The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1917-07-17


Louis for the gold diggin's" Of Mon
tana. and came back. when they came
back at all, laden. IN part at least with
the yellow fruit OF the miners toll in
the placer fields Of Helena and round
about: from the days when traffic be-
tween the lower river towns and Kan
sas CITY, Leavenworth. Atchison. St
Joseph Nebraska City, Brownsville,
Plattsmouth Council Bluffs, Omaha and
Sioux City was carried on almost ex.
olusively by stern and side wheelers,
the vagaries and eccentricities OF the
Missouri river have afforded much ma
terial for the display OF that particular
form of wit which is comprehended in
the term exaggerated American hu'
NOR" The Missouri river has not
changed its ways with the decline Of
steam boating. but. since the shipment
Of millions Of dollars worth Of freight
and the convenience OF thousands Of
travellers annually are no longer de-
pendent upon il. the occasion for max
ing fun Of 1t. or for saying sarcastic
things about il, is no longer present.
The internal commerce and travel OF the
great central valley OF the country are
row moved almost solely by rail; the
Missouri like the Mississippi and the
Ohio. is now crossed but seldom nayi.
gated as compared with other days.
st. Louis and Fort Benton are weeks
closer TO each other than they used 70
be- but still there II a side to all this
that renders II rather deplOrable than
otherwise That IS % say, II would be
better for the country II, instead Of
abandoning the great inland waterways,
q had improved them as they should
have been improved
The Missouri is in the nature Of a con.
tia5iction. from its source 70 its juno
ton with the Mississippi. a distance OF
1896 miles. For instance. after II Is
formed Of the combination Of the JEFF
fcrson and Gallatin rivers in the Rocky
mountains, instead Of flowing east or
south as one might reasonably expect
II 10 do. II flows north for distance
OF 500 miles: then Il takes an easterly
direction for 1900 miles. and then flows
southeasterly for the remainder OF the
distance After II meets the Mississippi
II joins that stream in its devious course
toward the Gulf OF Mexico. but for many
miles below the confluence II refuses
tc mingle with the Father Of Waters
1t take some side OF the bed. leaving
the Mississippi TO take the other side
the line which marks the muddy from
the clear water being plainly discerni
bic almost II not quite. down to st
Louis.
American Indian for Missouri Is "Bil
MUDDY" and by this name the river 4
known familiarly to dwellers along IL
banks II is also known. at certain sea
sons Of the year. as "Big Dusty" A
a constructor Of sandbars the Missouri
has few equals and no superiors. I'm an.
part Of the earth so far explored II /
equally proficient In demolishing sand
bars When they are In their prime
and al low water. they are unrivaled a
dust distributors. Sometimes they n
main where they were formed until the
are covered with vegetation and
growth Of trees Although long unde
suspicion. an island Of this characte
IN the Missouri at length begins to Wi
confidence Then some man puts
log cabin on H. pre-empts Il. files
claim 20 IL. does everything but squa
upon Il. and would do this II he wer
not held back by his friends. and jus
when he Is beginning 10 feel secure Il
the possession Of tract OF valuabl
alluvial acreage. the Missouri come
down from the mountains smilingly 4
q June rise" eddies and swirls abou
II plays with H. gnaws great chunk
out Of II. sweeps over II. submerges 4
wines u OFF the topography Of the glob,
The material OF this island Is use
10 form other sandbars and the island
farther down stream. however, and
when i has neither bars nor islands {
feed og, the river helps itself TO farm
on either side, sometimes removing
part OF Nebraska over 10 the Iowa sid,
or widening the state OF Missouri nj IN
expense Of Kansas. but always h0ldin
enough real estate in solution and pr,
clpitatiDn 20 maintain right 10 IN
name y bears
There are times when the Mlssoul
miles wide. Then II Is that It's navigl
tion Is difficult between pools. Tn
humorists Of other days used 10 sa
that the deckhands Of stern.wheeler
We're frequently sent ahead with garde
springkiug pots 10 moisten the cham,
80 that'the boat could float through Il
Once, II was said. the captain OF
steamboat made the trip from Omah
10 Kansas city boy taking advantage d
rainy days. A story OF great popularit
Ia the COS ran somewhat In this fashior
An upwFrd.bound boat had been groun,
ed for sbme days when the captain n,
ticed "a passenger, who had displaye
impatiei ice carrying an empty bucke
forward, what are you going TO d
with that?" inquired the captain "I'r
going to,fill Il with water from the sid
and thrdw Il In front TO give the boat
start rtplied the passenger you'll d
nothing OF the kind" commanded IN
captain. 1--WE need all the water ther
is In thF river 10 cook with" Yet
volume water OF potential horsepov
er sufficient TO drive all the maohiner
IN the United States flows down, ever
year, between the widely separate
banks ~ the Missouri. only TO be dl
sipated and wasted for lack OF harness
That thg Missouri is frequently shallow
often dhty periodically destructive an
nearly always useless. except whel
kanfas Siiy has pluokily put II int
service. is not its fault