The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1910-06-13
THF, KEOKVK AND HAMILTON WATER POWER
Develop 100000 Electric Horse
Pmand Ruen NgbeCh

plans and made the, way easy for the
builders. 1t has sold the builders
rights wisely and we'll, in the best
judgment of Keokuk citizens. In this
position the Gate City is looking on
with intense interest as the scar on
the bluffs across the river grows and
grows with the uncovering OF the lime.
stone deposits.
In way it may shock the stan
wealthy, conservative old city, which
has chung to its high bluffs for almost
century, when once its great power
plant is in action. Most of the present
day prominent citizens were born In
Keokuk. Brothers and sisters to them
have drifted away by hundreds in
| these last forty years; many of them
to make name and place elsewhere.
Members of those older families have
intermarried and have grown wealthy
there, but many other have gone never
to return.
| Today Keokuk is typical river
! town without a river. With a popula-
i ton of $4,000 or more, it is at stand.
still because of the passing of the
river packets. The oid-time darby,
with gray hair and beard, fishes from
/ the river front without disturbance
of water craft. One of the largest and
best barber shops in town is run by
darkies Family" mea->s more than
/ money In the towns social life. and
1t has been called the most hospitable
OF all its Iowa neighbors. 1t has its
saloons, but they along the water
front, and the Keokuk business man
doesn't patronize them. At home he
has his decanter on his sideboard, and
his friends know the quality of his
whisky. Everybody knows everybody
, who, according to class, is worth
knowing. The business man going
, home to a midday dinner may take
two hours at 1t.
1t shocks one to think what would
happen to this ease and quiet con-
: servatism were the great power dam
: across the river to waken Keokuk to
; double its population inside of ten
!. years. 1t shocks still further to think
what might happen to Andrew Carne-
gie's toll bridge were the power com.
pany to take cognizance of the sug
gestion and embody real bridge over
!, topping the great dam. Your Uncle
= Andrew Library Carnegie would sit VI
L quite bit more at that time than HI
= did years ago when the steamer Wa
Eagle, with a broken rudder, cam
. whirling down the rapids and knocke
. one span of the bridge into a cooke
= hat.
Your Uncle Andrew holds the bond
Y issued for the building of this old-tim
e river bridge The bridge carries tn
= !. rails of a railroad line. over whic
y rails the Hamilton Keokuk street car
= run-if there's nothing else on tn
le bridge Wagons wait for the stree
. cars, the street cars wait for Wabas
W trains and engines, and the toll keel
= ers at either end wait for everything
= wante dto walk out on the bridge ia
ie enough for a look up the Des Moine'
"a canal and its first lock. There are
~ footwalks on either side. The tollkeep
n er was on the job at he Keokuk end
~ No Rebate Allowed for Distance.
~ You'll charge me for a walk gu
" about $50 feet?' ! suggested to tn
Z tollkeeper
&c "Yep!' he said.
How much?o | asked soothingly
er Five cents"
sr, But If walk further than that!
re | suggested.
IN Five cents
It's "Or If walked the whole length
70 tho bridge?"
81. Five cents; that is if you don't pas
m the gate on the other side"
er Then what?"
yn It'll be another Ave cents to g
IS back
compromised, however, by walkin
'ty out about one cents worth. I'd bee
all told that his bridge was the only rea
TN ly bad investment your Uncle Andre
ever has made. I saved him fol
OF cents just out Of sympathy. But there
ser no string to it. He may give it to
700 hero fund, to public library, or Dl
W. four sticks Of chewing gum with
at 1t was the Sunday Tribune's mon
an anyhow.
he
u. Helping Out the Gun.