Weekly graphic. [volume] (Kirksville, Adair Co., Missouri) 1880-1949, 1894-10-12
OUR CANDIDATE.
An Honest, Fearless, Able Gentle
man who will Represent the
First Missouri District in
Next Congress

NcAt SOuSISSS
Major c. n. Clark was born and
ceared on farm in Courtland
county, n. Y, educated in Hamil-
ton, New York, moved to Illinois
in 1859.
When the war broke out he
helped raise company of cavalry,
furnishing their own horses which
was made Co., G. Sd Illinois cav
alry on the 9th day of August,
1861, and went directly into active
service in Missouri under Col f..
A. Carr; located in Hannibal. Mo-,
in April, 1865.
Procured the necessary legislation
from the Illinois legislature auth
orizing the building of the Sny
Island levee and in September,
1872, began the work of construc-
ton.
The work Of erecting the levee
was finished in 1874. The build
ing of the levee and the confining
OF the river to it's channel during
high water, was closely observed
by Major Clark and he became
convinced that this was the key to
the improvement of the channel of
the river for the benefit of COM
merce and from that time on has
taken deep interest in river i'm
provement.
Was made member of the execu-
tive committee for the improve
ment of Western waterways and
at meeting of that committee and
on Major Clark's motion nation
al convention was called in 1888
in the interest of the great rivers
OF the West, to be held in Wash
ington, ID. c.
MiSsouri's delegation numbered
nearly one hundred of her first and
most entrprising citizens, and
among the number was Major
Clark, who, upon the motion of ex
Governor Francis, was made
chairman of the Missouri delega-
ton, which position he filled with
distinction
To this convention, the credit is
largely due, for the liberal appro-
priation for the improvement of
the great rivers of the west and to
the adoption by Congress of the
views of Capt. j. B. Eads, ably
seconded by Major Clark that to
successfully do this, at the lowest
cost, and to accomplish the great
est permanent good was to confine
the river to its channel by a sys-
TEN of levees, and at the same time
reclaim large body of the richest
land in the world. Major Clark
remained in Washington after the
convention adjourned, caused
bill to be introduced appropriating
$4,000 for the repair, enlarging
and strengthening of the "Sny Is
land Leyee,'' which bill was re-
ferred to the committee on rivers
and harbors.
Major Clark went before this
committee and so clearly demon
stated the fact that the direct effect
OF the levee was to deepen the chan
mel of the river and remove obs;ruc-
TONS to navigation, that a survey
w..s ordered by the secretary of
W r, 20 ascertain what benefit the
ltvee had been to the channel of the
river and therefore to navigation
and commerce.
Major Clark then appeared be-
fore the senate committee, on the
Improvement of the Mississippi
River" which resulted in a vote
by that committee in favor of the
appropriation.
The survey ordered by the sec
retary of war was made, and |
favorable report was returned. re- /
sulting in an appropriation of
SIS, 500 and ultimately to one of
$50, 600 to repair the breaks in the
levee in 1888. These appropria-
tions were made upon the well es-
tablished proof that the levee was
a part of the governments plan of
improving the river by deepening
the channel.
Major Clark has always been a
promoter OF every public enter
prise that looks to the growth and
npbuilding of the city OF Hannibal