classed as soft
rock, nearly 45 per cent of all classes of
material to be removed.
Eight Yeais Required,
Tt Is estimated that this out ran he
completed In eight years, with allowance
for ordinary delays, but exclusive of a
two-year period for preparation and for
unforeseen delays, and that the remain
der of the work can be tlnlshed within
the some period. The great concentra
tion of work on this route and its less
amount will require a smaller force of
laborers than on the Nicaragua route.
Hence the difficulties and delays Involved
In securing them will be correspondingly
diminished. The total length of the Nica
ragua route, from sea to sea, Is 183.06
miles, while the total length of the
Panama route Is 49.09 miles. Tho length
In standard canal section, and on the
harbors and entrances. Is 73.78 miles for
the Nicaragua route and 36.41 miles for
the Panama route. The length of sailing
line In l.ake Nicaragua is 70 51 miles,
while that In Bake Bohlo is 13.68 miles.
That portion of the Nicaragua route In
the canalized San Juan Is 39.37 miles. The
preceding physical features of the two
lines measure the magnitude of the work
to be done in the construction of water
ways along the two routes. The esti
mated cost of constructing the canal on
the Nicaragua route Is $15,630,704 more
than that of completing the Panama
• "anal, omitting the cost of acquiring the
latter property. This sum measures tho
difference In the magnitude of the ob
stacles to be overcome In the actual con
struction of the two canals and covers
all physical considerations, such as the
greater or less height of darns, the great
er or less depth of cuts, the presence or
absence of natural harbors, the presence
or absence of a railroad, and the amount
of work remaining to he done. The esti
mated annual cost of maintaining and
operating the Nicaragua Canal is $1,350,
(4)0 greater than the corresponding
charges for the Panama Canal.
Piumma Route Shorter.
~Tl~Pnn!ima route would be 131.57 miles
short< r, from sea to sea, than the Nica
ragua route. It would have less summit
elevation, fewer locks, and 66.44 miles
hs< curvature. The estimated lime for
a deep draft vessel to pass through is
about twelve hours for Panama and thlr
t\-three hours for Nicaragua. These pe
rn,ds are practically the measure of the
relative advantages of the two canals as
water ways connecting the two oceans,
hut not entirely, because the risks to
vessels and the dangers of delay are
greater In a canal than In the open sea.
Except for tin' items of riHk and delays
the time required to pass through the
canals need he taken into account otdy
as an element In the time required by
vessels to make their voyage between
terminal ports. Compared on this basis,
tin' Nicaragua route Is the more advan
tageous for all translsthmlan commerce
except that originating or ending on the
west coast of South America. For the
commerce In which the United States Is
most Interested, that between our Pacific
ports and Atlantic ports, European and
American, the Nicaraguan route is short
er by one day. The same advantage ex
ists between our Atlantic ports and the
Orient. For our gulf posts the advan
tage of the Nicaragua route Is nearly
two days. For commerce between North
Atlantic ports and the west coast of
South America the Panama route is
shorter by about two days. Between
gull ports and the west const of South
America the saving Is about one day.
The Nicaraguan route would be the more
favorable one for sailing vessels, because
of the uncertain winds In tho Bay of
Panama. This Is not, however, n ma
terial matter, as sailing ships are rapid
ly being displaced by steamships. A
canal by the Panama route will be sim
ply a means of communication between
the two oceans. The route has been a
highway of commerce for more than 300
years, and a railroad has been in oper
ation there for nearly fifty years; hut
this has affected industrial changes hut
little, and the natural features of the
country through which the route passes
are such that no considerable develop
ment Is likely to occur as a result of the
construction and operation of a canal.
In addition to Its use as a means of com
munication between the two oceans, a
canal by the Nicaragua route would
bring Nicaragua and a large portion of
Costa Rica and other Central American
states into close and easy communication
with the United States and with Europe.
The Intimate business relations that
would be established with the people of
the United States during the period of
construction by the expenditure of vast
sums of money in these stutes, and the
use of American products and manufac
tures would be likely to continue after
the completion of the work, to the bene
fit of our manufacturing, agricultural
and other Interests.
Nicaragua the Healthier.
