Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1909-08-07
FORMER RIvERMAN URGES PEG
PEE TAKE GREAT INTEREST
IN IMPORTANT QUESTION
SURVEY STREAM SOON
South ottumWa Postmaster Also Tells
About His Trip to the Missis-
siopi River. The Many
improvements.

ever enthusiastic over the project to
make the Des Moines river navigable
If such is possible. He has returned
home with assurance from United
States engineers, whom he met on the
river that a survey of the Des Moines
will be made soon, and Mr.. Thomas as
a resident of this Des Moines valley.
and former river man who takes
much interest in such questions. urges
that the people of the valley line up
and do all in their power to get APP
preparations from the nation and the
state, IN order that the work of MAX
ing the stream navigable may be be-
gun as soon as the survey is made.
He urges that as the project will be
for the benefit OF the farmers and peo-
pie in general along the stream, all
should be vitality interested. The levees
to be constructed will protect land
owners from the annual overflow. Fol-
lowing his article upon the pes Moines
river. Mr.. Thomas devotes consider
able space to his visit to the MISSISSIPPI
pi and the many changes he was able
to note since he was steamboating on
the Father Of Waters
The Des Moines River.
During my recent stay upon thu
Mississippi" writes Mr.. Thomas. Il
asked many questions as to the inn
provement of the Des Moines river.
Regarding this question, Major Richie
says Through our system of work, we
can create and maintain any depth OF
water in the Des Moines river Major
Meigs say ] think you will get
complete survey and estimate OF
the cost of the work upon the
Des Moines river. The cost of the sur
rey is estimated at about 100000. Your
farmers along the valley should feel an
interest in this enterprise. If the work
is done all of their lands will be pro-
tected from overflow, and the value
greatly increased There will be no
more loss of crops This has been DEM
onstrated on the lower Mississippi.
Through the government work, all OF
the plantations have been protected
from the floods. Our levees and bank
protection have stood the test through
| all of the high water and no breaks or
loss Of crops have occurred for many
years. In addition to this we have
created and maintained a steamboat
! channel there during the dry months.
q depth of s or feet over the high
bars. In my opinion the project of i'm
proving the Des Moines river is now
up to you, the people of the Des Moines
valley. to get the necessary appropria
tion from your state and nation to pay
4 for the work.
81 believe that the states should as
sist the government in thi:. great work,
| for several reasons. Locks are to be
built, levees thrown up, bridges open
ed, ETC., and the local and state offic-
/ ials can always get more favorable
concessions from the parties than the
| government officers. Sites for locks
and dams. the right of way for the
/ levees, all of these must be secured
from the land owners. For this reason
4 the state should have an interest in the
/ improvement. When the government is
Y doing all the work and paying all the
bills the land owners are liable to make
exorbitant prices for the concessions
referred to-
United States Appropriates S3O,0o0,o0o
Major Richie and Meigs are nov
TO Washington. Accompanying thes
these reports will be some fine photo
graphic views of the hills and valley
of the Des Moines river. From the in
formation at hand, ! am very conf
dent that we will get the survey In TIL
near future. When that is completed
as Major Meigs says, it will then b.
up to the towns and cities and the PEG
pie along the river to get the none
to start the work and keep it goin
along until completed. Those who be
lieye that by opposing this enterprise
they will relieve themselves and tn
: government of a burden are simpl
mistaken.
Each and every year in the pas
Congress has been appropriating abou
100000 for river and harbor worl
These appropriations will continu
and probably be increased to $4,000.
coo. The money will be spent. VIII
not use some of it in making the De
Moines river navigable, and in givin
the people of the valley cheap an
: perpetual water power?
Through an organized united effol
: we can get a portion OF the annual ap
: preparation and the Iowa Legislator
can be induced to take an interest i
/, the matter as suggested by Majc
/ Miegs.
!, al the proper time. after the surve
: is completed. there should be a gcner;
line up of the people from TT. Dods
to the mouth of the river. The low
delegation in congress is in favor {
this improvement and we should gi1
:. them our encouragement. Our Senat
| ors and Representatives expect thi
, SO now, for fear of exhausting the pc
tience of your readers I will shut o
upon the waterway question.
Tells of Visit to Mississippi.
# cat Your request will endeavor
g give you the story of what saw ar
= heard upon the Mississippi river du
:. ing my recent visit.
2 From 1860 to 1877 there were abo1
1t 200 pilots at work between st. Lou
d land ST. Paul, and the writer was OF
Il of the number. The boats were naEir
= money and the pilots We're paid $500
:, month. Prior to this, in the SOS 81
= during the war they received $500
T. month. had personal acquaintan
ID with all these men. including one chi
II prevaricator. Mark Twain, author
T., Life Upon the Mississippi SO, du
= iEr the latter part of July ! went o
: there with a view of looking up sor
8 OF my old friends ] sailed up and dov
Y the river upon many different boa
ftn6 soon discovered that 80 years HI
re- brought about many changes. The J.
b. Tie glass houses upon the roofs of t
m steamboats, are now occupied by
"a new generation of pilots. My {
- friends and associates who rolled I
wheels end kept the boats in the cha
mel during the SOS and los have pas
IN ed away. They are sleeping the sic
as of death, along the shores of the riN
er they loved SO well, and the shift
s. sands and changing channel distu
N. 1herc not. saw but one and loeat
lg but five of them: Lycurgus Alley, "