Vicksburg weekly herald. (Vicksburg, Miss.) 1868-1883, 1878-05-03
The Deer Creek Railroad and
SunnOWer River Steamboats,.

NIcKsBCRo April q, 1878.
Editor Herald
fear my letter from Rolling Fork
about a railroad up there and the difi.
cullies OF steamboat navigation in that
region, mas been misunderstood, espeC.
tally /! the letter my friend in this
mornings issue OF the HERALD, over
the signature "B." IL at oil a reflection
of the construction placed upon 1t. |
wish to disclAim any intention to re-
fleet upon steamboats, or steamboat.
men. Both are useful, and neither
could be dispensed with. Aud Il is
%proVerbial, the world over, that In pro.
portion to their ability, sleamboatmen
are mUre liberal with their means lLan
men Of almost any other business,
while, as to their kindness 10 those who
fall In with them, l have had, time and
again, the most abundant aud pleasing
evidence. Particularly is this true with
reference TO those who have 80 often
carried me up and down the SuuAow.
err. But their boats can't climb a tree
or navigate a mud or corduroy road,
aud | fail 10 see why It might be deem
ed q personal reflection on any n to
say 80.
In my railroad letter l wanted to say
that on account of the difficulties OF
navigation of the streams In and about
the Deer Creek country, IL was utterly
impossible that the boats could make,
all the year round, regular aud prompt
trips, or that they could land freighls
up aud down the Deer Creek valley
az cheaply, safely, speedily and salts.
iActOrily az a railroad. The fault lies
10 the surroundings, and not with the
boats. | know a little journey Of only
twenty Ave miles on the main line Of
travel over one of the main ranges OF
the Rocky Mountains into the mlues,
where the tariff on freight is two cents
per pound, and yet no one would, for
that reason, think of blaming the patient
little jacks which carry II, though the
figure seems "outlandish."
"B" invites me 10 90 with his boat on
the trip to-day up the Sunaower to
Clarksdale. | wish | could 90. lie
says the country up there is lovely.
10 not doubt it, and yet the people w
there are virtually isolated from the
outer word hree.fourlhs OF the year
Not because the STEAMBOATS, are mol
good and substantial, aud the officers
clever fellows, VINO would stop and
"round to"to lot a fellow 20 ashore ant
shoot a turkey, but because steamers
OF the present day can't run up 8
spring branch or on a heavy dew.
When | spoke OF steamboats, charg
ing %oullandish lreights, | dill go ID
connection with the lower end Of Little
Deer Creek, where, ii | am correctly
informed, the regular SunaOwer pack,
etc, the Fair Play aud Suulower Belle
cannot go at any season Of tho veal
without about tearing the pilot away
from his wheel, and making o wreck
Of the cabin. | don't believe Oul
smaller boats, which are the most prof
liable ones 10 u city, make fortunes
for their owners, and yet It is neverthO
less true that 81, aud often more pei
bale IN cotton, counting insurance, ap
pears like a big price when the ac;ua
distance, by rail, would be less thai
thirty-6Ve miles. II was In this sens
that | used the word "Outlandish," AMI
not by way OF an intimatiOn that boat
we're extOrtiOning on shippers. But Il
wind up: The Deer Greek Valley
one Of those regions peculiarly aud ur
gently needing a railroad, and 20 lon
as II is without one, the drawbacks 6il
continue 90 great as to prevent its ma
terial development, Of which 1t is q
largely susceptible. B. II. P.