The Nicaragua route lies In a region
of sparse population and not In a path
way of much trade or movement of peo
ple. Conditions productive of much sick
ness do not extst. On the other hand, a
considerable population has long existed
on the Panama route and It lies on a
pathway of comparatively large trade,
along which currents of moving people
frominfected places sometimes converge,
thus creating conditions favorable to
epidemics. Existing conditions Indicate
hygienic advantages for the Nicaragua
route, although It is probable that no
less effective sanitary measures must be
taken during construction In the one case
than in the other. The cost of construct
ing a canal by the Nicaragua route and
of completing the Panama Canal, with
out Including the cost of acquiring the
concessions from the different govern
ments, Is estimated as follows;
Nicaragua- .»180,804,0(13
Panama. 144,338,308
For a proper comparison there must
be added to the Inner the cost of acquir
ing the rights and property of the New
Panama Canal Company. This commis
sion has estimated the value of these
In the project recommended by It at
$;0,060.000. In order to exercise the rights
necessary for the const ruction of ths
canal and for Its management alter com
pletion the United States should acquire
control of a strip of territory from sea
to sea sufficient In area for the conveni
ent and efficient accomplishment of these
purposes. Measures must also be taken
to protect the line from unlawful acts of
all kinds to Insure sanitary control and
to render police jurisdiction effective.
The strip should be not less than five
miles wide on each side of the center
line of the canal, or ten miles in total
width. No treaties now exist with any
of the states within whose territory ths
two routes He authorizing the Unite®
States to occupy Its territory for the con
struction ami operation of a canal. When
It has been determined to undertake ths
work and the route has been selected,
the consent of Colombia, or of Nicaragua
and Costa Rica, for such occupation
must be obtained before the Inauguration
of the enterprise, and one or more con
tentions must be entered into by the
United States to secure the necessary
privileges anti authority. The republic*
of Nicaragua nnd Costa Ulca are un
trammeled by any existing concession*
or treaty obligations, and are free to
giant to the United States the rights
necessary for the attainment of these
ends, and in December, 1300, demonstrat
ed their willingness to have their terri
tory so occupied by the United States by
executing protocols by which It wa*
agreed that they would enter Into ne
gotiations to si ttle In detail the plan
ami agreements necessary to accomplish
the construction and provide for th*
ownership of the proposed canal when
ever the President of the United State*
is authorized by law to acquire tne nec
essary control and authority.
Colombia Not Free.
The government of Colombia, on the
contrary, In whose territory the Panama
route lies, has granted concessions which
belong to. or are controlled by the New
Panama Canal Company, and have many
years to run These concessions, limit
ed In time and defective in other wnya,
would not hp adequate authority for the
purposes of the United States, hut while
they exist Colombia Is not free to treat
with this government. If the Panama
route Is selected these concessions must
be removed In order tliut the republics
may enter Into a treaty to enable the
Pnlted Htntea to acquire the control
upon the Isthmus Mint will he necessary
and to fix the consideration. An agree
ment with the New Panama Canal Com
pany to surrender or transfer Its con
cessions must Include a sale of Its canal
property ami unfinished work, and the
commission undertook, soon after Its or
ganization, to ascertain upon what terms
this could be accomplished. Much cor
respondence and many conferences fol
lowed, but no proposition naming a price
was presented until the middle of Octo
ber. 1301, nnd after prolonged discussion
It was submitted to the commission in a
modified form on the 4tli of November,
to be Included Iti Its report to the Presi
dent. The Itemized statements appear m
an earlier chapter of the report. The
total amount for which the company
offers to sell and transfer Its canal prop
erty to the United States Is $10!*.141.500.
This, added to flic cost of completing the
work, makes the whole cost of a canal
by the Panama route $253,371,858, while
the cost by the Nicaragua route Is $189,
884 0fi2, n difference of $63,510,796 in favor
of the Nicaragua route.
States Must Ho t'onip* nsated.
