Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1879-04-15
RIVER RACKET.

Lakes Pepiu and st. Croix Free of Ice--Boat
Expected from Below TO-Day-LOw
Observation-Disclosures leanings.
News was received here yesterday that the
ice remaining in Lake Pepin disappeared
Sunday, giving unobstructed navigation from
st. Paul to the Gulf, and tho steamer Ar
kansas, Of the Keokuk-N Northern line, over
due at the foot of the lake yesterday, will
probably reach St. Paul some time to-day, to
be followed in regular order by boats of that
and the Diamond 10 line, several OF whom
have already left ST. Louis.
Navigation is resumed with the water dis
tressingly low, lower than ever before known
at this season of the year. Owing to the
ter here and to the Northwest, and also to
the moderate rainfall of the last year there
has been no spring rise, and the departure of
the ice has left the river with the same low
stage of water with which the season closed
last fall. Here the board shows only but
about two feet of water, but as this mark
was made to indicate the depth at Pigs Eye
bar-the worst bar on the upper river-be-
fore channel had been formed by the
operations of the wing dam put in there, it
is estimated that the real depth of the chan
mel at that point is about three and a
half feet, and, as several of the other trouble
some bars lower down the river were treated
to the wing dam process, last season, it is
probably safe to estimate that as about the
depth of water at all points between this city
and La Crosse, not as much, by any means,
as steamboatmen would like, but sufficient
to enable them to keep up regular trips with
| the light draft boats built for such emergen-
cies.
! THE ST. CRoIX.
Advices from the St. Croix are that the
ice moved out of that lake Sunday, the little
steamer Alex Gordon, Capt. Haycock, leav-
ing Saltwater to pass down through the
lake for st. Paul at Pm.
THE RED RIVER.
The Red River of the North is also free of
ice, the steamer Grandin leaving Moorhead
for Grand Forks, and the steamer Marga-
rette is advertised to leave for Winnipeg to-
morrow. The government dredge boat be-
ing built under the superintendent of Chas.
Wagner, is nearly ready for launching. The
Kittson line of boats are being put in con
dition for business, and will soon start out.
AS in the Mississippi, the water is very low.
| THE REAL CONTEST.
The st. Louis Iimes-J ournal has this to
say as to what constitutes the real compe-
tition on the upper Mississippi:
"The competition on the upper Mississippi
is not between Diamond 10 and Commodore
Davidson. The real contest lies betwe.E
river and railroad interests. This would be
all right if 1t was square fight, but it is not
and never will be until the law is 80 changed
as to make railroad companies responsible
for their debts. At present it is anything tc
beat steamboats,, and if railroads lose money
in wasing Their unjust wars, they simply pass
into the hands of a receiver and continue on
in their wicked course. Now steamboats, are
obliged to pay their debts or be tied up Their
q and there. While our legislatures are advo-
eating reform, wouldn't it be we'll for them
to look into this matter and meet out little
justice? Our water ways are capable of Civ.
ing employment to large number of per
sons, but if something isn't done to protect
them from these hesrt]ess railroad corpora.
tions they will soon cease to be of any use
whatever. Like the strong man of older
times, these monopolies are bent on crush.
ing their enemies (?), but let them remem.
Der the house will not be permitted to fall
without bringing destruction on those whose
dastardly action. caused it to tumble.''