The comet. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1877-1882, 1879-06-28
A Land-EaIt1g River,

Correspondence St. Paul Pioneer Press
The Missouri is q remarkable river, unN
like any other | ever saw. To he appte-
ciated it must be seen and heard during the
April or June rise. when its waters are RED
and thick with the powdered soil they have
brought down from the mountains and
stolen from the farms in the valleys. Then
it pours and swrls and eddies along with a
treacherous sound between a chuckle and a
half suppressed whisper, that repels while
fascinating the listener. It has made mil
lions of acres Of rich black deposits, on
which it still holds mortgage, the fore
closure of which no man can foresee. Some
of these fertile acres may sustain forests
that have been growing for hundreds of
wears, but not rod of the vast level bot
tom lands which lie on either side of the
muddy monster, varying in width from two
10 twenty miles, stretching all the way from
Yankton to st. Louis, and covered with the
finest woods and richest farm produce that
land can bear up under, is exempt from the
possibility of some day being devoured by
its hungry and tickle mother. Hundreds OF
farmers, after clearing away the heavy
timber and raising fine crops year after
year, on their eighty or more acres OF deep
inexhaustible river bottom, have seen their
entire possessions swept away in few days
by sudden and unexpected 'change OF
channel" during an April or June rise
These changes of channel have different
causes. Sometimes giant cotton WOOD
tree that has been uprooted where the river
has raised upon the forest above, is borne
down by the current and lodged in the mud,
where it will gradually become imbedded in
the yielding bottom. and perhaps lie in
wait for months, or even years, without
giving any particular sign of existence At
last. an unusual rise takes place, and this
hidden ''anag' creates a diversion in the
strong current, which eliminates in boil
ing eddy. The eddy increases in depth and
force; gradually diverting the water from
its former course, until a new pathway is
formed in the river bed. If the eddy is
located near the shore, at the upper edge
of promontory and the water is sufficient
" high to overflow the flats, a new channel
is sometimes carved straight across some
valuable farm or timber strip, and a river
town, where steamboats, took freight and
passengers last year, may be from two to
six miles distant from navigable water next
year. A few years ago, Forest City, Mo-
was kissed day and night, hy the dirty lips
of this Western tlirt. To-day, the river
sports miles away, out of Sight of the old
cave, and is whispering soft things to White
Cloud, on the Kansas side, which has gained
a river, while the State has lost several
thousand acres of productive cotton land
that now supports cattle and hogs i'll Mis-
souri,.
When the Missouri river begins to in
dulge in its semi-annual free lunch, it fire. |
quently devours strips of bottom land
several rods in width every twenty four
hours, At such times it is dangerous to
drop to sleep near the water's edge. There
lives in Rulo, a river town in Southeastern
Nebraska, a venerable physician named
Thompson. One warm June day the doc
tor cast his fish-lines into the river close to
the timber, and laying down in the shade,
to watch for catfish. dropped off to sleep
and TO pleasant dreams. He was awakened
quite abrutly by neigkbor, who told him
he was sleeping on the wrong side of long
narrow crevice that had formed about rod
from the rivers brink.
He did not wait much to save his lines,
but instantly ''got up and got. The next
instant strip of cottonwood land parted |
with the mainland forever and |
with its freight of trees dissolved like so
much sugar in coffee cup, leaving the |
doctor to thank the river for stealing his |
fish lines and the land, and his neighbor
,or saving his life Missouri river towns
ire never safe except when located on bluffs
u table lands, like Omaha, White Cloud,
st. Joseph and Kansas City.