Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1878-02-12
THE RIVER TRADE.
GETTING READY FOR SPRING YORK.

GETTING READY FOR SPRING WORK.
The Steamboat Ines Running to st. Paul
What they Propose to do Next Season
Additional Facilities--Through to New
Orleans.
On many accounts it is perfectly justifa-
BILE to anticipate that next springs carrying
trade to and from this region will be unusu-
ally brisk. The crop of 1877 was bounte-
Gus beyond all expectations, and its removal
would necessarily increase traffic both by rail
| and water, and tax the resources of the va
rious lines to their utmost capacity. More
over, much of the crop is still held in this
State, and in the Immediately contiguous
country. The European conflict led farm
ers and spectators to retain their wheat in
anticipation of "war prices,'' while in
addition to that incentive the
detention of the cereals was further accom-
plished by the almost entire want of mar
keting facilities induced by slushy roads and
during the present season. AS with every
food tide there is an ebb, so the eflux of the
crop in the spring will be attended by the re-
fiux of returning supplies and merchandise,
and the two, as already stated, have led the
carrying lines to justifably anticipate a
brisk carrying trade when the season opens.
Foremost among the river transportation
lines stands the widely-known, popular and
extensive Keokuk Northern Line Packet
company, the moving spirit of which is
Commodore Davidson, whose name is STA
miliar as household words" at every landing
on the Mississippi and Missouri and their
branches. This yariously ramifying COM
pany participates in the feeling that next
seasons carrying trade will be, perhaps, be-
You'd precedent, and, like prudent gener-
al, is now, in time of peace. always
prepared for war. In fact,
its resources in men, boats, barges.
material and capital are SO enormous as to
render the concern ready for any emergency.
Its Eagle line, composed of the magnif-
cent river boats the Golden Eagle and the
| War Eagle, runs daily as fast line for
passengers, express freight and cattle be-
tween St. Louis and Keokuk. 10 this
branch will probably be added this season
another daily eagle line'' to Davenport
from st. Louis with new boat, thus render
ing the transportation between the points
indicated as facile and frequent as could
be desired. From Keokuk, the line
extends to St. Paul, with which
the connection has been maintained. for
years with such degrees of daily or other
frequency as the demands of trade required
from time to time The number of steam
ers and barges possessed by this company is
50 great that, should the traffic with this
point warrant it, it would be prepared, on
the shortest notice, to place two daily boats
on the line between st. Paul and Keokuk
| and this will be done, when the occasion
arises. AS to barges, it's fleet is enormous
and the construction of new ones to re-
place old ones and maintain the number up
to the standard never ceases.
! But there is one direction in which inter
river transportation will largely increase dur
ing 1873 that must be mentioned in connec-
ton with the Keokuk Northern Line Packet
company, as it will be a large sharer in that
prospective increase. The success of the
Eads jetty system in deepening the out
let's of the Mississippi river being now an
assured fact, a revolution in the transporta-
ton of the crops of the west and northwest
will Individually ensue. Instead of those
products seeking the eastern seaboard, they
will reach foreign shores via New Orleans, to
|
now-or will shortly gain the easiest access,
and remain in perfect security while in port.
The impetus of this change in the channel of
commerce is already being felt, the demand
for barges below st. Louis even now forming
quite feature of trade. 1t is here that the
strong points and limitless resources of the
Keokuk Northern Line Packet company will
come into play, and where it will reap a
heavy harvest in the way of transporting
bulk produce to st. Louis for reshipment to
New Orleans Taken altogether, then. the
prospects of this company for 1873 are
bright in the extreme, and it's preparations
for the years promised increase of trade are
ample in each and every particular.
Another water line, the Diamond 10. y
owned by Mr.. Joseph Reynolds, has for
some months been actively engaged
in extensive preparations looking toward
the extension of its facilities for 1873 For
this purpose two new steamers are now upon
the stocks. and are far advanced toward COM
pletion. One, the Josephine, is on the Eagle
Point ways at Dubuque, Iowa, which have
been purchased by Mr.. Reynolds The Jo-
sephine is about the same size and character
as the Familiarity known Diamond 10. The
along with four new bargcs, and is to be
christened the Errand Boy. The Errand
Boy is being built with special
reference to navigation during low
stages of water, and while the
boat will take its position on the river as
regular liner, will, when necessity demands,
be employed to ply between here and Pres
colt, Wis.,, when the large liners Ire unable
to reach this point by reason of the shallow
ness of the Mississippi. With these new
steamers and those already possessed, the
Diamond 10 line will be enabled to run
three times a week between st. Paul and
down river points, and such is the present
intention.