The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1912-10-15
JoTTlNGs FROM THE
SAGE OF SEVEN PINES
EPhIloscphlc Points PertinentIy Placed
Before the Readers Of Tho
Gate City.

A member OF the greatest manufact-
uring company in our country, recent
ly said to the writer that the most
important subject in material affairs
lis that Of improved highways. Bust
ness demands certain and rapid move
ment of commodities. and live stock
and grain should move to market with
daily regularity. AS conditions now
prevail over the country districts,
roads at times become almost impas-
sable, and grain and live stock are
thereby held on the farms for weeks.
Then, again, another factor Of Inn
mense Importance has entered upon
the stage of activities in rural affairs
within the recent years, and this
factor demands recognition and just
treatment. refer to the automobile,
which has become a general means
of travel all over the country. Auto
mobiles must have good roadways In
Clark coonty at present there are per-
haps a hundred thousand dollars In
vested in auto cars. The owners want
to use their cars regularly. But they
demand good roads. Times will bring
changed and better road laws and
skilled engineers to build and main
tain good highways. The reform
should come speedily.
Invisible conditions govern, after
all. Last year the farmers of Lee.
/ 1o6
hard to secure crops which proved
only partially good, while this year
great crops of corn, vegetables and
fruits just decorated the country, and
all without much study or care. Man
kind can do something's in the way Of
aiding, but the great creative prin-
ciples prevail alone.
| visited few days out along the
Santa Fe line, last week, and observed
how well that great railway maintains
its high rank in activity and bust
mess. There isya constant movement
sof pipe line material westward to the
lcil fields, and agricultural machinery
goes in through trains. / saw freight
cars of the company just new from
the manufacturing establishment out
on their first journey. They sang
song of steel, clear and valiant, and
were out on the firing line for trans
portation of thousand classes of
commodities. The Atchison, Topeka
and Santa Fe railway line is about
perfect. 1t may well be named the
Mississippi of railway lines, for it is
an affair of imperial majesty.
Among the real early writer's OF
pioneer history for local papers, was
A. w Harlan, who lived near Croton
for SO many years. Mr. Earlan served
some years in the federal army, and
one lonely day while travelling in
Arkansas, he met forlorn looking
man who asked aid Of Mr.. Harlan. A.
W. said he had but few dollars himself
but being generous he gave the poor
man a share. Then he asked his
name, and he replied 1t was David
Blines. Now. this same person had
escaped from the confederates who
had captured him while serving in the
dangerous mission of spy, and his
day of execution had been appointed.
At the close of the war David married
and moved to Texas, and his kindred
lost all knowledge of him. One art
iicle which Mr.. Harlan contributed to
The Gate City was upon the subject
lof The First Drove of Cattle to Pass
Through Lee County" A. w. Harlan
was patriotic, and one of his special
enjoyments was in writing pioneer
Isketches for the local press. Honor
to his name.
Along with the Santa Fe, we may in
clude nearby the Burlington. The
student of affairs easily notices that
the growing business OF the Burling
ton line will naturally compel the
building of a second track between
Saint Louis and Keokuk.
The route OF the proposed Des
Moines river canal passes or leaves
the, river just below Saint Francis
vile and joins the Mississippi little
way north Of Alexandria The line
approaches near the home of the writ
er. Officials of the survey stated tina
should the canal be established, ont
great influence would be that our val
ley would no longer be invaded with
I foods from the Des Moines and Mis-
sissippi The canal would be SO pro
tected as to prevent damage from higl
: water. Below Saint Francisville thu
river Is q perpetual danger to all, the
I food plains on the Missouri side O
> the stream as well as on the low;
side. The canal would be compelled
to leave the Des Moines at that poin
on account of the absence of rocl
bed. Between the low hill just ives
OF the Buena Vista bridge on west t.
near Saint Francisyille, the induratet
/ or stratified rock formation drops tt
great depths. At the routy hill ar
exposures of the Keokuk goede beds
and fairly good specimens of thes,
t peculiar class of rocks NAV be OBJ