The Kennewick courier-reporter. [volume] (Kennewick, Wash.) 1914-1938, 1915-05-06
VISITING hOTABLES
SPEAK At BANQUET
Fine Progra m of Addresses
Marks Close of Celebration
in PascO Tuesday Night

very HCClngly the JOINT CeleDraCIOn
by Kennewick and Pasco of the open
ing of the Columbia and Snake rivers
to continuous navigation to the sea
was brought to close by banquet
at the Masonic hall in Pasco, at which
were seated about the well appointed
tables some $50 people, including two
governors, two ex-governors, two u.
8. senator's, congressman and q
number Of other prominent men. At
no one time in the history Of the Twin
Cities has such an array Of notables
been seated together. - -
Mayor Geo. w. Gent, of Pasco, in
troduced as first speaker, ex-Govern-
or Miles C. Moore, who, speaking on
the subject Of; 'sThe Columbia: Rich
in History, Romance and Legend"
traced the history Of what is now tho
Northwest from the annexation Of the
old Oregon country down to the pres
ent time, telling = from personal ex.
perience many incidents that indeed
sounded like romance or fiction. Dr..
j. B. Morris, Mayor of Lewiston, told
the story ofsthe Indian wars Of ~
and Of his part as an actual fighter in
that war. SO
Professor T. F. Anderson read
paper by T. C. Elliott, Of Walla Walla,
on the subject "David Thompson: the
First Navivator Of the Columbia" In
the year 1911, so read Prof. Anderson,
David Thompson made the trip from
the source of the Columbia to its
mouth by canoe. Excerpts from tho
journal Of Thompson tell of his spend
ing a night on the east bank Of the
Columbia just opposite to Kennewick
and Of his negotiations with tribe
Of Indians encamped on the present
site of Pasco.
With the introduction Of Senator
Miles Poindexter, "reminiscences of
early days were shelved, while watr-
way. questions of great Importance
at the present time were discussed.
Senator Poindexter said: "There is no
of government funds that
yields better returns than that spent
for waterway improvement. Rivers
as regulators of freight rates are of
greater Importance than any possible
or the state or interstate
commerce commissions"
Senator Jones, like all the speakers,
the people of the Twin
Cities on the acquiring at last Of an
open waterway to the sea. He spoke
on "Power; Possibilities and Probable
ities," stating that the $4,000 900 Of
horse power in the Northwest, mostly
along the Columbia and the Snake,
was four times greater than the ag-
gregate horse power of all the rest of
the United States. Three things were
essential to the proper growth and
progress of the state and have been
partially realized, said Senator Jones.
They are: First, the opening of the
Columbia to the sea; Second, recla-
nation of the desert lands of the state
and third, the development of water
power of the Columbia and its tribu-
,aries. In speaking of Priest Rapids,
Senator Jones stated that there are
capitalists willing to build locks at
hat place, thus furnishing river trans
portation to the sea to all the upper
Columbia country, develop the power
and distribute it under government
and regulations. Power
developed at Priest Rapids could ir-
-igate 10000 acres of land now arid.
According to Governor Lister, Ken
newick is the seaport of the west in
country while Pasco is
he same for the country east of the |
liver. and .of Spokane. The Governor