Rocky Ford enterprise., 1910-08-19
MAKE THE ARKANSAS
RIVER NAVIGABLB
Gigantic Enterprise That Will
Meet With Hearty Support

SCHEME SAID TO BE
ENTIRELY FEASIBLE
And Would Prove of More Benefit to
Entire Valley Than Anything That
has Been Undertaken.
I'VE must make use Of every opportu-
nifty that we can rightfuIly call ours"
said Attorney Paul M. North on Wednes-
day afternoon, in talking about the re-
sources Of our valley. "And." he con-
tinued, the time has now come when we
must begin working. and working in
earnest. too. for the construction Of the
most gigantic enterprise ever undertaken
in the state. An enterprise that will
bring untold benefit to every man. woman
and child, and lasting benefit too. That
enterprise is nothing more nor less than
making the Arkansas river q river Of
navigation. Cheaper transportation Is an
absolute necessity. and eastern states and
eastern cities arc realizing this more and
more every year. as witnessed by the
immense River and Harbor appropria-
tons at each session Of Congress.
You may think that the dredging Of the
Arkansas river and making Il = river Of
navigation. 10 something Of visionary
scheme. but I contend that It is very
practical engineering problem. and It
means in It's accomplishment more than
any one thing 10 this state in cheaper
transportation. In equal distance freight
10 carried by water at just one-ninth the
expense by rail. Our Congress at WASH
inRton appropriatss every year money to
drsdgs rivers and small streams that are
dry streams practically the year around.
There are today over 500 separate works
being carried on by the government In
different parts Of the United States In
this kind Of work. In the last l6 years
Congress has appropriated over $780,
100000 for this work. and its import
anes 10 just beginning to be fully apprs-
eiatsd. More than $4,000 men are en-
ploysd in this work.
A few years ago John Barrett, now
director Of the International Bureau Of
American Republics At Washington. D.
c. was in Denver. and In an address
there he told the people Of Denver that
their city must In some way within few
years get water connection with the
sast; that they must find way to con-
struet = channel connecting them with
the Fountain at Colorado Springs. then
to Pueblo and then east. Mr.. Barretts
prophetic vision saw the future opportu-
nifty. and knew at that time what the
only opportunity was for cheaper trans
portation which existed for this state.
The dredging Of the Arkansas is not to
be purely local by any means. Congress
will bs asked at once next session for an
appropriation Of $3.ooo.ooo. 1t is ex-
pseted that this sum will drsdge tho river
from Pueblo to the state line beyond
Holly and will also put in q series Of
checks. take care Of the snbankments, etc.
The river should bs drsdged and a new
channel constructed IS feet in width and
rs feet deep; the large and strong UNDER
flow Of the Arkansas will always give
plenty Of water for navigation. even
when the stream Is practically dry on the
surface In the summer. in a channel Of
this size. Estimates have already been
made and three million dollars will doubt
less make the channel As mentioned. as
&h> a.,,r~. haze hnno r,.d> by . eou.
petent engineer. As soon As the state line
Is reached, Kansas will give her aid to
the enterprise and Kansans will see that
the river Is dredgsd from there on. It is the
plan to drsdgs the Arkansas to a point
below Great Bend, near Ellinwood in
Kansas, then construct new canal from
there to point near Lindsborg. dist
anes Of not over thirty miles, then by con-
meeting with the Kansas or Kaw river
there Is a straight line to Kansas City.
The benefit from this water transpor.
tation are very many: in the first place
q new channel for the Arkansas will cut
out many Of the useless bends which the
river makes and thus redeem hundreds
Of acres Of land suitable for farm
ing; it will make q channel amply large
enough to take care Of all food water
and thus save thousands and thousands
Of dollars to our county and many other
counties each year; it will make It posi-
bic to take water at the headgate Of each
ditch with far more economy and no
chance for washouts and make a large