Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1898-02-15
THE GRAND OLD RIVER
Jealousy Prompts a Western
S!ur at the Father of
Waters.
FLOOD TIDE OF TIE MISSISSIPPI

Every Cent Exp 'nded on tia Bstterm emit
Of tue Inisud Water Cosr,s . Benefits to
comm,ree-Advsnt,g q =, osuiz cd from
an Eastern s,nrce-worth sn that Is Pat
Irto &c.
From out on the mud soaked
banks oil the old '.Mizzouree," whose
waters arc only spanked after they
are taken into the folds OF tie father
o. them al Is they are dashed on re-
sist!css.y to the gull, comes this dis
maj wall through the Omaha World
Herald: 1.-The annual spring Hoods
in the Mississippi river bottoms is
near 20 hand, and with them will
come the biennial Tsid upon the
treasury Of the United States.
Every time u Mississippi river lovee
oresss congressman from . dis;ric,
lying along the river jots down a
mcmoraads, snd prepares to ask for
smother million or so OF dollars for
the protection of the people living
therein. Every dollar spen. in fol.
lowing the presen. plan Of lifting the
Mississippi rivers bed higher ABOVE
the surrounding country is O bid
made for more dollars to lift il still
higher. The Mississippi has been
dyed and lcveed uaiil it is higher
than the surrounding country. and a
constant menace thereto. Further
pursuit OF this policy is criminal
waste. IL is high time that politics
be forced % the rear In the consid-
Grafton Of the Mississippi river i'm.
P ovements and common sense H.
vited to the front"
Il MiCnty RIVER.
So much for the mouthings OF a
source that can only he construed as
of an envisble nature. Contrast
them with the appended evidence OF
recognition from conservative
standpoint. unmoved by either
bias or prejudice. List 10 no less
distinguished on authority than the
New York World:
"liow many Americans appreciate
the grandeur OF their country 5
geography? How many know that
there is M river system on Garth
which even distantly compares with
that OF the Mississippi and it,
tributaries? The census tells Us
that these rivers. all flowing ihroug b
one channel into ihG Gull VI Mexico,
aggregate mote than 100. 00O miles
az length. The Amazoa, the Nile.
the Gauges, aGd al the rest OF The
gTea, river systems on earth PM to-
gether scarcely approach this mag
n ticent showing. Think of il, A
steamboat leaving P!ttsburg can
vi=it % states without pas:iu 2
through auy artificial channel. She
can 20 up the Allegheny and Monou-
gahels, the Big sandy, the Kentucky.
the Wabash. the Tennessee and the
Cumberland clear into Ala3ams-
before reaching tho mouth OF tn,
OHIO. Below Cairo she can travers,
no. only the Mississippi, but the st
Francois, the Arkansas, the White
the Red, the Yazoo. the raliaha.chee.
the Yalobusha, the Oaachila, ia,
great bayous, and al tie tribitaric
ui these streams. Above Cairo lie
the Upper Mississippi. the Illinois
the Missouri. the Platte, the Big
Horn, and q score II tributaries
all these. Tho spppo.iliiioas steam,
b at can land at /, 1 81 towns and ri.ic
on her wsv. These rivers drain or
area Of 6s3 sos square miles occu
pied by population OF Il 295, 332 i,
1899. The commerce q this Crea'
river system was carried on in lSS.
b, i5S vessels, with aq aCgreCa.,
tonnage OF ) S9S,S79. ana a value Of
si5 5S5 COS And so rich is thu
.mmaTce that its annual gross earn.
ings exceed the total value OF the
crafts engaged in II by nearly /,
million dollars. f. carries nesrly
eleven million passengers ard resrl 8
lhirty-thrce million tons Of freight
Per yoir.n
rot u ImTrjps oar Chances.
il j. realization 81 the Edeaul
ages the grand Old Mississippi oirer
g. oil the cities bordering Or lis ban k,
that has prompted Tug ARGUS il
p,Esistcnily urging the improvement:
% Rock islauc's river FROM. Let "a:
improve cur opportunities by plac
lsg ourselves Ia position 10 enjoy
the fall beReti. of the commerce tina
msy be ours through natures high
way. lie; rs appreciate the old Mis-
s!ssippi. How now Of the lsvee?
Nevtr 90 Away