The Forrest City times. [volume] (Forrest City, Ark.) 1871-1919, 1898-09-30

destined to markets abroad. For the
concentration of freight at gulf ports
water transportation is cheapest. En-.
gineering works In the shape of locks
and dams will cause boating to become
the most popular as well as the cheap
est means of transporting all freight
not requiring rapid transit. The same
works will also stimulate railroad
building, for the reason that tramways
and narrow gauge railroads will radi-
ate from every mill site. Rapid stride
has been made in superseding the loco
motive by electric motor in places
where water power is available for
generating electricity. This power
can be applied to the operation of lines
Of railroad at every point where locks
and dams are constructed. and thus the
sinuous and crooked canyons of all out
lying territory can be penetrated with
railroads of some description.
1t is estimated that the lead and zinc
output of Missouri mines within the
past year exceeds $4,000. 900, and that
more than 81 500, 900 of st. Louis and
eastern capital has been invested in
mineral lands of those districts. In the
the meantime there has been little or
no investment in the mineral lands Of
Arkansas. New discoveries are being
made in the outside localities and new
mining camps are springing up in valley
and on hillside all throughout the min
ing districts of Missouri, while the
mineral fields of Arkansas are not dis.
turbed by either prospector or specu-
lator. Arkansas has the richer fields,
but they are inaccessible.
Zinc and lead have appreciated mar
velously within the past Is months, and
the price continues to advance, owing
to the new uses of these metals in
manufacturing purposes. The increas
ing demand and upward tendency Of
price ought to induce the public spirited
citizens of Arkansas to make a sys-
tematic and vigorous effort to bring the
lead and zinc regions of the state In
touch with transportation facilities.
The people will be benefited directly
by opening new outlets for the produc.
tion of the mining districts, and there
is no plan for gaining access to these
beds of wealth more easy to carry into
effect than the proposed one Of locks
and dams.
The legislator who drafts bill cover
ing all requirements to carry the scheme
to successful issue must devote some
time to research and experience an anx-
ious lingering over detail, but he will
win the lasting gratitude of the people
and place his name in the list of prac-
tical statesmen, there to remain for all
time.
The locks and dams now in operation
in Kentucky, Ohio and other states can
be inspected and valuable information
as to cost and mode Of construction can
be obtained with little expense and
trouble. Indeed, the object lessons
afforded by these locks and dams in
successful operation will greatly simp-
lily the initiatory work of establishing
the system in Arkansas.
AS suggested. let the experiment be
tried at the first rapids on White river,
the doorway, as it were, to the mineral
region of north central Arkansas. To
accomplish this there need be no waste
of money in cutting and trying, nor
waste of time in fixing preliminary de.
tail. Locks and dams now in use may
be taken for models. A competent en-
gineer can establish a site and with
rocks and other material already on the
ground, the work of construction will
proceed as steadily as that of building
a wagon bridge over a creek, and when
the first lock is finished its utility will
be established and the work of river
improvement will progress until every
available stream in the state shall have
been brought into boating use and be-
come feeder to the gulf ports, which
will at no distant day discharge a vast
amount of ocean freight through the
Nicaragua canal. The locking and
damming process is Arkansas oppor-
tunity.