davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1906-09-02

sas City, and who was much too lazy 70
row forty miles against a swift current.
Although there are few places wbere on.
actly this thing could be done, there h no
part Of the lower river that rs free ffun
curves, the tendency OF tho stream being
to render itself vet more crooked by oon-
stantly eating our the concave hank. For
this reason those whose knowledee Of the
river r. largely theoretical Insist that On
order to prevent the caving OF bants AID
the resultant obstruction Of the channel
Il Is necessary TO straighten the o Of the
river. -
This shortening would decreas 9 tho
length Of the lower Mississippi no less than
IS per cent. These are the theorists who
speak OF the sluggish old Father Of Waters.
In point Of fact Il il a swift stream, with
natural sloIe too great for ever It's present
length. The so-oalled dangerous curves
are It's only salvation. To remove thehh
would be TO increase the velocity % q point
where the banks could not be held.
The ideal condition woui be a state Of
perfect equilibrium between the velocity Of
the river and the stability Of the Q
Bince nature has not provided this equiitb-
RUM, the task has fallen upon the eayxt-
neers Of the War Department, notably
upon one OF them, John 4. Ockerscn. we
has had charge OF the surveys n physical
Investigations Of the entire stream rom it,
source 10 the Gulf Of Mexico, and n thor
o'lRhly far iliar with It's vagaries ~ wei a.
its present and future needs.
He and his associate engineers, having
tested every available method, have
proved to the satisfaction Of the War De-
partment that the only lean Of mann
tanning a permanent navigable channel,
and the one to which the makers OF the
great internal ship canal will ave to resort,
Is the revetment Of all unstable banks.
The necessary stability is given by sinking
woven willow mattresses in IN river against
the banks that are susceptible to doep
erosion, the outer edge OF he mattsees
marking the line Of low water and by grad
ing and paving the bank above this line.
The mattress, usually 25e feet wfde by
1000 feet long, il made OF fascines Of stout
young willows, the bundles approximately
9 foot in diameter. These fasCines are bald
together by wire strands n are held In
place in the mat by heavy wire cable. At
intervals there are upright stakes or fas-
cines to hold the stone the mat In
being ballaated.
The head Of the mattress, which lie woven
directly over the place where it is to be
sunk, is attached to a set Of mooring barges.
Below these are the mattress barges which
drop DOWNSTREAM as the work II weaving
progresses.
The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1906-09-02

garded a. only the beginning Of q much
deeper canal which the future development
both In population and In traflo will de-
mand.
An additional depth Of six feet over the
Nitro sills OF the locks in the oanalizod
portion Of the rivers could be secured
at an additional initial cost Of 81. 1000,
thus making a twenty foot channel possible.
This relatively small sum OF money ex-
pended now would prove a practical measure
Of economy, In that Il would save the
tremendous cost Of reconstruction n few
years hence, with all It's attendant delay in
tranao.
The most important objection 60 this In
CREASED dspth Of the cana Ia that IL would
necessitate the withdrawal Of q greater
bulk Of water from Lake Michigan than 10
considered safe. Already there is appre-
hension that the volume OF 10000 cubic
feet q second which the sanitary canal
requires win lower the level Of the lake
10 . disastrous degree.
Yet this volume Of water 70 absolutely
necessary for the proper flushing Of the
canal, on which IL dependent the health
not only OF Chicago but OF the entire
Mississippi Valley. As Chicago grows In
population the demand for q yet greater
volume Of water through the sanitary canal
will be imperative. This demand must be
met, regardless Of the consequences to Lake
Michigan.
When it has been met, the condition at
the other end Of the canal will make a deep
waterway to the Mississippi River abso-
lutely necessary. The present depth OF the
Illinois River Is not sufficient to take care
Of its own food water. With the addition
OF the water from Lake Michigan the con-
tiguous territory would be submerged all
the time.
As the result OF careful estimates, a board
OF Government engineers has established
the fact that the withdrawal Of 10000 cubic
feet Of water a second from. Lake Michigan
will lower the level Of the lake only six
inches. This ought tU set at rest the fears
OF those who apprehend serious changes
in the Great Lakes and possible international
complications.
The greater part OF the water course
within the State OF Illinois could be made
Ia conform to the requirements OF a ship
canal by the removal OF existing Locks and
dams, and, by dredging out a channel Of
The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1906-09-02

