The Greenville times. [volume] (Greenville, Miss.) 1868-1917, 1897-06-16
Work on the Mississippi,



A statement made to the Sonato b.
the Secretary Of War shows hat III,
tolnl expenditures msUc under tn,
Mississippi Rivor Commission amount
J TO S24357 ,43l above the passes aud
$S,222,773 below tho passes, with al
unexpended appropriation of SSO,S60
Thirly-six millions of dollars is In
deed an immense amount of money
but when it Is considered that II has
been employed on one of the greal
arteries of our national commerce, aud
on one of the three or four most im'
portaut navigable rivers of the globe
the object seems worthy of the outlay
aud il is doubtful If any American be-
grudges the expenses, or would object
to its being doubled il the desired re
suits were realized,
The main object Of this great inlay
has been to improve, or rather pre-
serve, the navigation OF the river.
Left to itself the stream would in time
become impossible, aud certain
amount OF labor is and always will be
required to keep the water highway
even open. But involved with the
question OF maintaining the waterway,
is that other great question of pro-
serving the shores aud projecting the
country from Inundation. 1t might
be supposed that TO maintain the river
as a navigabe stream was the bu.iness
of the general Government, and that
OF holding the banks the duty OF the
States or of individuals, but the two
labors are associated. OF the 80 mil
lions of dollars expended, II would be
difficult to divide the millions which
have been devoted TO the attempt to
keep The river ia a stesdfast channel
and the millions which have been used
up in endeaVoring to fortIfy the banks,
The millions of people interested
in fact, the entire people Of the coun.
try are interested directly or indirect
ly-are resolved 10 do two things, to
accomplish two objects, whatever may
be the cost, namely, to hold the valley
of the Mississippi as su agricultural
and producing country, and to mais-
tain the Mississippi river as n CONNER
cial highway.
The foundations of the past season
have not in the least shaken the dis
position 0f the owners of the land aud
the water on either bank OF the river
to hold both. 1t is an empire that is
at stake, and it is not to be abandoned.
The 80 millions already expended is
but tri1e in comparison with the |
value Of the property involved aud
that sum is insignificant compared TO
the expenditure justifablo IN the pres.
erVation OF the river and the country. |
Tho determination 10 put forth new
exeFtiops for the restoration OF The |
Mississippi riger country Oh scale
IF efTor.t never betore attempted is
steadily taking form. This spirit and'
ts inspiration in the inclc.%siug Falue
If the territory involved The coum.
ry Is better worth saving than ever
before. The South has developed
lew sources of wealth and increased
he old. It's wildernesses have chang
ID into fruitful fields, its villages into
titles.
There is room, of course, for i'm
'rovement and expansion in the United
States, but there is not now any new
country to be opened within its lin
Is. The great industrial, agricultural
md commercial enterprise waiting the
hands of Americans within their own
country is the improvement and hold
ng of what in American chronology
8 au old country or section. The
work is nothing less than the subju.
cation OF a great, wild and uncertain
liver, the protection aud maintenance
II an empire, rich aud great on either
horc.