The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1910-01-13
The River Objects to Being Put In
Bondage and VIII Resist the
Placing Of Harness
Upon 1t.
BATTLE HAS STARTED
First Point Gained by the Attacking
Army Which Begins Opera
tlons While River Is
Imprisoned by Ice.

A great battle will be fought next
pring on the river, naval engage
nent which will rival the July excite
nent in the Philippine say when
Dewey sank the Spanish squadron, for
he mighty Mississippi river resents
he attempt to curb its flow and will
use every effort In it's command to
prevent Engineer Cooper and his force
Of men from harnessing it.
Like the bucking broncho, resisting
the first touch of the saddle, the
Father of Waters will fight to the
strength of it's energy to resist the
first harness placed upon it.
But it will be the old, old, unequal
battle of science pitted against brute
strength and in the end the mighty
river will be conquered and painting,
perspiring, exhausted from It's strug-
giles, will finally weaken and submit
to the hand of its master and permit
the harness and shackles Of slavery
to be girded about its loins
1t is said that 1t always occurs af-
ter severe winter, that the river
goes on rampage and weather and
river records bear this out. If the
balance of the present winter is any
thing like the month of December has
been, the winter of 19O9-10 is to be a
severe one and therefore the com
ing spring will see a big food along
the Mississippi with its attending
damage and destruction of property.
Great ice gorges block the stream
from st. Louis to its source and the
sloping shores are covered with snow,
vanished over with a coating of ice.
The hills are soggy with water and
when spring comes with melting Ice
and snow and the seasons rains, UP
| will go the river, rising each day un-
til the food stage has been reached
and the lowlands covered. The mighty
| flood will sweep down the course Of
| the river, majestically rolling along
and brushing aside every obstruction
before it.
Then will come the great battle
here when the engineering force will
wave the battle flag and challenge the
river to mortal combat.
Tho River Objects.
Last spring there was no flood, nor
was there one the year before, but
now that actual work has started on
the water power dam, the river raises
it's objections and the first rumblings
and growlings of the infuriated mon
ster are heard. The elements are COM
bining to lodge their protest that
nature shall not be changed for com
mercial reasons.
The first blow has been struck IN
! the battle and it is unfavorable to
I, the river, for the attack has beer
started when the river is asleep. MOI
4 only is the river asleep, but it is
prisoner for old winter has thrown its
chains about the mighty stream and
holds it fast, a captive in it's OWL
home, bound by icy shackles and
strong chains of frost. Try as hard
as it can, it can not release itself ane
must struggle and strain for almos
three months before it can break the
bonds that hold it. Then, released anf
free, it will forge forward into the
thick of the fight and wildly, madly
throw its great weight and strength
against the attacking force.
Battle Has Started.
1t was not a cowardly advantag
taken upon the sleeping river by Nh
Cooper and his men, tor all is fai
in love and war; and the history Q
many great battles shows that tn
unexpected. premature attack has O
ten ultimately won the battle.
BY the time the river is ready t
resist. much will have been accon
plished and already it will find quite
strong barrier in its way. This ba
;, rier will hold it's mad rush. Not onl
hold it, but it will resist it and tn
barrier will be increased and el
/ larged while the river showers bio
after blow upon it. Little by little, tn
river will lose its vantage point an
when summer comes and the gre;
:. spring food has spent it's force,
g will find itself half conquered and lie
Y weak and demoralized, in no fit shaI
+: to resume the battle in the followiI
spring.
The big battle will be fought ne
e. spring. The second engagement dr
ing the next spring will be but COZ
|