FOR maintaining an open channel, and by
~snngboats which patrol the river in search
OF logs and trees hat have become partially
imbedded in the stream. These bars and
snags are ascribedt TO erosion, a term which
gives the idea Of a slow, wearing process
along the backs and bed OF the stream,
What erosion, as applied TO the Mississippi,
Actually means may be judged from the
statement that below Cairo the caving Of
the banks 10 equal to nine acres q year
for each mile OF the river.
This enormous volume Of earth with ite
accompanying mass Of debris, wire fences,
log houses and barns, trees torn out WITH
tons Of soil stAl clinging 70 their roots, ID
hurled into the water as the flood Subsidies,
Il is carried until II becomes too great a
burden for the retarded velocity Of the
current, and 10 deposited at the FIRST obstacle
In its path. In time the force OF the stream
eats through the resultant bar, restoring the
channel 70 normal conditions. The river
man, though, cannot wait for the ~leisurely
deliberate operations Of nature, especially
when he has . cargo Of perishable freight
on board hhs vessel.
The cavinG banks, which provide moeI
Of cha obstacles TO navigation, are fnvari.
ably IN bends Of the river whsre tho forcs
Of the current b sufficiently strong 10 under
mine the watersoaked bank as tho river
recedes from the high TO the low stage.
As the lower river Is one continuous sue
cession OF curves and w1ndings, there h no
dearth Of caving banks.
A somewhat extreme sample OF this
tortuous stream is the section, forty miles
in actual length, which has been folded in
four overlapping bends in a lineal distance
Of less than fifteen miles, between Arkansas
City, Ark. and G~reenviile, Mrs. Here IL
IL possible for q man in a light rowboat
10 float almost all the way down stream
from the lover 10 the upper town!
This astonishing aud seemingly impossible
feat may be ACCOMPLISHED by entering the
at GreenviIle, dropping down with
the current to a point opposite the turn Of
the next bend above and carrying the boat
across country. less than q mile, or by
padding across when the river In out OF
its banks. and then floating TO the turn Of
the next bend. This ingenious method
OF floating up stream wa discovered by a
Misei-sipri cracker who found il necessary
20 90 by water from GreenvilIe up 70 Arkan-
The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1906-09-02

dear 10 him as the braves q a grand opera
audience to q favortte prilna donna.
In the coming winter each mail carrier
FROM Nome VIII nave m assistant, the
Government having Increased The amount
Of mail 10 be carried ON each trip from
100 70 600 pounds. The carriers are paid
at the rate Of $50 q month, which covers
eheer expenses On the road.
Being 40 dependent upou tn em It II quits
important that q carrier should poasesa
AID oaro for his own dogs. B.
Until 1898 there were 10 dog leaders In
Alaska. Natives OF white men had to run
Ahsad and break trail. Generally the
native was Q womAn
Wow leaders are as carefully and scien-
tffhcxiiY bred ~ rece horses. The rnairmute
loads the native dog In intelligence. The
dogs o in the mad service are . mixed
breed-malmute, wolf. hound n New
~foundland. The malmute is virtually o
do~mes1oated wolf.
The dog teams Of the United States mail
service are not only the fastest runners
and the hardest Of their kind, but the
best eArei Tor and the most h~ygienically
kroons1-fn shot the aristoc -acy of the
dog world OF ALASKA, a country where
alVays the dog rather than man has right Of
wav.
Aftsr the winter mail reaches valdez by
steamer Il n carried by dog team to TanAna,
thence to Fairbanks, on 70 Unalaklik, to
Nome. II is IN the hands Of four c~Ontrao-
tors. Delay Of outside mail TO reach Nome
In winter b attributed by the camp 10 in
dtferWnt sorvfce between VALDEZ and Tanana
or Fairbanks and Unalaltik, where often
natives are employed TO carry tho mail.
Il would not employ an rs .uimsu or Inc
dian as mail carrier" said Charles Ross, tho
Government contractor at Nome. They
nave no conception OF the value Of timeD
the tmportance OF speed
They are unreliable in every way. They
sniT the wind, study the sky, and Il they
scent a blizzard they crawl INTO their iElosj
while the mail NAV wait the caprices Of the
weather. They viii take no chances.
The white man In undaunbed. He viii
ride In the teeth of a storm, brave tho sever
est blizzard. The greater the hardship. the
more perifOus the danger, the greater his
~eagencss to be of. To reach port with his
burden h his ann
The contractor makes his sledges q
hickory. No nails are used In their cons
etrlttion. The arts = re tied together with
stnps OF wairuB hide, 40 nat each part
gives with the sway Of the whole, and can
Withstand severe strain.
So well trained are the leaders OF the mail
teams that a carrier may now wrap himself
in his fur robes and bury himself in the
sledRe, trusting TO the leaders instinct TO
bring him safely over the moet dangerous
passes. The day has passed when The
carrier risked life and limb in breaking Q
trad through the frozen North.
The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1906-09-02