In each ense there must be added the
coat of obtaining the use of the terri
tory to be occupied and such other privi
leges as may be necessary for the con
struction uml operation of the canal In
perpetuity. The compensation that the
different states will ask for granting
these privileges is now unknown. There
are certain physical advantages such ns
a shorter canal lino, a more complete
knowledge of the country through which
it passes arid lower cost of maintenance
and operation. In favor of the Panama
route, hut the price fixed liy the PanainB
Canal Company for a sale of its prop
erty nnd franchises Is so unreasonable
that Its acceptance cannot be recom
mended by lids commission. After eon
sbb ring all the facta developed by the
Investigations made by the commission,
the actual situation as It now stands,
and having Irt view the terms offered by
tin New Panama Canal company, this
commission Is of the opln'nn that "the
most practicable and feasible route” for
an Isthmian canal to be "under the con
trol. management and ownership of the
Pnlted States" is that known es the
Nicaragua route.
THE MINORITY REPORT.
George Morrison of tlie Uunal Commli
sion Favors I’unanin Route.
Following Is a summary of the minority
report of George 8. Morrison of the Nic
aragua Canal Commission:
While concurring In the excellence of
the greater part of the majority report, I
was unable to accept the conclusions at
, which my colleagues have arrived. I ac
eept the location for the Nicaraguan
Canal as one to which I can suggest no
Improvements. I consider that the esti
mate does not make enough provision for
unknown conditions and contingencies.
The cost of the work on both tho Nic
aragua and the Panama routes has been
estimated at the same unit prices and
with the addition of the same percentage
to cover "Engineering, Police, Sanitation,
and General Contingencies."
Tho excavation of tho Panama Canall
has been opened for nearly its entire
length, and the character of the material'
to be removed can be examined in posi
tion.
On the Nicaragua route tlie character
of material has been determined by bor
ings which, though unusually complete,
do not give the definite information that
is visible at Panama.
At Panama there are fair harbors at
bom eii*is of the canal that are fully ade
quate for all demands during construc
tion and connected by a railroad In high
condition, the country is settled and
i many of the necessary accommodations
for a large working force nre there. Be
fore the eastern section of the Nicaragua
Canal can be begun a harbor must be
created at Grcytown, convenient lines of
transportation which do not now exist
must be provided, ns must also the means
of housing and caring for a large labor
ing population, neatly ail of which must
be imported.
The preliminary engineering has been
done at Panama and the general contin
gencies have been reduced to a minimum.
Comparing modified estimates, the com
of completing the Panama Canal would
Vs- $67,000,000 less than the cost of building
the Nicaragua Canal.
On the Panama route two concessions
must be extinguished before such rights
can be acquired. They are the contract
of 1867, by which the Panama railroad
holds Its present rights, nnd the Wyso
concessions, under which the French ca
nal companies have beer: operating.
The settlement with the French must
be simply an extinguishment of their
rights: the authority to build the canal
must lie derived from a new treaty with
the republic of Colombia.
The Panama route has advantages over
I the Nicaragua route in cost of construc
tion, in cost of operation and In conven
ience when clone, while its use Is less
likely to lead to local International com
plications. If the United States govern
ment Is to build an isthmian canal the
Panama route is the best.
The French rights must first be extin
guished, and whatever this government
may pay lor such extinguishment will be
salvage to tlie French, if these rights
cannot be extinguished the Nicaragua
route Is available.
GKOKGE S MORRISON.
Method for Concentrating Blood.
A cheap and rapid method for con- i
centrating the enormous quantities of j
blood collecting In abattoirs has been
Invented recently. The blood Is inject
ed into an oven-shaped chamber, open
at the top, and brought into contact
with a current of hot air ascending
from below. All the water is evapo- ,
rated in this manner, and the blood
powder Is carried to the receiving ;
chamber. The product thus obtained
is tasteless, and contains 78.4 per cent
of digestible albumen.
SCRAPS.
To be vain of one's rank or place,
is to show that one is below it.—Stan
islaus.
At all seasons of the year 5 o’clock
in the morning is the "oldest hour of
the twenty-four.
Wo are made ridiculous less by our 1
defects than by the affectation of qual- j
ities which arc not ours.
This year’s harvest in the south of
Ireland is stated to be the uest experi
enced for a quarter of a century.
Steel Koofa.
A new patent steel rooting will short
ly be placed on the market, and it 1b
asserted that this product will com
pletely displace galvanized iron for
rooting purposes. The system of man
ufacture consists of steel strips bent
cold in the press, the coveriug being
formed of plain galvanized sheets bent
back on the edges and locked into
tubular rafters. Works for the manu
facture of this product on a larg*
scale are being constructed at Dar
lington. England.
