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What Colonel Bill Switzler Says

What Colonel Bill Switzler Says image
Parent Issue
Day
3
Month
December
Year
1897
Copyright
Public Domain
OCR Text

The impression is general that Missouri river water is dirty - that the big river flows about two parts of dirt and one of mud - but the impression is erroneous, for the Missouri river's water is purer than the water of any great river in the country, the Platte alone exeepted. It is true that when a bucketful of it is dipped up it appears to be dirty, but if the water is left until it settles it will be f ound that the sediment at the bottom is fine, dark colored sand and not mud. The Missouri river's water is Bever muddy, save during the spring high water. Colonel Bill Switzler of Boonville, Mo., declares that the general idea that Missouri means "big muddy" or "muddy water" is wrong. He says, and Oolonel Bill Switzler is an authority, that it means "wooden canoe. " The name, he saya, belongs to the Illinois dialect of the Algonquin Indians. The name Missuris or Missouri was applied by the Indians of the upper lake regiĆ³n to the tribe of Indians living west of the Mississippi river, because the latter nsed wooden canoes instead of birch bark can oes. Wooden canoes had to be used on the Missouri river because it was too turbulent for the frail birch bark canoes, and in this way the big river secured its name. But no matter whether Missouri means "muddy water" or "wooden canoe," the fact remains that Missouri river water is not muddy. It does not flow through mud, but through fine fiand. The Mississippi river water is 100 per cent dirtier than the Missouri, but poets have raved about the beautiful

Article

Subjects
Ann Arbor Argus
Old News