Press and daily Dakotaian. (Yankton, Dakota Territory [S.D.]) 1880-1889, 1881-06-06
cLAsp,Ne HANDS.
~, ,,., e. Louis Pulling Together in
% the Interest Of Cheap Water Transporta.

chIc,ro aud st. Louis Pulling Together In
,na In,erest of Cheap Water Transporta-
tiOn.
The following is ON extract from a
sneech made by Governor Bross, of the
Chicago Tribune, ut the Davenport
Transportation convention:
Chicago was always ready to acknowl-
edge the superiority OF st. Louis in many
cal powers were sometimes marvellous.
She beat us in counting in 1871 by some
the last census set that matter all right,
and our extra 10000 has settled the
question of numbers for this century at
least. Now these two great cities, far
enough apart, surely, to Danish oil but q
generous rivalry, as we see by the potent
promise of this convention, to urge for
ward every improvement that shall
cheaper transportation and promote the
welfare of the ten millions Of people who
now live in the upper Mississippi valley
and of the scores Of millions who are to
succeed us. There is work enough and
business for oil. st. Louis is happy
over her jetties, and proud of the
success of her barge system. Governor
Stanard spoke of the 100000 bushels of
grain shipped within the past few months
by it. A very few days are all that are
required to ship that amount from Chi
oago, and three or four of our twenty
warehouses; would store it for the winter.
Soon the completion of the Welland ca
nal will give free access to the ships Of
Europe to our wharves. and our people
have no feelings of regret for the success
of the barge and jetty systems. 1t will
be well when Jay Gould gets .the rails
imported for his Southwestern railway
if other kinds of return freights can be
found to sustain it.
but, gentlemen, the Northwest has o
solid basis for demanding the improve
ment of herwater ways to the fullest
capacity they will admit. Last veal
Illinois alone paid the general govern
ment $22,OO0,O0O as internal revenue tax
Only 5 per cent. of that-we ought tc
have ten-for decade would improve
all our water ways to whatever exten,
the necessities Of our commerce may
now require. Let the other states in
interest-Missouri. Kansas. Nebraska
Iowa, Minnesota and Wisconsin-de
the government and all our improve
AAAOaoo Sau Oo uAOV aU OuA O"A CAPCuSC
and we still will contribute immens,
sums to our needy and less fortunat
sister states. Simple justice is all W.
need ask. We are not beggars.
The improvement of our waterways
like the settlement OF the great north
west. is still comparatively in Its infan
cy. Two years ago I started from Bis
marck, with two-thirJs of Dakota soutl
of me. and yet on one Of the best steam
ers-the Dakota-that ever floated o.
our upper rivers I was two weeks and
day reaching Fort Benton. in Montana
In all this distance of 800 miles ther
was not o single town or hamlet; onl
woodyards and forts. The upper Mis-
souri,, in spite If all stories to its dispal
agement, with rare exceptions, is one o
the most beautiful rivers upon the cor
tinent. The country on both sides {
it, except here and there section {
the "bad lands," is rich an
very productive, capable Of sustaining
large and prosperous population. T
accommodate the millions who are rapit
ly rushing in to possess this goodly Ian
with proper outlets by waterways an
railways will tax the energies of both S
Louis and Chicago for many decades
come. In this noble effort let them Ii
bor together in o friendly and generor
spirit, and with united energies they ca
break down all opposition that ma
spring up in the old fogy states and citi,
Of the Atlantic seaboard. The hapI
union of interests growing out of th
convention gives the best of assuraDc
that the genius of progress is to broc
over and bless this great Missouri vale
and produce, even before the centuI
closes, the most benificent and glorious +
suits.