The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1910-02-07
Keokuk's Old Boon1s and
The New Water Pouer
Richard Wood Tells Story Past and Present Hopes Of the
CityA Great Thing tor keokuk and Surrounding
Towns and Country.

Gated on the second floor, and the
old house. ponderous in its proper
lions makes q coed s5orlng among
the other business houses Of the city
There was never a realization of the
wild dream of its projectors; and yet
who can say that the old building HIS
not answered its purpose for no other
reason than that it has stood as
venerable landmark Of early prosper
GUS days and lighthouse on the
shoals TO warn people against TOO
much BOOM II has performed adj
mirably, even IN this water power
movement,
Old Time Wiidneks.
There was time when many Keo-
kuk people were absolutely wild on the
water power question Better counsel
finally prevailed In an humble way
my voice and even pen were ever
against wild and extrayagant enthUs-
iasm, my effort being 10 stay the tile
which might lead TO an 1885, boom
that would in the end bring wreck and
ruin TO many who would overetinate
the advantages TO accrue from the
building OF the dam. And the snout-
ing crowd almost ran over the quiet
ones in the crash But the more quiet
people kent their eyes on the Estes
house light house and the TWO lois
on Fourth and Exchange streets. until
finally great many people had their
eyes attracted 10 these spots. Keo-
Euk became sensible to the situation
and affairs became nearly normal The
boom was bridled as the waters Of the
Des Moines rapids will be and Keo-
kuk probably escaped great damage
II was triumph OF the real friends
Of Keokuk and the water power over
the shouting. deluded mass wno IN
their mistaken zeal thought they were
doing valuable service They meant
well and dreamed as they shouted in
an aimless way. with the thought that
if they didn't shout and exagge-ate
there would be no water power.
4 Heavy Burden.
II was q terrible burden they bore
upon their mistaken and overloaded
shoulders The wiser ones were less
burdened They had explicit faith in
/ the enterprise and the Keokuk and
Hamilton water power officials, feeling
that they would surely land tae prize
/ IN time, shouts or no shouts Weren't
/ the cooler heads, the tkickers,' right?
i Il seems so. The unreasonable en-
thusiagts under advice, even appeals,
! sobered down to rationalism and yet
the water power is to be built. The
/ Hawk-Eye ali through the agitation
treated the matter in a calm, business
/ way, always its friend. II might have
been suspected OF Jealousy 10 KeokEk
by enthusiasts Of that city because 1t
I did not join in the exaggeration act.
4 acted. wisely and well. and now that
/ the enterprise Is fact and not a
| theory the Hawk-Eye has extended
words Of the warmest congratulations
1 and concentrations to It's sister city
and will give its heartiest sympathy
/ and material aid during the progress
Of the work A calm friend In coun-
sci Is better than wild friend.
A Great Thing for keokuk.
The determination to build the wa
ter power is grand happening for
Keokuk and will add greatly to her
commercial Importance. 1t will bring
1900 TO 1000 workmen as at least tenn
porary residents Of the place with
| added thousands of others composing
their families, as was tue case in the
construction of the government canal.
| Then there will be others to swell the
| population. 1t is enough on the face
of conditions to make Keokuk people
swell with pride and great expecta-
tions. They are on the scene and
have been watching and hoping anx-
iously, half in doubt, many of them,
for this great triumph 1t has come
and the people are to be pardoned for
exaggerated ideas of the results and
in placing too great an estimate on the
financial and commercial advantages
to be derived from the building OF the
dam. Already no doubt real estate
prices and rents have leaped beyond
the reach of the man who lives by the
sweat of his brow and he Is becoming
to fear hunger for his family in the
near future or sudden taking to the
woods.
Possibly property is held at high
er price today in Keokuk and Ham
ilton than it will sell for ten years
from now. That is the experience OF
Keokuk once upon time. TT. Madi
son, Burlington, Warsaw, Carthage
Hannibal, Quincy, st. Louis and othe,
towns and cities within the reach Of
the great water powers cable tow
have the same reason to rejoice ani
initiate prices on account of the sue
cess of the water power and almos
to the same extent, the difference be
J ing the location of the plant at Keo
, kuk, but they are equal sharers in tn.
benefits of cheap power with Keobul
for the factories which will seek thi