The Taney County republican., 1899-12-14
Dow. wh;te River.
(Continued from First Pagc.) }

ItuCucOs a ut Wucu Tue OO0S, lOdOSu
20 the guards" with lead. cotton aud
hogs aud the various products of the
White river country, turned prov
downstream, there was little to do
but to trust 10 Providence and the
nerve Of the man behind the pilot
wheel. The currcut did the rest.
But the railroads. bull: into South
Missouri and West Arkansas. The
Ozark people took to raising less cot
ton aud more corn, which they fed to
1--we stock which could be driven over
inducemcnts tor river transportation
to and iron. Forsyth became smaller.
Oue dav, i'm spirit Of daring, Capt.
l;atcinan sssid he was going to take
She Mary T.. to Forsyil, IF It was her
last trip. He made McBec's and
City. the other landings above Buffalo
ant triumphantly awOl1e the echoes
of the heights of Pine mountain as
the boat came within sight of Forsyth
But pride went down before the
worst fall that could happen to a
steam boatman. In trying to head
the Mary T.. down stream, the captain
W VIZ "Nttu vi LnS CIuu-
mel. He "ran her nozzle ag'in the
bank" on one side. The stern went
around with Il sweep and lodged
against u gravel bar on the other side.
The Mary e.. lay for a few moments
trondside in the chanuel blocking it.
There was creaking and groaning.
The hog chains parted. The Mary
C.'s shack was broken.'' lie wreck
lay there until the elements wore it
20 pricrs, which floated away. OccAs-
ionally the smaller crafts Oh the river
climbed "Butfaio Shoals" as the guide
boards have it, and reached landing
convenient to the lead mines aud the
eouniry towns as far up as Forsyth,
palaces" of the river, Buffalo City be-
cr,me the head of navigation.
Ehe city sportsnlen seeking new
fields for fall outings are just begin-
ming to realize OH the opportunity of
White river. hn October a house
boat built at a cost of $50 started
from Forsyth with a party of Kansas
City men TO float down White river,
hunting aud fishing ell route. 1t was
a pioneer trip. The voyagers gath
cred collection of exciting aud fas-
cina!ing experiences beside which
former days in other parts of the
Ozark country sank into insiguiti-
cance Wealthy st. Louisans the past
sea on bought aud placed upon the
White a light-draught vapor launch.
through what they declare to be the
finest river for scenery in America.
White river voyaging is new thing.
Not far hence the man with the gun
Will bring the woman with the Kodak
a thousand miles to float between
these palisades.
AT buffalo City the Upper White
and it's principle tributary, the Buffa-
10, unite to make stream which is
navigahle for steamboats, half of the
year. During the remaining six
months the Lower White is a series
of long, deep pools, connected by "rif-
iies' as the shoals are called. Upon
the 1l0 miles of river from Buffalo
City to Batesvillc the government
has begun the past summer one of the
most important waterway improve
mrnts in the west. The fall of the
river in that distance is 40 feet.
Plans have been devised by the Unit
ed Stated engineers whereby ten
,.ams aud locks are to he constructed.
each dam will raise the wafer ten feet.
Al low Stage the current will be prac.
tically eliminated and slack water
navigation for river boats OF consider
able draft will be made possible in
that part of the year when under ex-
isting conditions every craft "must
90 TO the bank"
The last congress provided for a
good beginning Of this work. Two
of The 10 dams and locks were auth
orizcd, and an appropriation Of $780,
600 was made. Senator Frye, who is
of an expert in such mat
tcrs, has studied the data of the engi-
ncers and is satisfied that the dams
can be put in for S150,000 each. "A
location for the first lock has been
chosen a half mile below Batesville.
Engineering parties have been ell
gagged several mouths making surveys
and borings upon which to base the
specifications for the first two dams.
Their part of tire work is practically
finished. The stage of progress
which warrants the letting of con-
tracts for construction has been
reached.
Since the government iniated this
improvement of White river new
nave arisen which may
have an important bearing on it.
in general and an indefi-
uite Way has been known for years |
about the mineral wealth of North |
Arkansas. But in the past six months |
he information has expanded. Peo-
pie who before had never heard Of
he zinc deposits in the White and |
Buffalo basins, have invested thou
sands of dollars. There is not a state
II the east or north that has not fur
iishcd some of the capital. COmpan-
cs to explore the zinc fields of this
'egion have been organized every
where. The want of transportation
ABILITIES is the only check upon de-
'elopment already notable, but which
would be prodigious with the way to
market made easy.