The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1911-10-18

channel for navigation pourposes. thar
it would cost less to construct and
maintain, and, provided navigation is
not revived to Minneapolis, after its
completion, 1t would furnish more
power than two dams.
The two-dam proposition was origi.
nally conceived to concilliate the zeal.
ousy between the two Cities" continu.
ed Major Skunk, for by that plan
each city would have dam which
it could call its own and neither would
possess what the other did not. but
the change was acceded to for the
reason that a single dam would do
the business just as well at half the
cost; single lock Is more conyen-
lent to navigation, for the lockage of
boats takes time and requires careful
handling to avoid delay and risk. and.
furthermore, water power could not
prof1tably be generated by the two
dam system, whereas, at least $4,000
horse power and possibly more can be
derived from a single structure.
while the latter very important
consideration should have been disre-
garded by the engineers, or only in
directly considered, 1t is apparent to
everybody that a system which per-
mits the generation OF power, with or
without a violation of the constitution.
should be preferred to one that does
not.
According to Major Skunk, one Of
the Minneapolis power companies has
already offered 100000 year for a
fifty year lease Of the power to be
generated by the new dam, which in
dictates to value. The people at large
are still paying the bill and the people
OF st. Paul and Minneapolis will enjoy
the benefit. The government, Accord
ing to Major Skunk, will go no furth-
er than the construction of the founda-
ton OF a power house at level with
the crest Of the DAM
It Is necessary to go that far be-
cause it is part of the dam. Major
Skunk says that the government has
never done anything of this kind be-
fore, and will go no further without
the specific authority of congress. The
legislation in the rivers and harbors
act does not contemplate the genera
ton OF power for lighting or. manu-
featuring purposes for lighting or man
featuring purposes, but solely to pro-
mote commerce and navigation, and
the strict constructionists, who are
numerous in congress, would immedi-
ately question the constitutionality of
the dam. but that does not trouble the
people of Minneapolis or st. Paul for
minute.
st. Anthony's Falls turns the mill
stones for twenty-five of the largest
flour mills in the world, which turned
out 1885, 60 barrels Of -four in 1910.
enough to load 61,5O3 freight cars. 1t
required more than 1900 full trains
to carry it away, and it went to the
ends of the earth.
Enough -four is shipped from Min
neapolis every day to make $1,000, 900
loayes of bread. The daily capacity OF
the mills is $1,000 barrels, and alto.
gether they employ about 1000 men.
The highest record for any one year
was 16,26o,105 barrels In 1902. The
total output varies considerably. It
has averaged less than $4,000, 900 bar
rels during the last ten years, and 1910
saw the largest product since 1903.
The exports are less than 1000 600
barrels year and have been falling
off gradually for ten years. The maxi
mum was reached in 1900 when ATOP.
4S5 barrels were shipped to foreign
countries. The cause Of the decrease
in exports is easily explained by the
growing demand in the Unitdd Statss
Originally all of the twenty-five
mills belonged to individual owners.
but about twenty years ago consolida-
ton began and company was formed
to control the Washburn and PiIlsburv
mills. A large amount of English can
ital became interested, and the con-
solicitations continued until twenty OF
the mills are now owned and controII-
ed by three corporations. There are
five Independent companies owning
some OF the smaller plants The Wash
burn-Crosby owns eight mills, with
total capacity of 1916 barrels a day
Their largest mill has a capacity Of
$4,000 barrels. The Pillsbury Company
owns the largest single mill, which
has capacity of 1900 barrels a day.
and four others which combined have
a capacity of $4,000 barrels. The
Northwestern Consolidated Milling
Company has seven mills with a COM
bined capacity of 1900 barrels day.
Lumber was the first article mann.
featured at Minneapolis. The first at
tempt to utilize the water power of
the upper Mississippi was In 1928.
when an army quartermaster set
up small mill to saw lumber for the
building OF Fort Smelling. which was
then under construction. Commercial
lumber however. was not manufacture
ed here until 1850, and 1t was not until
the '70s that the business assumed
large proportions. From that time 1t