Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1911-02-18
WELL KNOWN RIVER MAN OF
SOUTH OTTUMWA GIVES SOME
INTERESTING DATA.
WOULD MAKE MONEY
Pilots Views on Value Of the Streams
Of the state includes Way
For Iowa to Reap
" Benefits.

streams of Iowa and how the state
could gain revenue therefrom from
part of an interesting article prepered
by.Captain E. H. Thomas of South Of
tumwa. There Is perhaps no man in
the state better informed on the value
of the streams of the state than Cap
tain Thomas and whenever he begins
to pen his views, valuable information
Is always given. Mr.. Thomas would
have the capitalists who are securing
river rights pay premium to the state
and he recommends that all the work
they do be under the direction of the
Iowa lterways commission and a
competent engineer.
The article by Captain Thomas fol-
lows:
Are Acquiring Rights.
1T will be remembered that many
of our people in Ottumwa voted
against the proposition to purchase the
water works plant. They were afraid
'of 1t but it appears to be going along
all right under city management, and
in looking over the country we notice
that the capitalists have their pro-
motors abroad in the land looking for
such investments. ]. P. Morgan of
New York, and men Of his class. know
a good thing when they see it, and
they are now investing their money in
water power plants, knowing that 1t
will return good dividends and increase
their bank accounts. The increased
cost Of coal and wood is driving the
people back to water power all over the
country. More than one thousand mer
are now at work on the big dam at
Keokuk and the capitalists of New
York and foreign countries have put
up twenty million dollars to build it.
Chicago capitalists are now purchas-
ing land along the shores and select
ing valuable water power sites upon
the rivers of the Hawkeye state. Seven
such projects are now being worked
up. Two on the Cedar, one on the Iowa
and -four on the Skunk river. These
men, in addition to the land, get some
sort of title to the water, an ancient
right which was given by the then.
territory of Wisconsin to owners of
the little old mills where the pioneers
Of Iowa took their corn to have it con-
verted into meal My father made
monthly trips to one of these corn
crackers, located on Skunk river,
travelling a distance of Is miles
State Should Control.
"This ancient title to the water
power site required the owners Of the
mills to put locks in their dams for
the steamboats, and barges but they
did not do it. 1t may be all right to-
permit these men with money to as
sumo control of the Iowa rivers and
improve them, but am of the opinion
that these companies should be put
under state control for several rea-
sons.
az They should be required to
secure a charter from the state.
(2.) Pay an annual rental to the
state for tie use of the water power
sites which are the property of the
people a gift from the creator of the
universe, and intended for their use
and oeneAt.
(3.) The building of the dams and
locks should be done under the direc-
ton of the Iowa Waterway commission
and competent engineer.
a. The Iowa Waterway commission
should be given authority to fix limit
on the prices made to the consumers
for the use Of the power.
Under such stipuations 1t would
be we'll enough to let these companies
proceed with the work upon the rivers
of Iowa. They are getting a good
thing and they can we'll afford to make
some concessions to the people and the
state, the owners Of this property, the
rivers and the power sites. With the
companies in full control of all the
water power in the state they would
have but one competitor, the steam
power. Those Of US who have been
urging the improvement of the Des
Moines for the past five years found
1t necessary to secure mass OF
statistics as to freight rates, the
plans for the Improvement OF rivers,
the canal and the dam system.
What One Plant Would Pay.
"Also the power generated by the
dams, the cost of producing the power
the price at which this power is con-
tracted, the cost of stream power, ETC.
We have all Of these figures and they
come from reliable sources When
give them, the readers of the Courier
will understand why the capitalists
of New York, Chicago and foreign
countries are so active IN securing the
water power sites, not only in Iowa
but in every state of the union. They
know good thing when they see 1t,
and are getting in on the ground floor.
For illustration we will locate one of
these power plants near the mouth Of
Village, creek, below Ottumwa. With
the great fall or slope of the Des
Moines river from the Ottumwa dam to
Village creek, a solid concrete dam
thrown across the stream at the lat
ter point would produce from twelve
to fifteen hundred horse power. To be
conservative, we will call 1t twelve
hundred. The plant would consist of
the dam, races, new modern turbine
wheels and dynamos for generating
the electricity, and the building. Once
in operation the actual cost of produc-
Ing this power would be but 81 per
annum for each horse power. This is
the average of the plants now in
operation. The average price at which
this power is now selnng is SIS per
annum for each horse power. so that
Tho annual net earnings of the plant