Pine Bluff daily graphic., 1908-12-05

that Is or high value to individual owners and of more than high yalua to the city of Pine Bluff for the sym metry of her river front, will natur ally call forth expressions Of opinion Ill regard to the course to be pursued upon the fall of the waters of the Ar kansas river. What should be done While the pressure of waters lasts should be referred to expert cnsi- heeFs, though even in such q case, common sense is, frequently ahead of science/ On one occasion asked q me1nDer of General John IT. Morgan's s command how it happened that they ai"ays got across a river or overcome some other naturally insurmountah1A obstacle, and the reply was that when thousand men came to a river, some one of the thousand was sure. to sur- sest successful way of crossing. 1hose who are not engineers may nave good ideas in regard to conouer- ing the Arkansas river.
 There is no question to my mind that no steps should be taken to dj- vert the present course Of the Arkan- sas river by opening a canal throueE, the cutoff. The point of land on the opposite side of the river to the northwest is gradually wearing away and as it goes the force of the current will pass down the river. If the re- slstance of fascines which the euei- neers are now employing 10 break the 1orco of the encroaching waters is Kept up another twenty-four hours, the caVins west of nerlins stables VIII not be great and that below the old stable will gradually cease With the decline Of the water and the re- slstlng power of the fascines.
 The very best solution of the stand ing river problem seems to be in sight When the point of land opposite the city IS worn away another hundred yards the natural clrrent Of the river "AA iouIlu tAG iOtHb dHu HOW Uy CQe city front without injury to property, if an enbankment is made. This seems to be what should have been done when the levee on the north side was being built. If thirt yfoot pill ing had been placed along the river, braced and strengthened by oak plank for one or two hundred yards, the force of the present mighty current would have never affected the land north of the Jefferson hotel and the court house. The building of the Ievee gave the river an additional power of attack, when the bank of the river was scarcely able to repel an ordinary pressure.
 But Pine Bluff needs the Arkansas river badly. It is only a matter of our rivers will enter largely into all commercial enterprises. The river should, therefore, be kept and the only way to keep it is by an embank- nent which will reclaim some of the lost space and afford security as to the future. Such a work Is certain to cost in the thousands and perhaps in the hundreds of thousands.
 The large accretion of land north- west of the city which will be con- sequence of the present variation in the course of the river should be made a valuable asset in computing the cost of the work. The business interests of the city at large, being at stake, enterprising business men will show their acumen in financeer- ing the matter. The city, county and state are allo interested and should make liberal appropriations. The state can build levees and do other work for the common good and there is no doubt that with a proper effort, the next legislature would go to the ex- tent of it's resources, if the matter was properly presented.
 What the national government may do is problematic. So far it has done nothing for Pine Bluff and very lit- tie for the state. So long as the Re- publican party is in power, and the dynasty seems to reign forever. very little aid to southern enterprise need be expected. The officers of the Fed eral government have been for years moving up and down the waters Of the Arkansas, drawing salaries, exhaust ing appropriations and drawing up reports, and now the department in washington declares it knows nothing about the conditions at Pine Bluff. In April. 1907, an order was issued for feet of boats to speed the way to Dine Bluff and the fleet arrived few days ago, nearly two years in transit' and then like the Russian fleet in the sea of Japan, the boats could do nothing but seek a place Of refuge
 -,sor Tn view 0f mast treat