The Tabor independent. [volume] (Tabor, S.D.) 1913-19??, 1914-08-13
KEOKUK DAM FAILS
TOBRING BUSINESS
into that SECTION
Electricity, Produced by Water Power
Can BE Transmitted Hundreds
of MiIes--That Is the
Reason.

Has hydro-electric power been bene-
Hcial to Keokuk or any other town
Boosting of a dam? And again: Are
cities.at a distance entitled to the cheaT
rate Of transportation and final usage
OF power that Ia being offered them?
Congress recently has been debating
on the question of water power and
particularly that furnished by the hy@
dro-electric plant at Keokuk in this
state.
smelling plant has made application
for site in Keokuk, but this to GER
tain knowledge Is the only manufac-
tory that has sought q location in the
city that was touted to become one of
the fastest growing In the middle west
because of its water power facilities.
Ask the average layman in st. Louis
where the city's power plant Is and
he'll more than likely tell you its up the
river at Keokuk, something like $50
miles away. without much pressure
the st. Louisan who keeps abreast of
the times, might impart further infor-
nation about the size Of the Keokuk
water power dam, magnitude of the
plant, amount expended in building 1t
and fund Of other general informa-
ton.
Put the same question as to the loca-
ton OF the city's electrical plant to q
Keokukan and note the surface amount
ulSlnIcTeSL reply
''it down under the hill in the river"
Has Lost interest.
Three years ago-yes, even two-this
same, sound Keokuk business man or
whoever he might be, would have tossed
an eager glance and a veritable yard OF
facts at any inquirer about the dam
and the vast amount OF horse power
that that was to. be created after the
wheels were started IN June of 1918.
But the demeaner OF the Keokuk
man has changed now; things are
much different, and slowly but surely
the joker in the deck Is being dis
covered; the stone in the path Of pro-
gress where the seat OF this great
power has been built for 20 years.
Theoretically speaking and basing
the assertion on past experiences Of
towns that have been the seats or
the fountainheads Of great quantities
of electrical power. dam towns" have
become ''deader" after the Harvesting
OF river or stream has been completed
than they ever were before construc-
ton OF power plants. There may be
some exceptions to this rule, but they
are as scarce as the proverbial frogs
hair. .,
And what is the reason for this de-
tertoration as 1t were or, to use q term
less harsh, the practical standing still
OF most dam towns?
An expert in electrical power win
say without much procraStination
that transmission hurts after the dam
II built: not short transmission Of
power, but the carriage over wires
stretched for miles In any compass
direction OF the power created lessons
the chances Of the power city in be-
coming great as q commercial center.
Kept Them Away.
Fate was unkind enough in the case
of Keokuk to decree that st. Louis
capital should contract for $4,000 horse
power in electricity. Several large and
old manufacturing concerns that con-
templated moving to Keokuk. re-
manned In the Missouri metropolis be-
cause they used up slices of the power
transmitted from the: monolithic dam
at Keokuk. Transmission cut out the
expense Of moving from St Louis to
Keokuk.
1t costs but little more to operate a