The Oskaloosa herald. (Oskaloosa, Mahaska County, Iowa) 1885-1919, 1902-06-26
The Bonaparte Dam.

Editor Herdld:-Let me say a word
to the fishermen and all others inter-
ested, about this dam that has cost
so much talk and enpense. l do not
mean the Irishman's dam. It's the
dam across the Des Moines river at
Bonaparte, Iowa, l wish to speak of.
Many say that it is nuisance and
should be torn out, because the fish
cannot come up the river. The OPP
inion was so strong that it got in
the state legislature and has gone to
much expense by litigation to make
the owner tear it out away back
when most of the traffic was done OF.
steam boats. 1t was thought slack
water navigation from Keokuk to
Des Moines city would be a grand
thing for the state, so the state
made an appropriation for the same.
That was every alternate section of
land for five miles wide on each side
of the Des Moines river that was not
sold at that time. A committee was
appointed to receive the money, and
when there was a hundred thousand
dollars collected the work should
commence. In due time the commit
tee reported the amount was on
hand. The work was commenced;
three or four dams and locks put in.
But when railroads began to be
pushed through the state, people be-
gan to think navigation on the Des
IIoines river would be too slow, and
to keep up with the procession must
have railroads. So strong was that
sentiment that it got in the state
legislature. So the land grant was
turned over to the Des Moines Valley
Railroad company then organized, and
the farther Improvement of the Des
Moines river abandoned. The dams and
locks then put in belonged to the
state So a law or resolution was
passed to sell item for what they
would bring l think one was sold
to Mr.. Johnson, who afterwards
sold the rock from the lock to the
state to put in the foundation of the
capital builGIng at Des Moines; after
being there one winter was condemned
and thrown out. Mr.. Meek, the pres
ent owner of the dam at Bonaparte
bought that one and the state gave
him as good a deed as it could at
that time, and perhaps as good as it
could today, not only for the dam.
but for the use of the river as far
as it backed water, and Mr.. Meek
owns the land on botn sides of the
river at that place The factory at
Bonaparte is partly run by water
power from that dam when there is
sufficient water. The owners of that
dam say That it has to be repaired
every year, and they have forty thous-
and dollars invested in that dam. and
understand that much less than that
would buy it. | like to go fishing
and like fish dearly well, but l would
rather buy all the fish / will need
for the next 25 years than to ask the
owners of that dam to tear it out
without fair compensation. If the
state has made a mistake in selling
that dam receiving pay for it,
and now want it back, it should be
willing to pay the money back. In
making the land grant in the first
place there was mistake. or blunder
Perhaps every member of the legisla-
ture thought at that time the every
alternate section meant up the river
as far as the improvement went.
but the error was 1t did not saw so
and after the railroad company got
1t they claimed the land all the way
up, that is why there was SO much
litigation. So Judge Somebody de-
cided that it would apply up as far
as it was Des Moines river. which
was right according to law.
A. j. JEwErr