Osage Valley banner. (Tuscumbia, Miller County, Mo.) 1879-1881, 1879-07-31
0sapn River.

1kNAN wv N|@ANAA1 - 49, sANH 1850
guished gentleman residing in Central Mis-
souri, when at homo; who is at Sous Lake,
Texas for summer recreation;
Sour LAKE, TEXAS.
In. BAENER:-An item l saw copied from
your valuable paper, that q steamboat was
! aground above Tuseumbia and tho river bad
fallen so that one eonld walk around it, has
induced mo to give expression to the opinion
long since entertained, that the only hope
for ihe Usage Valley is In slack water nsyigs.
lion. The river cannot be depended upon
for navigation. Railroads cannot DO con-
structed so as TO answer the purpose, and it
is ouly by the aid of locks and dams that the
wonderful resources OF that maichless valley
can be Developed. Every other Interest in
the 7lh district dwaris into insigniaoance
when compared 10 the accomplishment OF
making that beautiful river nayigabie at all
seasons of the year, would ask no greater
honor. ms ambition would be completely sat-
is6ed we're Icapable of working at that one
object and could succeed in It's final accom-
plIshment. But it can't be done IN a day,
nor In one or even two sessions Of Congress,
it will require years OF pei sistont work. We
mus. have a capable and accomplished man,
full of energy and system, who has the Usage
on tho brain; one who will combine Kansas
and Missouri; and meyer cease asking and
working, until his prayer shall be fulfilled; a
man who will WORK for thia object ~everlast
insly, regardless of political haIr spllttings;
one who has the interest Of all his constit-
uents at heart, and who firmly believes he
can best save their interests by locking ana
daming the Usage river. \ member from
the 9Th district Identified with tho Ossge
river improvement, and who will work Tor
this object "a the one purpose OF his lille, AND
THIN KEEP MN / CONGRESS UNTIL MS TASK
Is PERFORMED. Lot him work tor money
enough to build one lock and ~dam-com-
meaeiug at Shiply's of course, and then
another and another until the Usage Valley
shall bloom and blossom as the rose, and pro-
duce its countless thousands 81 tons cereals
and minerals, and make Southwest Missouri
for, and this is the object the OsAGE VALLEY
BANNER | sm cure will dc all Ia It's power to
promote. SUCCESS.
We have for the last three years and oyer
presented to the public and held before the
eyes of members OF Congress and State Leg
~islators the all important subject OF improv-
ing the Usage river, we have suggested dit
ferent plans by which the river can be uhliZ-
cd for not only the blessing and comfort OF
the people Immediately 10 the valley, but for
the entire States.
There is not a ~neighborhood north, south,
east or west in this broad land, even in The old
World but that the valuable timbers, miner |
ais, machinery, implements OF household, and
farming utensils manutact4 red at these water
powers on the Usage, would seak a place Tor
the comfort and blessings of man. Tho four
hundred miles in the, richest agricultural
lands IN the world lying contiguous to and
along the banks of the river, with Thousands
of miles in the valleys of its tributaries are
sufficient 10 produce bread to subsist many
nations. To unite the Kansas river by way
of canal at or near Lawrence, Ksssa9, would
give water transit to Southern Kansas, New
Mexico aud Southern Colorado.
The improvement of the Ossgo river by
eiaSh-Netot 10 StiJ u question vi tiHlC' 4 ue
past and present useless expenditure of mon
ey by the Government; in wing and trail dam
ing the river does no permanent gooc tho
sooner it is stopped the better. twenty-five
or City thousand dollars from the u. ). Gov
ernment to purchase material; the labor OF
two hundred couvicts one yesS by State aid
and a small pitence from each county in
Usage Valley when the work is being done
will be sufficient to erect one lock and dam.
Prosecute the work in this way, in a few
years the valley would "bloom and blossom"
as a we'll cultivated garden from the Capitol
o! tho great State OF Missouri through KAN
sas TO Colorado and New Mexico. connecting /
the great GALLEY Of the Mississippi with the
rich gold and silver mines In the West.
/