The Taney County republican. (Forsyth, Mo.) 1895-1992, 1899-12-14

l
Arkansas and down through Marion
county to where the Baffialo joins it
But not until The Missuuri-A
does the uncertain stream finally
bear away to the s0utheastward tt
| stay.
Adding to the marvel of White
rivers eccentri: meanderimgs are the
walls Of rock " iiicl tower from 2O(
| to 500 feet often from the water edge
A bird's-eve view from above would
| show the river deep set in camyoI
of continuous and often sharp
curvatures. A nliie OF White
river in straight line is unusual
The canyvn-like valley of the White
narrOws in places mlIn"s, to the chan
nePs width. over most OF the course
it is wide enough for a strip Of fertile
land along the river: The water
wanders from ono side of the valley
the towering palisades first OH the
right and then on the left. 1t main-
tains close relationship with a cliff
for half dozen miles. Then it sud-
denly crosses through the bottm lands
and hugs the opposite frowning mass.
On bright day stretch Of the
winding river seen from the summit
of the palisades shimmers like well
polished silver. "White" nptly de-
scIibed the appearance. A nearby
view from the banks reveals degree
of purity which is not eQualled by
any western river. The contrast of
comparison with the streams which
flow through alluvial country 10
striking. White river has it's origin
in mountain springs. Numberless
underground channels in the lime
stone STRATA help to swell the volume.
Tributaries vary from tiny rivulets
starting high up on the benchcs of
which rush forth with roar from
beneath shelves Of overhaugiug rock.
Twenty miles below Forsyth, beside
the White, is McGfl spring, which
pours out from the face of the cliff
body OF water strong enough to run
a large mill. 1t is type of hundreds,
while the smaller and unnamed
springs can only he enumerated by
tens Of thousands. The Buffalo. the
Crooked and the North Fork in like
manner grow from springs along their
courses aud add to the White their
contributions of the same clear, spark
ling water. Only when heavy rain
fall occurs in the watershed of the
White does the water lose its charac-
ter. Even then, while the rocky sur
face sends to the river a considerable
portion of the rainfall stained by the
vegetation and the soil. the greater
part sinks to underground reservoirs
and courses. and, slowly fiEtering and
settling, reaches the river through
the springs. which defy the Longest
drOuth periods. White rivers bOoms
for few days with mighty flow af-
ter prOtracted rains. A 40-fOot rise
is not extraordinary III the contracted
parts OF TIC valley. Tho water assumes
n dirty, whitish look. But the flood
quickly, the current clarifies
even more rapidly, and the river runs
1t is not want of water which causes
the unnavigable stage. 1t is the char
rcter of the channel bed, a series of
long levels and Of short rapids. Ifl
the current was evenly distributed
there would be depth enough for the
light draught stern whcclcrs the year
around.
Wonderfully clear as White river
is today, so that the pebbly bottom
may be seen through several feet of
water, the old timer recalls when it
was transparent in Il more notable de- |
gree. "UmcIe Billy" Flippin came in
to the White river country in 1886.
"The water was so clear in those |
days" he said recently "you could see
q buffalo fish from an elevation of a |
few feet above the river the whole |
distance across the channel. I have
stood on the edge of the bluff 400 or
500 feet high aud have seen the bufl
falo fish OH the gravelly bottoms one
fourth Of a mile away"
The most important tributary of
the White above Forsyth is the James.
1t joins from the Missouri side and is
wholly within this state. Its charac-
ter is very like that of the White and
The North Arkansas branches. Two
points in Stone county. Mo-, Galena
and Marble Cave, are Joined by a
ridge road 49, miles long. James
also connects these two points, but
runs 125 miles il its crooked course !
10 do so.
With the James added, the White
becomes at Forsyth river in more
than a name. When i: is cup" the
ferry is the only means OF crossing.
In low stages the stream is fordable
1t the ''riffies." The long reaches of
still water arc many feet in depth.
From Forsyth to Batesville is a voY-
age the like of which in adventure
and sights no other part of the
offers. 1t is journey of
nearly 800 miles abounding in seem
cry TO delight the eye, in geological
to epgross the raind, in game
Of fin aud fowl and fur to inspire the
over Of sport, and in mineral condi-
ions to arouse the prospector's hopes.
Many years ago Forsyth was
'eached by steamboats, on White
liver. The bold navigators pushed
heir sternwheelers TO the foot of the
'apids. Then they sent the rousta-
,outs clambering over rocks and
through the trees. dragging the tow
inc its full length. The upper end
vas strongly fastened to stand theI
train. With the paddIe wheels