The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1911-08-02
Rev. T. Clayton WeIles, Former keo-
kuk Minister Makes Some Appre-
clatlve Remarks About
keokuk.
LOOKING AROUND SOME
Lot Of Building Has Been Going on In
the Past Several Years, But
Old Town Same in
Many Ways.

What magnificent site for CITY,"
Rev. T. Clayton Welles. former pas
tor Of the First Congregational church
stood on the work on the Illinois side
of the dam, looked across the river at
Keokuk nestled in the great bluffs
rising so high from the river, and
made this very significant statement
Along all the river, don't know
where you could get better site,"
he continued. Those high hills there
are just the place to build beautiful
city that can overlook that magnifi.
cent view and this wide expanse OF
river"
This was the Reverend Welles' first
visit in Keokuk since eight or nine
years ago. He left Keokuk to take
charge of another pastorate, that at
Waterloo, in 1879. Since then he has
been back here on short visits on one
or two occasions He is at present To-
Gated in Philadelphia. He visited the
work on both sides of the river yes
terday and exhibited marked inter
est in the colossal construction work
now being done. Being former Keo.
kukian he was pressed for an ex-
preston of his opinion regarding the
work and what it would mean to Keo-
kuk, by The Gate City's representative
who happened to be along.
Its q wonderful piece of work, =
was his answer. Much greater than
had any notion of. / shall watch the
reports of its progress with intense
satisfaction, and with SO much more
interest since / shall have in mind a
panoramic picture of all this wonder
| full construction. That man Cooper
certainly must be wonderful man tc
be the brain of all this great under
taking. l have read something of the
| work, and have been told of it from
| time to time but never did I think i
so large as it is / shall expect to heal
glowing reports from it as time pro
crosses"
| and what about Keokuk?" was
the query.
why Keokuk has just begun tt
| feel the impetus" was the response
This will mean great thing to Keo
kuk. She is just feeling the first pust
of the awakening but as the worl
goes on she will feel wonderful i'm
petus / am sure"
With this assertion they trampet
over to watch the travelling crane;
CARRYING their loads to the cars. the
workmen busy at their own individual
tasks. the little engines with theil
cars hustling and busting here ant
there. What a wonderful thing thi'
construction Is" he remarked. Ever!
man to his own work. The division o
labor is assuredly marked in thi
work" On the Hamilton side Rev
Welles watched the steel for thu
steel forms of the dam being loaded
on the cars and taken out to be pu
together. AS the big crane picked VI
it's thousands of pounds load he said
. What would they do If that cram
we're not there" 1t was simple blu
! forceful tribute to the power of ma
tchinery, steam and electricity whic'
man has harnessed for his own use.
We'll has Keokuk changed any?
was the last question the reveren'
gentleman was asked.
Eyes and no." he replied. Il coul
find my way around at least in som
parts of the city know. Main stree
Is lust the same to me. But out on tn
north side they are doing a great dea
of building and of course that change
things a great deal. Keokuk ha
changed to some extent, to some e.
tent 1t has not. 1t is still the sam
dear old place to me-"
1 Reverend Welles has been visitin
in Des Moines and Waterloo before h
came to Keokuk. Though Yanke
born and bred he is greatly in low
with Iowa and the Iowa people an
without treason to his native heatl
he remarked several times that h
would like to come back to the Hawl
eve state to locate.