National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1882-01-23
FATHER OF WATERS.
A TALK WITH TWO NOTED RIvERMEN.
Tho Outlets Of the Mississippi win Prevent
the Overflow OF the River and Save
Millions OF Dollars to the Gov.
eminent and People.

A reporter Of THE REPUBLICAN met Captain
Thomas T. feathers, Of New Orleans at the Ebbtt
House last evening, who Is one Of the oldest
steamboat commanders on the Lower Mississippi.
How long have You been following the Missis-
spp River, CaptainG' said The REPUBLICAN.
Nearly half century" replied the genial old
navigator, rs he pufTcd his fine Cuba cigar. 81
have served MS pilot and commander on that river
during the time above mentioned, and in my
career as n rivormun | have Travelled 100000
miles, carried over 100000 bales of cotton, and
10000 passengers, and in my remarkable expert
cncc ms public carrier not one Of my passengers
ever received the slightest injury"
Are there many men on the river now that
were there when you entered the trndcT
al am alone. one by one they have all passed
away, and am len Hs the last sentinel"
Here the old hero of the Father Of Waters raised
his deep blue eyes and fixed them steadfastly on
TUE RErrBLrcANs young man. and snd: 81 tell
you sir, II makes me feel sad TO reflect on the pic.
turC have just drawn know that my time will
soon come, when too will have to pull in the
gang plank and head for the shore beyond the
river Of time"
In your lifelong experience ns a navigator on
the Mississippi River have you paid any attention
pen so often?'
~ have studied the question of the Mississippi
River improvement for many years from prncti.
cal observation, and am convinced that there Is
| hut one feasible plan by which the Mississippi
| Valley can be protected from overflow"
| "What plan Is that, Captain Lenthcrs?'
1T Is by the outlet system proposed by Captain
John Cowdons. of Tennessee. lie has given this
| s"lject much study and careful thought. He can
demonstrate 10 Congress the prncicability Of his
plans. which will save the Government millions
| Of dollars and reclaim much Of the low lands of
the Mississippi and its tributaries that is now
worthless lam here II the interest OF the i'm
Have you been before the committee having
the matter In charger
81 was before tho House Committee for the I'm
nrovcmcnt of the Mississippi Saturday aud gave
them my views"
"what Rrc your views?"
81 will refer YOU to Captain Cowdon, the author
of the outlet system, He can post Won fully"
Tnr REPUBLICAN then called at bl2 Twelfth street
and found Captain CowdOn busily engaged in
writing. He gave our representative n cordial
Captain said our young man, "TnE REruBrI.
| CAN would like to have your views OH the Missis.
| sippi River Improvement"
Certainly said the polite Tennessccan, "but
first let me tell you that may be called n child of
| the Western waters MyGther and mother iloatcd
| down the Tennessee River TO the Ohio down the
| Ohio to the Mississippi, down the Mississippi to
the mouth Of the White River in the then Terri.
He assembled the White River to Scarcy, near
which place was born. A few years alierward
my fatlcr, in his little boat, moved down the Mis-
! Sissippi to Eagle Bend, about thirty miles above
| Wick >burg. At that time there was but dozen
families from Vicksburg to the mouth of the
Arkansas River, distance of 200 miles, in which
"Then you have been raised as 1t were on the
riyer2"
River and its tributaries. / believe know tic
river rs well MS any living man."
81 suppose You are here to show Congress the
best plan for relieving the great oycrtiows in your
| rivers and valleysg'
"Yes, sir, that is my business, and thinl; can
do II IL without prejudice to any one. Ny plan Is
| simple economical, and thoroughly practicable.
If the Government sees proper to adopt 1t you will
| see great revolution in tho improvements in the
| ifDi hrl Il have do tl,n
subject Of the outlet of the Mississippi River close
study for yearsN nm thoroughly convinced that
| have struck the right plan TO accomplish what Is
most deslred-that is, to relieve the disastrous
over1ows of the Mississippi Valley, which prove
such heavy loss to the people ofthat section both
"ITGve you been before the Commerce Commit
tee yct?""
| the Improvement of the Mississippi River last
| Saturday ] was allowed ample time to answer
| such questions MS the committee deemed proper to
| ask and give full explanations on all points of
| doubt, If there were any. think the committee
| n very fair one, and are disposed to treat oil
schemes and plans with equal fairness. pointed
out to them the economy and practicabll::y of my
| system of outlets"
'"You are the father Of the outlet system as pro.
| posed by you, are you not2"
| Yes, sir am and know II is the true plan to
be adopted to relieve the great Mississippi Valley
Of the vast amount of overflow water"
| Are there many prominent business men in the
| Valley section who fnvor your scheme?"
II will refer you to the following. named wealthy
|
Valley who have confidence in my system of out
let's for the reclamation and draining the over.
flowed lands J. c. Clarke, vice.president
and New Orleans Railroad; Charles
Louisiana and Texas Railroad and Steamship Com.
| pnny; ii. s. Morse, superintendent New Orleans
| and Pacific Railway Jay Goulds road: Frederick
Wolfe, New Orleans, Northeastern Railroad, yicks-
| burg, Shreveport and Pacific Railroad, Cincin-
natl, New Orleans and Texas Pacific Railroad lem
bracing the whole Erlangcr Southern system OF
| railways; G.. Q. Cordell, president police jury,
Tensas parish Louisiana; John II. Conway, ex-
Rtor Of Louisiana; T. L, Kidd, State senator
| of Loui Siam: A. c. Gibson, representative State
Legislature, Louisiana; q. W. Walton, State sen.
| ator; A, w. Faulkner, State representative ;
| Thomas Green Davidson, eX member of Congress
| and representative in the Legislature; DR.. j. NJ.
Williams, planter aud cN'member of the LcgiSla-
| steamer Natchcz; C, Newton, State senator; w. f.
Bugcr State representative; Il. w. Butler State
| representative; C. II. Mclean, state representative
representative; u. y. Billiard State representative
Thomas A, Garrett, state representative; W. L.
| McMillen, postmaster of New orleans; Captain
John J. Brown steamer Edward J. Gay; Mr.
Vance, State senator, and great many others
| have never iuiled 10 convince all liberal
| minded people who would study my system, but
that mine was the true plan. / have frequently
met opposition from some men, because was not
| an engineer. That class of men think that they
| can put quart of water In pint-cup, ana then
| not have II full; but go on the old common.
| sense principle, that water Is naturally inclined
to run down hill instead ofupward, and the angle
| OF full must be increased to Increase the current
| All obstacles must be taken out of the river, and
| that one mouth Is not sufficient to discharge the
water; therefore more outlets must be made. In
| this way the outflow will be greater than the In
| flow, and then there will BIO no overflow at the
| same time"
Then your plan is to give more outlets to the
"That, contend, is the proper way to rclicv,
| the overflow. 1t will save the Government many