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The Deal Gees Through,

279

LODGINGS

THE BEST ROOMS in COLON.

FURNISHED AND UNFURNISHED APARTMENTS.

Electric Lights and Fine Baths.

Only One Block from P. R. R. Depot.
Apply at "The Casket”,

COLON STATIONERY AND SUPPLY COMPANY,
No. 53 Bolivar Street, Colon, Republic of Panama.

railroad; 625,000 acres of land under the Wyse concession, 2265 buildings in Panama, Colon, and along the line of the canal, and three steamers of about 2,000 tons each.

The Great Scrap Heap.

Having completed the purchase of the canal properties, Lieut. Mark Brooke was empowered to take possession of the plant on the Isthmus, with the result as announced in the following cable:

Isthmian, Washington,

Panama, May 4, 1904.

Property taken over at seven thirty this morning.

BROOKE.

There were at this time, all told, 115 storehouses or magazines, fifteen larger warehouses and forty-one parks,

or yards scattered at different points along the forty-six miles of canal route. The contents of these buildings and yards would cover, if spread out in one place, a 500-acre farm, three feet deep, and leave enough over for a fence twice as high to enclose it. According to the last inventory of the French, this vast amount of material represented a book value of $29,000,000. In the purchase of the canal this stuff was not counted, but Admiral Walker insisted that it all be thrown in as part of the deal. Since the Americans took hold, much of this material has been disposed of. In 1906, a dealer in old iron in the States contracted for two shiploads, representing $60,000 in value, while tons and tons have been going to New York as ballast on the Panama Railroad boats. Hundreds of machines, engines, etc.. were found in fair condition, and have been made over and put in service. This work has mostly been done at the Gorgona shops. In 1904, much of this. material was covered by dense jungle growth, and even at this day, survey parties frequently run across in their explorations hitherto undiscovered caches of machinery.

There was also on hand 57 barges, 38 yawls and 21 steam launches. There were 273 iron cranes, 800 big pumps of various kinds, 189 rock drills, and 140 steam winches. There was a floating drill apparatus valued at $30,000, a boring machine at $10,000, a suction dredge worth $7,000, and other dredges whose value runs into the hundred thousands. As to cars and locomotives, there were 34 American locomotives valued at $200.000, and 212 Belgian valued at upwards of $1,000.000. In addition there were a lot of small Decauville engines and narrow gauge Decauville track, every foot of the last having since been put to good use. There were also 5,000 dump cars, and 5,000 trolleys for carrying dirt away from the canal.

The sale also included the magnificent Ancon Hospital costing the French upwards of $5,000,000, the De Lesseps houses at Cristobal, the Administration building in Panama City for which the French paid $200,000; the

The Great Scrap Heap.

281

residence of the French director-general ast Panama, (now known as the American Legation), which cost $60,000; the grounds and build gs of the Taboga Sanitarium on Taboga Island, on wach $25,000 was spent, and the Dingler residence on the La Boca road, costing about $50,000. It is the opinion of those who have been constantly in touch with the propertired from the French company, that the price the United States paid for them was way below their actual value at the time of the transfer.

When the United States came into possession, the sole control of canal affairs on the Isthmus was vested in the Director-General, the delegate of the Board of Directors of the French company in Paris. Reporting to this Director-General were chiefs of departments, or bureaus having to do with engineering and plans, accounts and cash, material and supplies, health, and lands. There was but one set of files, or place of deposit of records and this at canal headquarters in Panama. As the French company was operating under a franchise, and was dependent for protection upon the sovereign government, police protection came of, and all judicial proceedings were, of necessity, conducted in the courts of said government. For cases of emergency the chiefs of section, or departments, were each provided with a stand of arms. The Sanitary Department was such only in name. There was no attempt to institute any hygienic measures, save such as the laws of the sovereign required, that is, none at all. If the employes were injured or sickened, they were cared for by the Company's physicians, in or out of the hospital. The medical officers had no independent discretion of any kind, and the physicians were not obliged to attend families of employes, although they usually did so.

First on the Ground.

The first party to arrive on the Isthmus in connection. with the present undertaking consisted of Major William

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Frank Vllrich & Co.

COLON.

PANAMA.

Largest and Best Stocked Liquor Store on the Isthmus.

PROVISIONS, BAR SUPPLIES AND TOBACCOS. Agents for

Anheuser-Busch Brewing Association, St. Louis, Mo,--Moet & Chandon's White Seal Champagne.-.-Canadian Club, Wilson's, Hunter's Green River, and Mt. Vernon Fine Whiskies.---Duffy's Pure Malt Whisky.D C. L. Old Tom Gin and Scotch Whisky. ---Tennent's XXX Stout and Pale Ale.---Ross's Royal Belfast Ginger Ale, and Kola.---Marie Brizard & Roger-Bordeaux Finest Liqueurs...McCray Refrigerator Co. --- Washburn-Crosby Co's «Gold Medal» Flour.

CALL for BUDWEISER "KING OF ALL BEERS”. Address: Post Office Box 53, COLON, or Post Office Box 97, PANAMA.

M. Black and Lieut. Mark Brooke, U. S. Corps of Engineers. Mr. A. C. Harper as civil engineer, and Mr. Harry D. Reed as clerk and stenographer. The party reached Panama on April 16, 1903, over six months before the secession, and nearly a year before the proclamation of the canal treaty. Their mission was to keep tab on the work and methods of the New Panama Canal Company. Messrs Harper and Reed have been with the canal enterprise ever since. The former is now The former is now Resident Engineer with headquarters at Corozal, while the latter has filled the position of Executive Secretary for over three years past.

Dr. Claude C. Pierce has the honor of being the first sanitary representative on the ground, as well as the first to arrive in an official capacity after it was known that a treaty would be negotiated with Panama. Dr. Pierce was detached from the U. S. Marine Hospital service at Key West, Fla., and sent to the Isthmus to make

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He arrived at following six or Panama. Dr. Pierce The next in order

a special report on sanitary conditions. Colon December 31, 1903, and for the eight months made his headquarters at is now Quarantine Officer at Colon. was Dr. J. P. Perry, also detached from Marine Hospital duties for temporary service on the Isthmus. Dr. Perry

arrived Feby. 6, 1904 and was stationed at Colon for several months. On the organization of the Department of Sanitation he became connected with it, and now holds the position of Chief Quarantine Officer, with headquarters at Panama.

The first large permanent party to arrive was headed by Major-General George W. Davis, and consisted besides of Major Black, Ernest Lagarde jr., the first Executive Secretary of the Canal Zone; Eugene C. Tobey, Paymaster, U. S. Navy; Richard L. Sutton, M. D., U. S. Navy; Mason E. Mitchell, stenographer; George Reynolds Shanton, Charles L. Stockelberg, and Jeremiah Corcoran. The party arrived May 17, 1904, and its appearance constituted the initial step in the organization of the work under American management. Paymaster Tobey not only assumed the duties of Disbursing Officer, but at one time was in charge of the Material division, Revenues, and Posts. In fact, he and Major-General Davis had practically the running of things for a month or so. There were a lot of ragged ends to draw together when the canal was taken over from the French, and with lack of sufficient and adequate help, it was nip and tuck with these two men for one while, to keep matters running smoothly. The MajorGeneral acted as "Managing Representative" until Chief Engineer Wallace arrived, while Tobey continued in the performance of his multifarious duties until Paymaster George C. Schafer came to relieve him of the disbursing end, and Col. Tom. Cooke arrived to take charge of revenues and posts. Owing to the pressure of work, pay days at that period were long deferred, the longest on record for the gold men, if the memory of the writer

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