until It will barely aoat. 1t h then cut
loose from the mOoring harges and the
Stone bargos take their place. From
these heavy stone is unloaded N the head
Of the mat until it sinks to it's place In the
bod Of the river, the stone banges following
the sinking mat downstream and unloading
their cargo until the entire mat IL in place.
Tho willow fascines may decay and the
wire cable may rrst IN time; but the sloping
bank, bsnsHth the low water hne, is per.
manently paved with one
- II the work IN discontinued at this point
Il II Of little avail, for the next high water
will loosen the bank above 50 that it WIN
cave in, covering the stone paving and 9
changing tia CONTOUR Of the curve that th0
edge Of the mat whl no longer meet the ltns
OF low water. To make this frst work o.
permanent value, it Is necessary. to grad0
the bank, cover II with quarry spewa
and rtprap II with heavy stone. La soma
places TIM stone - laid In cement, while In
others q more methodioal system Of paving
b used.
This method OF establishing the desirsd
euuiifbrhnn between the vetocity OF thu
current and the stability of the hank 10
absolutely edectuAl. There h but one OBJ
teotAon 20 it-its great cost
To revot a mile OF normal river bank
b this way costs proximateiy NSc;Ooot
However, Il is work that VIII never nood
20 be done over and when the MissQura
and MisaisSippi have been reyetted in their
OAAsAAp AoAAkbA M VA &c ~ AAN~A
OF any Consequence to be solved. Until
great dead Of this work has been done tia
ship canal from Chicago TO New Orleans
win be nayteahie for oceRngoing vesseA
not moro than half the yea
At b coming convention speakers viii
say that tho eject Of this ship canal win
DO 30 cause Dhe Mississappi Valley 10 blosSom
with miFls and factories. There wrl be a
naAdy outlet not only for the finished prod
uct but for crude material 90 supply Other
mills and factories along the Eastern and
Western seaboards.
Great impetus win be given 10 the ship
yards Elong the northern lakee when their
vessels oan be f1oated down. the Mississippi
TO be used in the Southern and Pacific
trade and when the ~freighters that now arS
idle during the winter can he sent down 20
snga&e in the Golf traffic. Especially viii
the people of the East and the West be told
that they should come forward with no
such protest as that the present trafic does
not justify the cost OF providing and main
tanning q ~ foot or porsibly q much deeper
channel from Chicago 20 New Orleans.
That which is OF great bcnefit 20 one part
Of the country 10 sune to prove of benefft
to the whole people, and In a peculiar way
n TINT true Of this section, The MtsshssipP
Valley, which, economically ~ well "a geo
graphically, is the centre Of the ooutinen4
Of North America.
The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1906-09-02

are such that delays Of this kindare not only
possible but actual lily sanctioned by official
authority.
II wac not until this summers postal COM
plics tions thai Nome fully a W kened to the
Va lue Of its winter mail service. From
November 1 until M , 30 Uncle Sam he 3
twenty man with as ms ny dog tea ms c ways
coming and going over ice and nov with
the m. II in w rioas pc rts Of Ala ska.
The srriy1l Of the mGil ca rrier with his
team Of eleven tire ined ms lmute dogs G I the
rost oaics door IL alwT vs. an ven OF in
terest. The entire &C mp turns out TO greet
him.
The ~telerhono now keers the 90 mp ap-
priy d Of hs PRO Oh, but until two yes RI
! go nothing W. . Known Of his progress
until he burst l Pon the scene. Three men,
Sport smith, II TT humbert and Bob Grit
hth, Gerry the winter mad between Nome
The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1906-09-02

was currently reported that he offered 20
retire about eiEhteeu mOqths 6 II his
son, James >. Harlan, wefS appointed on
thesFederal bench at Chicago.
The proposal il said to ave received
somO consideration at tho hands Of tke
President, but Yves objected to by Senator
Cillom and other Illinois Republicans, for
the reason that John Maynard Harlan,
another son Of tho Justice; was at the tina
the Republican nominee for Mayor Of
Chicago and the appointment OF Jamss~S.
Harlan would have complicated matters In
local politics. Now that Janlas y. Harlan
has been appointed an Interstate Com
The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1906-09-02
"SHALLCHlCAGOB BE- SEAPORT?
PLANS FOR A sHIP CANAL FRoRf.
GULF 70 GREAT LAKES.

