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

In his speech before the Dig Wa
,erways convention held in SiouN City,
Congressman Lawrence M. Jones, of
Kansas City, presented many facts re-
garding the past, present and future
OF the Missouri river, which will be OF
interest to every resident of the
states bordering the Big Muddy" The
points bearing upon the Importance
Of the proposed Improvement of this
great internal waterway, are not the
Least interesting features of the speech,
a part of which follows:
BY ali far reasoning, the Missouri is
the greatest river ON the American conti-
nent. 1t seems cruel to shatter ideals of
long standing. Perhaps George Washing
ton never cut the cherry tree at all, but
for the sake of the rising generation, We
hope he did. Columbus discovered Ameri-
ca and it should have been named for him,
hut an enterprising m~ap-maker came
along and stole the honor and we have the
name America, which sounds very we'll.
be buried in the lower Mississippi instead
Of the Missouri at Sioux City. so the great
.tver was named Mississippi instead Of
not dying at Sioux City and finding a
grave beneath the surg.ng pillows of the
Missouri. If the Missouri has been dis
covered first, it would have been the main
Il stream.
From Its rise. northwest of Yellowstone
park. TO its mouth, as it meenders. is a
distance of 2,o47 miles and to the Gulf Of
Mexico. the Observation-Disclosures has a
length of 3,S23 miles. The Missouri is long
er than the entire Mississippi and more
Than. twice as long as that part of the
Mississippi above Their confluence. The
missouri drains a watershed Of $4,000
s s1rafse m nj ;bs Or 9,n nne-s s,ahos of the oN land
rule of nomenclature, the Missouri is the
main stream and the upper Mississippi the
tributary. The name OF the former should
nave been given precedence and the great
have been called the Missouri-from the
Rocky mauntais 10 the Gulf of Mexico.
The earliest Spanish explorers consid-
cred the mississippi but a continuation of
the Missouri. This is verified by what
for Quivira.
Most Feasible Waterway.
Let me give you a few more supcrla-
hves about this great river. 1t is the most
feasible waterway project in the United
by its Improvement are more farreaching,
for the amount of money to be expended,
than any other project. The Missouri has
the greatest navisable length. of any river
III the United States. The Missouri has a
greater and more continuous volume of
water than any other river in the United
states. 1T has more and better stretches
OF good river" than any other. 1t is the
only interior river having water enough
Of IL feet. With a IL foot channel. the
Missouri would bave Il freight carrying
capacity equal TO geo single track railroads
and yet the Improvement would cost less
than to build one single track railroad
from Kansas City to St. Louis. Compe-
tent authority has CALCULATED that with
tho West nvn,es ~. ~ Missouri 81 "oula save
would more than equal the entire cost of
mIroNemen from its mouth to Kansas
solve two great problems for the West:
high and unfair rates and inability of the
railroads to handle the traffic on the pres
road transportation today, aside froIr that
of eShorbitant and unequal freight rates,
Is to secure tracks upon which to move
ears. New tracks to relieve the cor.ges-
ton cannot be built. There is neither
money, material nor men for the work.
When we realize this. we can see the ur-
natural highways of flowing
past orr doors. If the general govern
ment which controls these grea, water
ways cannot meet the situation. then turn
these great rivers over to the people and
give them a chance to free themselves
from intolefable conditions by harnessins
III the work of transportation. these great
natural highways. Turn over to the cities
on the Missouri, the Missouri river. and
transportation affairs in our part of the
country.
Halcyon Days or Che Missouri.
These We're glorious days, when the
steamboat and the prairie schooner were
The only means of transportation to the
Were the days of the gold hunter. the
trapper and the advcnturer-the pioneers
Of civilization. Hundreds of boats piled
'ssS "iN'i VI WV i1SSotI EotIlG as IdI
north as Fort Benton, $500 miles from ST.
Louis. Fortunes were made by a boat or
one trip: Steamboating reached the sum
init of its prosperity about the time OF
the breaking out of the civil war. More
than 200 boats navigated the Missouri ir
the good old DAYS and more Than 200 now
between Kansas City and st. Louis, silent
reminders Of the glory of other days.
The greatest question in economics to.
day is the transportation question. TN
fate of every important city in this coun.
try depends almost wholly on transporta-
ton rates. The railroads have more to
do with the happiness of the people 81
the United States. than the United States
government itself. An eminent British
road rate in America is a matter of lif.
or death to a community. TIL railroad
rate is q. tax upon a community and thu
power that makes the rate is the powe
that controls the destiny of that commun.
ity. 1t is estimated that we pay to sup
, Il as1 rates. the .n Sum W Of s So for on every n5an
T6ma ra,, ama e raia in in The the United States
the railroad sells it's service. Control tn,
rate. and you control the railroad. Chang
the rate, and you change the destinies Q
every one Interested. 1t is a battle tina
has been raging for a thousand years
I'm, battle hss Of ths the nes marketsma1d the cit!
wins in the great race for commercial
supremacy.
Why Kansas City Woke Up.
After sleeping for many years, there ar
,Eation Of this great river: No city ca,
occupies a favorable position with othe
markets inspecting transportation rates
|, In August. 1906, Kansas City concluded
. 70 begin navigating the Missouri. withou
waiting for the consent of this or an.
q great discussion in This c9untry abou
: ley. advocated through the Tribune tina
:. THE way to resume was to resume;
, navigate was TO navigate" Experiment
> were made In the summer and fall o
; 1906 with the Lora and other boats whic,
sxperiments We're eminently, successful
!, riYnr' n sven rs -, p1ey orsle a doubt onad,t that tn
feasible Transportation undertaking.
! The people of Missouri ask to be shown
On the other hand. they are willing to b
! tested by their own philosophy. Whe
: Kansas City concluded to reopen nav
j, cation on the Missouri. she did not BON
tps congress a for an appropriation fe
strate that the thing was feasible. If