The Hickman courier. [volume] (Hickman, Ky.) 1859-current, 1911-04-20
Oddities of the River.


The longest voyage possible from
New York to any European port via
one body Of water. the Atlantic ocean
Is less than, 4OO0 miles. But an Amer
ican may take a longer voyage via
one body of water and never leave
the Interior Of his own country. For
the length OF our great Missouri riv-
er which geOgraphers now consider
really the main stream, is 1900 miles.
1t Is wastefui river. enough good
soil Is elected annually from it's
mouth 10 make a great many farms.
II II were possible 10 collect and
compass this sediment, 1t would make
block 26O feet high and one mile
square at the base. Or. think of IL
being the quantity Of rich silt suffi-
cient to plaster six inches deep 300
farms OF 1000 acres each.
And waterl Stand on the Hick.
man leyee bank now at flood time
and for every pulse beat Of your
wrist there passes before you a.
100000 cubic feet Of water; 10000
900 every minute.
Curiously enough. this vast mass Of
water flows up hill to the gulf For
II has been found that the mouth OF
the river is much further than Is its
source. II Is the 30 called "centrif-
ugal force" or inertia. produced by
the rotation of the earth that keeps
the stream moving toward the equa-
tor. The water Is acted upon some
what as IL is when you rapidly swing
a pail Of IL about your head. II the
old earth should stop rotating. the
Mississippi river would flow north;
AS II Is. inertia throws 1t southward.
That is not the only curious effect
for which the rotation OF the earth
Is responsible. Another most queer
thing is that the right bank wears
more than the left one. owing to a
westward inertia produced by the
earth's motion eastward.
Anyone who has ever had TO lie in
bed In one place for a long time
knows how tiresome II gets and
what a relief IL is TO make a change.
Perhaps this is why old Father Of
Waters" as the Indians called it.
shifts so restlessly. for It has been
lying in It's bed a long time. AS 1t
lies there upon it's back, with It's arms
across great states. II
shifts and losses very uneasily.
Sometimes il grows fretful from very
WEAKNESS, no doubt. Of lying in one
place; and then ii filings itself right
out OF bed for its banks are low.
These wriggles are tremendously
relieving TO the old stream. but they
bring disaster and dismay to farmers
nearby. They feel deeply
atygrieyed. not to say annoyed. when
the old father squirms out OF bed.
They would like for him TO lie quiet
ly. For this reason the banks or
sides OF the bed have been raised by
levees, just as the sides OF your bed
were built up high when you were
very little and prone TO toss about.
The tendency OF the stream to make
'cutoffs" across Its mulutudinous
crooked tangle OF bends is product
i've of curious results. For many Of
ihese necks are long and narrow.
Just below Hickman is one that only
a few miles across. but forty miles
around. At time OF flood. the river
has a tendency TO take the shortest
cut. II often PUSHES across these
narrow necks, establishing new and
shorter channels.
Then the town which was a river
own when the sun set will find it.
self at sunrise far In the country.
miles away from the river Some
lines a planter goes 10 sleep on his
arm In one state and wakes up TO
ind himself In apother state and his
farm transferred to the domain of
another.
my father left me thousands Of
rich acres" said an old lady TO me-