Course q the Des6 waterway Proposed
~ WAT a b AGsslswlUpa -~-Dealsultlos
an tbs Vvev-ts Weuld Hnanas BrelglsssRu
FrOm Now 0vie&as " neach ChASAss.
Br. LOuEs, Sept. IA great convsnsson
n TO DO held m 81. L0uis On November 10 TO
stimulate popdlaf inAssese in TIM project
Of . ahip canal between Chicago and New
Orieana. Tia bensfts 70 b expscted frouA
such . wsseFway, AAs OOst, Ito possEbrity.
wfl be disCusesd. b
Tia proposed waterway wouldTbrsnR into
direct contacs With ths Mississippi system
"a network Of 1900 miles Of naviRAbls
rivers, draining On area u i,3SAooo square
miles-ths shipping Of tho Great LAkss and
tho %. LAwrsncS RiVer. Tho eArlieat set
tlsgsmWt hs d~satrAbitty Of connecting these
two inAeEuAl water systsuns.
Thsy oomSecnplatgd Tho course Of ths Des
PlAlnss Eivsr, only q few miles from tha
north branch Of tho Chicago River. What
was m0r1 simple than 10 dig q ditch from
the ono 70 NE OtheR, turn tho foods Of HMhs
MIohiRnn IN the direction Of the MiAaisippi
and-trust shS resuis TO Pr6videncsi
The engineer Of to-day takes no such
visw u tho cass. He has figured a an
tho difficulties, and thsy are enormous. but
not insurTn0Cmtable. Briefly seated, they
are these:
~ The operation Of look canals bsswssn
The Chicago River and Utica, m, whsrs the
dope Of the river 10 % great In places a. 10
render the natural bed Of tho stream unit
for navigation.
a. The construction and maintenance Of
Q navteabse channel tor deep dranght ves-
sells from Utica TO Grafton and from 81.
Louis 20 New Orseans.
(s) Tho conquest Of that part Of tho
MisAlssippi between the point Of its con-
huence with tho Missouri River and tho
Merchants Bridge at 81. Louis.
As early as 1sAs the frSt step toward the
consummation Of this great work was taken
when the old Illinois and Michigan Canal
y opened 70 the trAnsc Of northern Illinois.
This canal. d miles long. was nswer adequate
The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1906-09-02

mai and steamships possible in the Land Of
the Midnight hi are APPARENTLY uncon-
sidered trines in the eyes Of stea mship and
postal officials.
Even whom transported safely across
1850 miles Of ~treaoherous sea and dumped
In q mass on Nome's golden bes oh letters
are still subjected to delay before they
are delivered. Toa community a accustomed
TO h daily Il not hourly mail delivery, the
waits Of northwestern Alaska are hardly
conceivable.
TIA stoa mship comes in on Sa turdsy night
Il b useless TO go to the post Office the next
morning, unless to read a placsrd In
the entry saying Delivery open Wednes-
day The postal arrangements and rules
The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1906-09-02

end Uns Is Xix. Nome, at intervals OF
ninety miles east Of Golofvin Bay, may now
keep IN touch with the movements Of is
winter mail carriers by telephone. But
once across GolOfvin Fay, beyond Chenfk
the mail carrier for more than $50 miles IL
alone with his dogs ond the Great White
Silence.
Cncaunted by bltZznrds, there brave
s~cIVants OF Uncle Sam go on night and
day, Cfton in crossing the zoe tney are
carried out upoI il to sea. and it may be
several days before they regain land. But
their danger in such a care Is not very great.
The e rly ice generally returns to land
before it, final leave taking.
The dra Inatic Instinct is strong in the men
who carry the mail pack across the ice.
One carrier Invariably stops at Solomon,
some forty miles cast 81 Nome, and cnanEes
his parke, puts on his hest mutlocks and
garners his strength for the home run INTO
Nome, where welf he knows bis comiRk n
awaited. The plaudits Of the crowd are a.
The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1906-09-02

