Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1910-01-04
FACTS show the
River nAvIGABLE
WEALTH" A DIES MONIES PUBL
CATION, GIVES COMPLETE IN.
FORMATION ON SUBJECT
AID is PRO MIS- { D
Government viii Assist In Project
Rich Territory Traversed by the
Stream Is Shown His
tory Is Given.

The navigability of the Des Moines
river is one of the most important
subjects of the present time which
concerns the people of Ottunlwa and
other cities situated near the banks OF
this stream. Interest has been created
locally by the proposition Of Captain
A. H. Wallace OF Henry, ILL.,, to sell
the shippers of Ottumwa and Keokuk
boats of sufficient capacity and build to
be used on the Des Moines river at
all stages of the water.
Why the Des Moines river should be
naxigable Is answered in the Deem
Der issue of wealth" pamphlet pub
lished in the interests of the Greater
Des Moines Commercial club. The
subject is handled thoroughly by the
little paper. Preceding the story is
the following table showing the
amount of the different commodities
grown or mined in the eighteen coun-
ties in the Des Moines river valley in
% single year:
45,01S,760 bushels of corn.
f4,S18,620 bushels of oats.
T69,597 bushels OF wheat
4S8,000 bushels Of barley.
254,53o bushels of rye.
:
iduced:
5,787,534 tons Of coal.
160,13a tons of gypsum.
100000 thousands of brick.
The improved land in those eighteen
counties is equal to the improved land
in the entire state of Arkansas and
acreage of Mississippi.
duces more tonnage than the valley OF
any other river in the United States
excepting only the Ohio, the Missis-
sippi and the Missouri.
AS freight highway, the Des
iMoines river would be the fourth in
the United States-if it was improved.
The wealth" Article.
The article in full as published in
wealth" follows:
Twenty-Five thousand dollars were
appropriated by the last congress for
a survey of Iowa rivers. The Des
Moines, the Iowa and the Cedar were
the three streams that were in con
temptation when congress set aside
federal money The Des Moines river
is considerably larger than the Other
TWO and if any waterway in Iowa Is
given attention by the government en-
gineers it will be the Des Moines.
Years ago the Des Moines river was
actually used for the purposes o
navigation w. H. Lehman as boy
came to Des Moines on steamboat
from ST. Louis. Running boats OF
rivers of medium flow was not regard
ed as chimercial in those days.
In the year of grace 1910, however
It is considered by the majority 0
near-thoughtful citizens to be an eyi
dence of mental instability to advocate
making the Des Moines river again ;
highway for commerce. Part Of thi
feeling is born of lack of information
The rest will melt away before thu
progress OF years.
AT'hmgs move so fast these days.
gaid business man, that the peopl
who say 1T can't be done are cor
stantly interrupted by the fellows VIII
are doing It."
The Des Moines river is bette
adapted to4navigation today than eve
before in its history. Yet in 1857 tn
gteamboat Colonel Morgan was owne
by Des Moines merchants and mad
seguaar trips between Des Moines an
KeoHuk. 1t is true that the ventur
sWas not decisfvely successful. bu
ehere~wassmighty little-either of pet
ple or psoducts--to make it. Wher
one lone pig suuealed hungrily for a
esr Of corn that had not yet grow
In 1857, there are now a thousand fs
pTkers uttaring symphonies of col
tented gTunts, with mountain of We
fdw corn which must find It's way
market on their short legs. Time
have changed since 1857.
But IL the practicability of canali