Central American Canal

1900

The following story of a canal in Central America has no relation to the proposed canal across Nicaragua. It is told of a civil engineer who visited the country more than twenty years ago.

At the village of Cabecera, near Tenosique, he was asked by a deputation of the inhabitants, who had heard of his skill as a surveyor, whether he thought a canal could be made from their village to Provecue, which would save a very long river journey. He visited the district, and found that by taking advantage of two small streams a canal of about a league would be all that was necessary.

The committee were delighted with this report, and they begged the surveyor to write an official letter to the government on their behalf, asking that they might be permitted to begin the work at once.

Ten years after this the surveyor was again at the village of Cabecera, and the first question asked him was:

"Do you not think a canal could be made from here to Provecue?"

On his informing them that he had been asked the same question ten years before, and had taken some time and trouble about the matter, the chairman replied that on account of politics, the death of his father, and so forth, the government letter had probably been overlooked. Search was made, the letter was found, and once more all was excitement. Nothing was talked about but the canal.

Some years later yet the surveyor was again at Cabecera. Immediately on his arrival a deputation waited upon hip. "Do you not think a canal —" The speaker never got any farther with that question. — Youth's Companion.