Forest City press. (Forest City, Potter County, D.T. [S.D.]) 1883-19??, 1908-02-27
"BIG MUDDY IS NAVGABLE:
HAS GREAT POSSIBILITIES
Congressman Jones' OF missouri, Talks ntntsmingy Of the Physical Features and History Of
toe "Hssou't Har: and OF What Its Improvement Means to the People ofthe Middle
Wea-Longest Stream on the American Continent Its NaNgadonk Feasible.

Hrle h so that this gain in 3 cents per
bushels per acre. represents a net rev.
enle OF 92.5 cents per acre over Nebraska:
rag INC entire state been sown in wheat
~ would have produced an additional
revenue of nearly $50 00,0 O The actual
return on this crop above that for Ne
oraska was nearly s5,c0o,OOo Kansas re-
celVcd NC more per bushel on her corn
and &c more on bats, making a total net
gain Of nearly SIP. Ooo, OCo, while on her
ca aues N NE has lost over sl4;Mo 600 be,
reference to waterways. The area of
lowest prices covers the upper Missouri
anu me Piatts rivers in the semi-arid
zone ana the facts show the Increase In
vaiue as the coast is approached. so that
the consumers nearer the seaboard must
pay Imyitv more or +h hor the privilegs OF their prox.
sections to secure navigablc channels as
1t Is for those bordering the coast, yet it
mas Deen the custom of members from
the states having few waterways to de-
cry the appropriations for their improve
lnent. because little or none of these
funds may be expended within their dis
tricts.
1t is of the utmost Importance that the
improvement of the waterways should be
pushed as rapidly as possible into the
agricultural and mining products.
Big Gain in Land Values.
The gain in the value of farm lands in
a number of the states. accruing from
the Improvement of the Missouri. would
pay the cost several times over. The
benefits afforded would continue year after
year. while the cost of maintenance. once
the channel Is permanently established,
would be Insignificant in comparison with
either its first cost or its savings to ship
pers.
s. Waters Fox, an eminent engineer. in
his report before the inland waterways
commission. brought out the fact that
there was now. under existing conditions,
ley of the Missouri river from Sioux City
TO Its mouth. BY improving the river. 21a.-
no acres would be reclaimed, increasing
the cultivable acreage to 1,S44.235 acres.
Ihe cost of improving the
MISSOURI from Sioux City to it's mouth
is $a0.35O 900. The value of the reclaimed
land would be sufficient to pay the cost
of Improvement.
In referring to the amount of land that
is washed into the Missouri river. he said
that the Missouri contributes To the Mis-
ment that would cover a square mile 400
feet thick, or 400 square miles / foot
thick. or 50 square miles 10 feet thick. The
approximate value of this land is 500 per
acre, meaning a loss of $1,000. 900 every
year from Sioux City to the mouth of the
river a distance of 500 miles.
Will Take Number Of Years.
He said. that while it would take a
number of years to perfect the improve
ment Of the Missouri, yet by careful dis
OF the early improvements. substantial
benefits to navigation would be realized
IN a very short time.
In comparing the cost of improving the
missouri with that of improving the Mis-
stssippi below the mouth of the Missouri;
he said that while the Missouri was more
greater on that account, but would be, i'm
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 ~ miles NJ tho
first reach of the river (being 40 miles
from Its mouth upstream) $500 acres of
protected against the ravages of the
stream. amounting to about $S15, 900 or
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
G o sar1S south ,,t Of us. where we cut such
terways and the Panama canal. we are
in touch with the rich trade Of the orient,
the prize OF for thousands of
years. Think of the cities that traded
and made famous in science. learning and
the arts. There were Tyre, Sidon, Balbeic
and Alexandria in ancient times. All of
commerce.. C~onstantinople. in the middle
ages. was the wonder of western Europe.
AL! because she was in the path of this
Venice and Amsterdam in later times ali
became great and powerful upon this East
Indian trade. Then London became the
dominant market of the world. With her
cheap water transportation. she was bile
to reach out and dominate in
the four quarters of the globe. The rich
channels again and again. IL 1t about to
shift again? There are signs that indi-
cate that the dominant market is destined
soon to pass from England to the United
states. II we will but take advantage Of
the wonderful resources which nature has
placed before us. put u ships upon the
seas, man these ships with American &c.
men,. sail them under the American flag.
then We may soon expect the dominant
market OF the world to be established on
the western continent.
4 Wiaa Rose