The Port Gibson reveille. [volume] (Port Gibson, Miss.) 1890-current, 1922-01-12

The latent energy Of its rushing
waters would hum into score Of mil
lion. horse power.
For four years | lived on the banks
Of this majestic stream where il
swept IN graceful curves at the foot
of Boys Mountain, and one summer
traced some Of its largest tributaries
t. their source on the crest Of Smoky
Mountains | saw this stream again
on the 18th cf january, 1918, filled
with great cakcs Of ice while the
banks were covered with snow A
score Of men were clearing off a point
of land lying between the deep ravines
for the first Office building of the !.
C. White Construction Co. NV FIRST
task was to give the levels for It's
foundation. Here / spent ten months
amid one Of the greatest scenes OF
graft, waste, discord and laziness to
be found in the entire world Here
twenty-five thousand men, paid huge
wages, were doing less work than
what Eve thousand men would have
done before the war, at one-third the
average wage, or at least ten per
cent effective.
am proud Of your soldier boys
with their great record of grit, daring,
dauntless courage and devotion to the
flag, but ! am ashamed Of the man
agement at home that gave slackers
and men who, through dissipation,
had been disqualified from active SER
vice twelve dollars day to check in
and out while our boys across the sea
were paid but dollar day.
Secretary Weeks has recently made
a statement ! hear hundreds of times
three years ago, that the next war
would see draft that would take ia
All men, capital included
The present estimate Of all money
spent at Muscle Shoals is nlaced at,
OF hundred and five million dollars,
with an actual valuation Of all inn
provements between fifteen and twen-
ty million. These improvements in
clude the steam electric plant built
by J. G White CO., the manufacturing
buildings built by the Westinghouse
Company, modern village, concrete
piers built across the river at the dam
site to carry the construction tracks,
some blasting and few million yards
of concrete in place. Government
rights, potential energy estimated al
one million horse power, worth fifty
million dollars. "a further expendi-
the valuation one hundred million
dollars.
In building the steam power plant
with its ninety large boilers, huge
concrete tunnels were put in place for
use when the dam was Completed. 1t
is about one-half miles from the dam
site to the power house, and it was
the intention to convey the water there
in large concrete tunnels. The dam
was originally planned to reach an el-
ovation Of one hundred and ten feet,
with two huge locks to take cnre of
1t was to have a split
gay Of $500 feet. The river on the
south or Sheffield side at the dam site
striSes into blue limestone banks one
hundred and sixty feet in height. Here
The river flows over d hard limestone
bed On the north side is bottom
about three quarters Of mile wide
and then bluffs similar TO those on
the south aids Distance from bluff
50 bluff about one and one-haif miles.
Here can be found an abundance Of
rock needing only 10 be blasted and
crushed. BY all means u cement plant
should be built FOR use for the dam
and take care Of the great building
iboom later. ! see no reason why the
dam itself cound not be completed at
IN additional sum Of ten million dol
lars IL MIR. Ford will pay a proper
interest on an investment Of one hum
Ared millions ! believe he should be
given the contract Of lease. This Who'll
ly Dixie river in working harness
would be the Aladdin Lamp for the
southland.
FRANK b. WERKINC.