Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1881-04-15

| 1t is to be hoped our rallrOau companies
will again encourage tree planting by
example and such assistance as they can
well afford to give The wood will be
wanted some day, and meantime the
young trees form wind breaks. A little
encouragement from the companies will
60 good ways now, for the farmers and
other owners of prairie lands are aroused
on the subject, as appears from the TACT
that Mr. L. B. Hodges, the well-known
tree planter, who has heretofore at this
time of year booked orders for not more
than 100, 900 trees, has this season recelv-
ed up to this date orders for l,2oO,00
trees
st. Paul d St. Lomis Packet Company.
Capt John II. Reaney is on his native
heath again. Dropping into what was
formerly the Office Of the Keokuk North
srn line packet company, on the levee,
yesterday afternoon, the reporter found
Capt. Reaney busily engaged with a huge
pile of correspondence before him, and
wearing satisfied air, that showed
his heart was in the work receiving his
attention. Asked why "these things
were thus" the captain replied he was
getting ready for the season of navigation
on the upper Mississippi, now near
at hand. The proceedings in the courts
at st. Louis-details of which have been
given from time to time in the GLOBE as
they occurred-had temporarily demOral-
lied matters and delayed preparations
for the seasons business. With the or
ganization of the st. Paul & st. Louis
packet company, with Commodore WI
Davidson as general manager, and repre-
senting large majority Of the same in
terests as in the old Keokuk Northern
line, all doubt as to the future had been
removed, and himself and all others con-
nected with the line were now trying to
make up lost time in arranging details for
the seasons business, closing up contracts
delayed on account of the uncertainties
of the T. n line litigation, and general
ly putting things in 'sship shape"
In further conversation with the re-
porter, Captain Reaney stated the
new St. Paul & st. Louis packet company
would commence the seasons business
with eight stern wheel boats, all in good
repair, with roomy cabins, well furnished,
and able to make as good time between
the two terminal points as most of the
packets of the old K. N. line, and full
compliment of barges. But the company
did not propose to stop with this outfit.
On the stocks at st. Louis and
ready to launch as soon as
rise of ten inches is reached from the
present stage, is a new side wheel packet,
described in letter to him received yes
terday as a "perfect beauty-the finest
and fastest packet that ever ploughed the
father of waters above St. Louis" AS
to this splendid boat, the new
company have about closed negotiations
for four side wheel packets, first class in
every respect, which will 60 to make up
the fast passenger and express through
line between st. Paul and St. Louis, max
ing better time and closer connections
than ever before attempted by steam
boat company on the upper Mississippi.
And this is not all, said the captain;
the new line is to have close running con-
nections with one of the great barge
lines running from st. Louis to New Or
leans, and there connecting with ocean
steamers, and l will be prepared, imme-
diately upon the opening of navigation,
to give Minnesota millers and wheat ope-
rators through bills of lading from St.
Paul to Liverpool, Eng, for flour and
wheat in bulk.
"Why, captain, that means the barge
line system is to be extended from st.
Louis to st. Paul." said the reporter.
Just so, answered Captain Reaney. Of
course, he said, starting in at this late
hour, we cannot expect to carry a very
great amount of wheat this season, most
of last years crop having already been
contracted by the mlllers, or purchased
in the interest of parties operating
Milwaukee and Chicago, and
that system. ButI shall be able to contract
upon liberal terms with any person de-
string to ship by this route, and
another season / shall expect to
handle large amount of wheat, for men
of means heretofore purchasing for the
Lake Michigan and New York outlets,
are already making their arrangements to
purchase largely Of this seasons crop for
shipment direct to Liverpool by the barge
ly to speak with any certainty of the
probable tonnage of flour we shall handle,
but as under the old plan of short car
riage and transfer to other rail lines
to the East, the steamboats, were
dDle 10 compete VIII Our TdllTOduS lOT
fair share of the business, it is safe to
assume that, being able to give through
bills to laden, thus simplifying the tran
saction, and at much better figures than
ever before Offered, the barge line in con-
nection with the new company will not
suffer for business. You may depend upon
it, it will prove good thing for both the
shlpper-and of course the producer
and the steamboat company as
we'll But more of this anon.
From the above arrangements it would
seem as if Commodore Davidson and his
associates had given up all hope of getting
possession of the Keokuk Northern line
property again.
Oh, no; not at all. You, of course,
have seen that he has commenced new
proceedings in the United States district
court at St. Louis against the Gray inter-
est, which is fighting him. These pre-
ceedings are based upon different grounds
than heretofore taken, and can say to
you, that the commodore and his legal
advisers are very confident that when a
decision is reached, it will be in his favor
But courts move slowly, and there is no
telling when decision will he
reached In the meantime the COM
modore was confronted with the fact that