The Mitchell capital. (Mitchell, Dakota [S.D.]) 1879-1918, 1908-02-28

Year, Wh1ie the cost OF maintenance, once
the channel is permanently established,
would be insignificant in comparison with
either it's first cost or ITS savings TO ship
pers.
his report before The inland waterways
commission. brought out the fact that
there was now. under existing conditions.
l.624 SO acres of cultivable AVID in the wall
ley of the Missouri river from SiouN city
TO it's mouth. by improving the river. Pa
800 acres would be reclaimed, Increasing
the c~ultivahle acreage 10 l.S44.2a35 acres.
The estimated cost of improving the
Missouri from Sioux City 10 its mouth
is sio,S50,oo. The valu of the reclaimed
OF Improvement.
In referring TO the amount of land that
Is washed Into the Missouri river. he said
sissippi every year an amount OF sedi-
ment that would cover n square mile 400
feet thick, or 400 square miles j foot
thick. or so square miles 10 feet thick. The
approximate value of this land is slo per
acre. meaning n loss of Sl,02o,0o0 every
year from Sioux City to the mouth of the
river, u distance of 500 miles.
viii Take Number Of Years.
He said that while 1t would take .
number OF years to perfect the improve
ment of the Missouri, yet by careful dis
erimination in the location and character
benefits to navigation would be realized
in a very short time.
In comparing the cost of improving the
VA Nitt lIIdl u approving tpC MIS-
sissippi below The mouth OF the Missouri.
he said that while the Missouri was more
caprlcious. The expense would not be
greater on that account, but would be, IN
fact, less and also that the work on the
Missouri is likely TO be just as enduring
as on the Mississippi.
By the Improvement OF Is miles of the
first reach of the river tbeing 40 miles
from Its mouth upstream $500 acres of
land were reclaimed, and 1850 acres were
protected against the raNages of the
\ stream. amounting to ahOllf S11S (NO nv
about $4,000 per mile OF the Improved
river. or equal to the cost OF improve
ment.
Where We Cut Sorry Figure.
The improvement of our Internal water
ways will enable us to compete with for
eign nations in the trade of that great
country south of us. where we cut such
tcrways and the Panama canal, we ARE
In touch with the rich trade OF the orient,
the prize or for thousands OF
with the orient, raised into kingdoms
and made famous in science. learning and
the arts. There were Tyre. Sidon, Balbeic
and Alexandria in ancient times. All OF
these became rich and mighty from this
commerce. Copstantlnople, In the middle
ages. was the wonder of western Europe
golden stream from the east. Genoa
Venice and Amsterdam in later times al
ecame great and powerful upon this Gas,
dam;nan trade ma,,ze rhe er ,h London Mol became am, the
cheap water transportation, she was able
TO reach out and dominate commerce ir
of the orient has shifted It.
channels again and again. Is 1t about Il
shift again? There are signs that indi
soon to pass from England to the United
States. If we will but take advantage o!
the wonderful resources which nature ha.
placed before us, put our ships upon thu
seas. man these ships with American sc.
men, sail them under the American flag
then we may soon expect the dominan
market OF the world to be established OF
the western continent.