4 22 AMERICAN FORESTRY 



single wreck will block a railroad, or parts of it locks and dams. The writer 

 a single break deaden a telegraph line, does not yet know what the estimates 

 The sand and gravel, like the stream, for this work now are, but lock and 

 flow down forever. dam work is always costly, and it is 

 The writer did not say that the army safe to predict that, like the tariff, this 

 engineers were hopeless and had thrown last revision is like all of its prede- 

 up their hands in disgust, as Captain cessors, ever upward. They have not 

 Johnston attributed to him in his testi- thrown up their hands, but constantly 

 mony. He did say, and repeats, that raise their estimates, instead, 

 while they may dredge out the sand, It is probable that we at last have a 

 they are helpless to check or prevent plan of improvement that is adequate 

 its incessant inrush from the eroding to meet present conditions, and that the 

 mountains. Nor is this any criticism increased estimate of cost is only what 

 of the engineers. That the sand and we may naturally expect to pay because 

 gravel are constantly swept down to of these conditions, 

 them from the headwaters is no more Captain Johnston is throughout his 

 a reflection on them than to say that testimony, by his convenient omissions 

 the water that brings it is being con- and garbled quotations, pleading a spe- 

 stantly carried down the same course to cial cause, rather than presenting actual 

 them. They are not hopeless or dis- conditions fully and fairly. The many 

 gusted, but will dig and work as long annual and special reports of the army 

 as appropriations are forthcoming, and engineers on the Tennessee River give 

 the history of their plans for improving too much information as to real condi- 

 the upper Tennessee River shows that tions on it to make it necessary to draw 

 their estimates to secure a three-foot on one ' s personal knowledge of the 

 channel at mean low water have steadily r j ver to re fute Captain Johnston's one- 

 mounted for years, and that they are s j c i ec j statements. It has, instead, been 

 far from being ready to quit. In 1871 thought best to refute the army engi- 

 the estimate was $175,000: in 1877, neer testimony as cited Captain John- 

 $225,000; in 1884, $300,000; in 1891, ston ' s out o f t j ie mOu ths of the army 

 $340,000; in 1894, $650,000, in addi- engineers themselves, 

 tion to the $296,000 already spent ; in ^he writer would heartily agree with 

 1907, $1.080,000, in addition to the Captain Johnston, after finding it so 

 $629,152.85 already spent, and in 1910 nec essary to correct and supplement 

 the writer understands that in a report his quota tions, that the committee 

 on the upper river, recently submitted has been f urnish ed "with a consid- 

 but not yet published, the plan of open erable amoim t of misinformation" 

 channel work adopted years ago with on t he subject, and he also agrees 

 the assurance that this upper section w ith the member of the committee who 

 of the river was admirably suited to it, says, on page 158 of the report on the 

 is now regarded as impracticable, and hearings of 1910, that "it is best for us 

 it is proposed to substitute in certain to know the truth." 



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