The Fairmont West Virginian. (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1904-1914, 1907-10-04

less profltable5classes Of freight. The
more farseeing railroad men, / AM
glad to tell you, realize this fact, and
many OF them have become earnest
advocates ofathe improvement of the
Mississippi, SO that it may become a
isort Of inland seaboard. extending
from the Gulf far into the INTERIOR
and ! hope ultimately to the Great
Lakes. An Investigation OF the pro
posed Lakes.to.the,Gu deep water.
5 way is now in progress Under. an ap7
{ preparation of the last Congress. We
shall await It's results with the keen.
lest interest. The decision is obvious.
" of capital Importance to our in.
ternal development and scarcely less
SO in relation to external commerce.
Many NavIsable Rivers.
This Is but one Of the many projects
which it Is time to consider, although
a most important one. Plans for the
Improvement OF our inland navigation
may fairly begin with our greatest
river and its chief tributaries, but
they can not end there. The lands
which the Columbia drains include a
vast area OF rich grain fields and fruit
lands, much Of which! is not easily
reached by railways. The removal OF
distractions In the Columbia and Its
chief tributaries would open to nayi.
CATION and inexpensive freight transs
portatlon fully 1000 miles of channel.
The Sacramento and San joaquin rlr.
ers with their tidal openings into San
Francisco Bay are partly navigable
now. Their navigation should be
maintained and improved, SO rs to
open the marvelously rich valley OF
California to inexpensive traffic, in
order to facilitate both rate regula.
tion and the control of the waters for
other purposes. And many other
rivers Of the United States demand i'm.
provement, SO as better to meet the
requirements Of increasing production
from the soil, Increasing manurac:
ture, and a rapidly growing popuIa.
! ton.
Purity Of Waters. II
Willie thus the Improvement OF in.
land navigation is a vital problem,
there are other questions or no less
consequence connected with our wa.
terways. One Of these relates to the
purity Of waters used for the supply
Of town.. and cities, to the prevention
Of pollution by manufacturing and 9TH.
er Industries, and to the protection o.
drainage areas from soil wash through
forest covering or judicious cultiyo
ton. With our constantly increasing
PoRulatip:. 'his'question becomes inu.e
and more pressing, because the health
and safety of great bodies of citizens
are Directly involved.
irrigation Of Arid Lands.
Another importance group of dues.
tons concerns the irrigation OF arid
lands, The prevention Of Hoods, and
the reclamation of swamps. Already
many thousands of homes have been
established on the arid regions, anil
the population and wealth OF seven.
teen States and Territories have been
largely, increased through irrigation.
Yet this means Of national develop.
nent It still in its infancy, and 1t will
doubtless long continue to multiply
homes and increase productlyeness
and power of the nation. The declam-
alton Of overflow lands. and marshes
both In the interior and along the
coasts, has already been carried on
with admirable results but In this
field, too, scarcely more than q COOL
beginning has yet been made. Still
another fundamentally important ques.
ton is that Of water power. Its sig.
nifcance in the future development
Of our whole country, and especially
Of the West, is but Just beginning 70
be understood. The plan OF the city
Of Los Angeles, for example, to bring
water for its use n distance Of near.
" $50 miles-perhaps the .boldest pro.
iect Of the kind in modern tines
promises not only to achieve Its pur.
pose, but in addition to produce a WI
ter power sufficiently valuable to pay
large interest on the investment Of
over s2S,0Oo,o0O. q;
Water Power. IA
Hitherto such opportunities for us.
ling water to double purpose have not
always been seized. Thus 1t has re-.
Gently been shown that water enough
Is flowing unused over government.
\ dam, Sbssilt so improve aasiga tisn, 10,
sprodnce many hundreds Of thpnsshls
OF horse power. Il IS computed that
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