Show MARK TWAIN DOES NOT FAVOR WATERWAY SCHEME new york april 14 that he had joined the ranks ot of the anti noise society and that he did not believe a 14 foot channel down the mississippi river could be successfully dredged were the two things samuel clemens mark twain had to tell reporters on his return from a long vacation in bermuda he said 1 I have returned from my trip a reformer I 1 have joined the ranks of the anti noise society I 1 have retired from the making of after dinner speeches and the lecture platform no one cart can tolerate noise you know unless they are the noisemakers I 1 am through making a noise and so I 1 insist on quiet mr twain what 10 do lo you think of the scheme to improve our interior waterways by dredging a 14 foot channel down the mississippi river asked one 1 I have no sentimental interest in such a project and I 1 have too many realities to do with a vall o the th wasp when the almighty built this earth he knew very well that a 14 foot channel from chicago to the gulf would have been a very excellent and much needed thing but he also knew that it would tax even his resources if there were fourteen banks of england behind the scheme and fourteen more behind them there would not be enough available money to finance the scheme 1 I know the mississippi valley and its oozy soil too well the digging of the channel would be but the beginning A thousand dredges could not keep it clear |