The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1919-04-22
ls43 Audubon, the scientist, studied
the fossils of the trans Missouri re-

gaon. u
The natural drainage system of each
of the two states created by division
on the seventh standard parallel seems
the complement Of the other. Each
stats has the mighty Missouri while
the Big Souix in South Dakota foirly
offsets the significance Of the Red
river to North Dakota. No poet like
Whittier, however, has drawn on his
imagination to picture the Big Sioux,
and it's fame is likely to be only local
at best.
West of the Missouri the similarity
is even more striking. In North Da-
kota the Little Missouri, upon which
Theodore Roosevelt made his home in
his ranching days, flows north from
its source near the junction of three
states, The Dakotas and Montana, then
sweeping eastward flows into the Miss
touri near Elbowoods on the old Fort
Berth6ld reservation. South of it are
the Knife, the Heart and the forks of
the Cannon Ball.
Across the line in South Dakota are
the Grand, Moreau, the Big Cheyenne,
! the Teton or Bad and the White, all
of which generally flow through the
Bad Lands and then across the plains
to the parent stream, the Missouri.
A footnote in Professor E. John
sons handbook, "South Dakota, a Re-
public of Friends" says the act of
congress of 1861 creating Dakota ter
ritory also provided chat the river in
said territory heretofore known as the
River aux Jacque, or James river,
shall hereafter be called the Dakota
river" Some of the first pioneers
tried to observe the law, and as late as
1853 Major w. A. Moore started a
newspaper at Ordway, which he ex-
pected would be the capital, and named
it the Dakota Valley Tribune. But
the change ordered in the name was
never taken seriously. Moreover, the
pioneers of the '80s accepted the con-
traction "Jim" for James" and in
common speech at least "Jim' has
crowded all other names off the
boards.
The James has been said to be the
longest unnavigable river in the west
1ern hemisphere. Early day attempts
to operate steamers on the river in
variably ended in failure. In dry sea.
sons man, by stepping from stone to
stone, may cross it in many places
dry shod. Its source is in North Da.
kota and within five miles of the
Sheyenne river. Both flow south.
eastward in parallel courses some e
or 80 miles apart. Thereafter theil
ways diverge. The Sheyenne contin'
ues south about 100 miles or until il
encounters a peculiar watershed II
Ransom county and is DETECTED north
ward again. After flowing about 81
miles northeast, it flows into the Rel
river Of the North below Moorhead
The James, its companion stream
passes by the obstructing watershed
!. and continues its tortuous course thrl
South Dakota. Near Yankton it join
n the Missouri river.
The waters of the James, therefore
| eventually mingle with the waters o
the Gulf Of Mexico, while those Of tn
Sheyenne, springing practically from
the same head, find their way through
the Red river, Lake Winnipeg, an
continuing courses into Hudson Bay.
II Major r. F. B. Coffin, who wa
state engineer of irrigation in Sout
II Dakota in days when it was commonl
believed that irrigation was the onl
4 IIlLlS CI1At COuAU save tuS CVVuIIy
gave publicity to a plan to make ]
great waterway of the channel Of tn
James. BY his proposal government
MD was to be sought in the construe
ton Of ship canal from some poin
near the confluence Of the Missoul
and Yellowstone rivers across to tn
headwaters of the James, down tbs
river to Yankton and by way Of tn
Missouri to Sioux City. A third lin
in the majors dream was an extensio
from Sioux City to the headwaters Q
the Des MONIES river and thence 0
across Iowa by that wat Irway unit
the Mississippi was encountered 9
Keokuk. At this juncture the. goo
old major would strike an attitude IN
exclaim:
"At Keokuk we can shake hand
with the Gulf Of Mexico"
The major gave some time to I'll
study Of elevations and could figul
4 gradual decline from the propose
Ilstartink place to Sioux City and p,
You'd. Buford, near the point Of d,
parture, has IN elevation above q
level Of 1,944 feet. The highest poil
Of land between Bismarck and Jane
TOWN. on the way east, he found 4
Steele, 1857 feet, Or 81 feet belo