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President Roosevelt accepts Mordecai T. Endicott’s resignation as the Navy’s Chief of the Bureau of Yards and Docks. Roosevelt notes Endicott’s resignation will take effect “upon the date of the qualification” of his successor Civil Engineer Harry H. Rousseau.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1906-12-07
Isthmian Canal Commission Secretary Bishop updates President Roosevelt on his family. Chairman and Chief Engineer of the Isthmian Canal Commission Colonel George W. Goethals requested Bishop’s presence on the Isthmus to have a channel of communication to Roosevelt, and Roosevelt’s recent letter pleased him. Bishop says the only major issue is the arrogant behavior of Jackson Smith, the Head of the Department of Labor, Quarters, and Subsistence on the Panama Canal Commission. Additionally, the engineer Joseph Ripley created incorrect blueprints and has been proven to be no expert on locks, but Major William L. Sibert is excellent. Bishop thinks the Republican Club of New York’s motives for disparaging Roosevelt’s canal policy are political. In response to Roosevelt’s suggestion to include local events in the new paper, Bishop explains that it may be hard to keep current, but he will try his best.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1907-09-03
Joseph Bucklin Bishop, secretary of the Isthmian Canal Commission, reports to President Roosevelt that matters on the Isthmus are in good condition thanks to Chief Engineer and Commission Chairman George W. Goethals’s systematic military organization. Goethals is an effective leader and greatly appreciates Bishop’s help, especially in handling complaints. Bishop compliments Roosevelt’s Provincetown speech and gives an update on his family.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1907-08-29
President Roosevelt tells Joseph Bucklin Bishop that he joins George W. Goethals and the rest of the Isthmian Canal Commission in their enthusiasm over Harry H. Rousseau’s marriage. He will not punish Rousseau for marrying Gladys Fargo Rousseau against her parents’ wishes and instead wishes to promote him.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1908-04-17
President Roosevelt is surprised by Henry Cabot Lodge’s claim that the Naval Board supported Rear-Admiral Harry H. Rousseau succeeding Admiral Robley D. Evans. He asks if Admiral George Dewey had told him this, as Dewey had told him that Rear Admiral Caspar F. Goodrich should succeed Rousseau. After meeting with the Naval Board, Roosevelt concludes that Evans and those under his command have done their work well and that the Dewey camp are “entirely in error” to rally against Evans and Rousseau.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1907-04-10
Joseph Bucklin Bishop wrote Edith Kermit Carow Roosevelt about the controversy surrounding Harry H. Rousseau’s marriage for her amusement, not thinking it would reach President Roosevelt in an official matter. However, now officials have asked for Rousseau’s resignation because he married “Miss S.” against her parents’ wishes. Bishop speaks of Rousseau’s good conduct and quality, and explains that the treatment of Miss S. by her parents was cruel and “inhuman,” and that Rousseau had no choice but to marry without her parents’ consent.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1908-04-10
Secretary of the Isthmian Canal Commission Bishop sends President Roosevelt a rough draft of talking points he can use in his message about the Panama Canal. Bishop also includes a detailed description of the canal’s progress, as well as his evaluation of some other members of the Commission.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1907-10-16
Thomas R. Goethals describes the appointment of his grandfather, George W. Goethals, as chairman and chief engineer of the Panama Canal Commission in 1907. He recounts President Theodore Roosevelt’s repeated reorganization of the commission and his desire to place the project under the authority of the Corps of Engineers of the United States Army. Goethals notes the rapport quickly established between Roosevelt and Goethals, and he details Goethals’s concern over having to replace the very popular John F. Stevens as chief engineer of the project. Goethals notes that his grandfather was most worried about managing the people who would actually build the canal, and he highlights Goethals first speech in Panama in which he tried to reassure them that he would not militarize the project. Goethals also stresses the important role played by Secretary of War William Howard Taft in staffing and overseeing the construction of the canal.
The article includes nine photographs, including five of George W. Goethals, four illustrations, and one map of the canal zone. An advertisement for the Chocolate Lady candy store of Oyster Bay, New York, appears at the conclusion of the article.
Theodore Roosevelt Association Journal
2010
This newsletter, available free of charge to employees of the Isthmian Canal Commission and the Panama Railroad Company, reports on various happenings in the Canal Zone, including updates on progress, revenue, mosquitoes, sports, and excavation. It also includes a directory of names at the end.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1907-09-11
Navy report on the progress of the Panama Canal, including maps and photographs.
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
1886