The Taney County republican. (Forsyth, Mo.) 1895-1992, 1906-04-05
CAPTAIN POWELL EXPLAINS
He Shows Con>inoinqly Why Our Rivers
Should be Set TO Work.

ask congress TO disregard the petitions
of the people Of these two counties,
Stone and Taney, and the voice of the
entire press of southwestern Missouri,
for the James and White rivers to be
tunneled and damned 10 create electric
power as is done by special acts Of
congress and state legislatures with
mountain streams and rivers In all
parts OF our country, much to the bcne-
fit of the public, and without any harm
ful results.
Yol do not claim these rivers are
navigable. or capable of being made
so, and dare not claim ii in COM
munity where every reader Of your pa
per would know to the contrary.
The only injuries you predict and
specify are, that this course would re-
duce our fishing, injurc the beauties of
our rivers and prevent parties coming
to Branson by rail TO disembark and
take skitlS from Brarson to Cottcr
These latter parties will come from Il
distance, generally bringing their pro-
visions for the trip, and would leave no
money here, and, for the next ten years,
would not average 30 persons per year.
These tourists are not par, Of us.
They pay none of our taxes, and are
not and never will be of any benefit to
us locally. The powerplants which ac
to be established in our midst. when
congress gives its consent, will not
change the natural beauties of our
rivers, nor kill the fish in them, nor
prevent them from breeding as hereto.
ore, hence, all Of your reasons, for
your unaccountable position fail.
Now let lis consider why this lcei,.
lation should prevail.
The improvements to be made in the
counties OF Stone and Tancy, when
completed, will cost over $I,OoO,O 600.
This will be added to our tax duplicate,
and lower our taxes Much of this eX.
penditurc will go out TO our own citizens
i)r the labor OF teams aud manual la
bUr in constructing this enterprise, and
for all cstables grown on the farm, and
the laborcrs brought in will bave en-
ploymcnt for a long time, and be spend
the money they receive in our local
stores, hotels and so forth.
In Tancy county you have no rail-
road facilities except across the cx.
tremc southwest end, and very large
county Of very rough territory, IN no
part OF which can you reasonably cX-
pect another steam raillOad for many
years TO come. All parts of fancy
county, AS well as all parts of Stone
county, abound with natural fruit lands,
adapted to all kinds Of fruit grown in
this latitude or on The Pacific coast
outside of southern California, and we
have these advantages over the fruit
lands Of the Pacific coast in northern
California, Oregon and Washington,
We do not have TO annually manure our
lands. we have no irrigation taxes To
have less freight aud refrigerator cX-
pcnses TO pay and less 10 lose, when we
can have close lines Of transportation
to reach the market quickly without
losing our fruit: our wild fruit lands
command 500 an acre while those in the
Pacific coast states bring from 800 to
$500 ap acre, and the yearly demand
for fruit is increasing faster than the
supply. Hence fruit lands accessible
To transportation lines will greatly in.
crease in price in Missouri in the i'm
mediate future.
The only way VIC can relieve this
condition is TO place ourselves so as TO
induce the construction OF electric car
lines, which can be made cheaply and
90 up steep grades and around sharp
curves, running every hour in the day,
carrying both freight and passengers.
These lines in the middle and eastern
states, even when running by the side
Of steam railways, furnish cheaper
passenger rates than the steam rail
ways, aud control the bulk Of the local
passenger and freight business. This
changed condition would largely in.
crease the price Of our real estate.
Aside from this we know that rich
mines have already been developed,
and arc being worked with profit in
Taney county, Of lead and zinc, aud
many good judges say the indications
are that these two counties will be
found rich in minerals rs the Joplin
district, when mining in them is moro
developed, and the Joplin district now
furnishes an annual outlet OF l3! mil
lion dollars, yearly increasing in
amount.
These electric railways which are
dependent on the legislation by con,
grcss which you oppose and this chear
electric power 10 come from this im
80 ------- -------.---
CONTINUED TO lat page.l