changes occurring after President Rooso-
welt came TO thu White House.
OF tho owe remaining menbors Of the
court three-Justios Harlan, Chief Justice
Fuller and Justice B~rown-have already
reached the 9 for retirement. Justice
Brewer will be eligible 70 retire next June.
Justice PeCkhAm could retire Cd November
n. 1908.
The others, Justices White and McKsnna,
have nine years and seven years, respec-
lively, before them ere they can ask for
retirement. Justice Brown has publicly
announced his intention 20 retire.
Ths President has offered the place TO
The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1906-09-02

mercO Commlssioner, tho opinion seems 10
probably retire.
BY appointing succeSsors to Justices
Brown and Harlan President Roosevelt will
have named four members Of the court,
only One leas than q majority. Chief Justice
NuIlsr hes beso eligible 20 retire FOR three
years past, but that he will avail himself
Of tho privilege seems less likely than that
Justice Harlan win retire.
Chief Justiee Fuilsf Ia q Democrat. He
b very devoted TO the Fundamental prin-
dples oR the DOmcCrntic party. He has
not alwayslaGrcsd with the leaders Of his
The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1906-09-02

party, a. In the case Of the income tar.
when he furnished the necessary deciding
vote chat declared the Income Tan lac
unconstitutional.
This was one Of Praslds1t CISvelsnd's
pot measures, and IL Is recalled that at the
time the decision was handed down Rrssi-
dent Cleveland showed great disappoint-
ment, and expressed regret 20 a Western
Democratic Senator that he had sver APP
pointed Mr.. Fuller TO the bench.
An Interesting story u related bare -
to the circumstance which broush t ABOUT
Mr.. Fuller's appointment. President Clsvs-
land had all but determined 20 name Edward
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-09-11
Army Orders.

Capt. William c. Wren, quartermaster,
has been relieved from duty as assistant
to the chief quartermaster of the depart
ment Of California and ordered to assume
charge of construction work in and about
San Francisco, Cal, with station at that
place.
Second Lieut.. Joseph E. Myers, Artillery
Corps. upon the expiration of his present
leave of absence, has been ordered to as
sumo charge of the construction work at
Fort Niche, N. Y. In addition to his other
Collins, Artillery Corps.
Lieut. Col. Charles M. OConnor, Sd Cav
airy, has been granted three months leave
of absence.
/ Maj. William L. Buck. Sd Infantry,
now on leave of absence, has been or
ed to this city to report to the chief
OF staff for temporary duty.
First Sergt. Thomas Griffin, Troop G.,
10th Cavalry, has. upon his own applica-
ton. been placed on the retired list of the
army.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-09-11
Some Names.
From the ST. Louis Globe Democrat.

bEoul 81 LOUIS e-Denocrat
American amusement at names Of foreign
places finds such frequent expression in the
public prints that 1t might be well to won
der what foreigners think of our exploits in
nomenclature. The disturbances in Russia
give a section OF the press new opportuni
ties in this direction, which are being used
to produce some really laughable effects.
A laugh is never more welcome than in the
torrid season, and we are not disposed 70
look too closely into the credentials of such
Jokes. Nevertheless we might inquire
whether names incomprehensible to US are
NOT founded In more of historical or racial
consistency than countless multitude Of
names to be found in our own geography
The very great probability Is that they are
and that, II We could know their deriva-
tiVes, We should conclude of them as Bill
Nye did of classical music, that they are
really better than they sound. That volatile
French woman, Yvette Guilbert fell into
spasms of laughter on first hearing the
name "kankakee." a name not really to be
included in the long list of our offenses
since II rests upon the solid ground of hav-
ing been the tribal name of the Americans
first found in those parts. OF equally good
names at which we ourselves are often dis
posed to smile. Yet neither Of these names
conveys an impression to be disappointed
in the realities. When we go to Oshkosh
or Kalamazoo II is not with the expecta-
ton of finding anything of grandeur or
classicism suggested by a misleading title.
Wherefore the actuality, In its presentat ton
of all the evidences Of a stirring, busting,
modern life. is all the more pleasing.