The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1900-03-11
crooKEDEsT RIVER IN AMERICA.
IL winds It's sInuous Way Through
Arkausas and Missouri.


From us four heads in the Boston
mountains to Batesville. where II leaves
the Ozarks and enters the Arkansas low
lands. White river is a succession OF as
tonIshing curves. No other river on the
continent SO nearly and so frequently
doubles upon itself.
From the source to the fiat country Is
distance on a straight line Of perhaps $50
miles. White river. between these points.
has course Of over COO miles, some esti-
mates make IL 1000 miles.
The beginning Is near the indian terri
tory border in the western part OF Arkan-
sas The water runs toward all points
OF the compass in quick succession many
times before IL adopts a comparatively
direct course to the Mississippi.
From the Boston mountains the general
course, with many bend and curve, is
northward, and northeastward into Mis-
souri, Probably the highest point in this
direction IL Forsyth. near the center of
fancy county, From this place the
White wriggles its way back into Arkan-
sas and down through Marion county,
TO where the Buffalo Joins II. But not
until the Observation-Disclosures border has
been crossed seven times does the I'M
certain stream finally bear away to the
southeastward to stay.
Adding to the marvel of White rivers
eccentric meanderings are the walls of
rock which tower from 200 to 500 feet often
from the waters edge. A bird s-eye
view from above would show the river
deep set in a canyon of continuous and
often sharp curvatures.
On bright day stretch OF the wind
Ing river seen from the summit Of the
palisades shimmers like WELL polished sill
YER.
only when heavy rainfall occurs in the
watershed Of the White does the water
lose its distinctive color. Even then.
while the rocky surface sends to the
river a considerable portion of the rain
fall stained by the vegetation and the
soil. the greater part sinks into under
ground reservoirs and courses, and. slow
iy fltering and settling, reaches the river
through the springs. which defy the long
est drouth periods.
White river booms for few days with
mighty flow after protracted rains. A
forty-foot rise Is not extraordinary in the
contracted parts Of the valley. The
water assumes a dirty whitish look But
the mood subsidies quickly, the current
clarifies even more rapidly and the river
runs steadily during the cry season. 1t
Is not want OF water which causes the
unnavigable stage, 1t is the character
Of the chsnnel-a series of long levels
and OF short rapids. II the current was
evenly distributed there would be depth
enough for the iightest-draft stern
wheolcrs all the year.
Many years ago Forsyth was reached
by steamboats, on White river. The bold
navigators pushed their stern wheelers
TO the foot Of the rapids. Then they
sent the roustabouts ciambering over
rocks and through the trees dragging the
towline Its fun length. The upper end
was strongly fastened to stand the strain
The boat end OF the hawser was wound
round the capstan. With the paddle
wheels driven by every pound OF pressure
n Ia nd xxfffh b..
winding in the towline. the boat dragged
and pushed itself up foot by foot through
the foaming rapids
After the passage was made a long
reach Of smooth deep water made easy
progress for perhaps twenty. perhaps
atty miles. In this way Forsyth was
reached. And when the boat loaded to
the guards" with lead and cotton and
hogs and the various products of the
White river country. turned PROV down
stream, there was little to do but to trust
to Providence and the man behind the
wheel. The current did the rest.
One day, In spirit OF daring Cant
Bateman said he was going to take the
Mary c. to Forsyth II It was her last trip
He made McBee's and the other landings
above Buffalo city and triumphantly
swoke the echoes OF the heights of Pine
mountain Ms the boat came In sight OF
Forsyth. But pride went before the worst
tNi thAt tooto happen To steamboat
man. In trying 90 turn the Mary c. TO
head down stroam the captain failed to
gauge the width OF the channel.
He ran her nozzle asin the bank on
one side. The stern went around with a
sweep and lodged against gravel bar on
the other side. The Mary G. lay for
few moments hroadside in the channel.
blocking II. There was creaking and
grooming, The hog chains parted. The
Mary C.S back was broken The
wreck lay there until the elements wore
u TO pieces. That was the end % naviga-
ton 10 Forsyth. st. Louis Globe Demo
crat.