Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1881-03-25
TEE EEcEssIFy roR RIvERs.

THE NECESSITY FOR RIVERS.
The people of 81. Louis have awakened
% the fact thai. the Mississippi is a stream
If exceeding, Importance to them. One OF
their local journals alleges that they had
come 10 look upon it merely as vexatious
obstr uction to railroads. They now begin
to realize that the Father OF Waters is
something more than a drain, and that
railroad building is not so chief an end that
river navigation can be neglected. They
find that the stream is coming into re-
newed use as commercial highway, and |
in a sense of which they have heretofore had |
no adequate conception. 1t is no longer |
a mere boating convenience, but great |
necessity, a gift of nature for commercial |
emergency and progress and continuous
utilization. 1t is no longer merely an OBJ
struction to railroads, to be overcome by
bridges, but is developing as an active
factor in the transportation problem. The
Globe. Democrat says that the river has
afforded st. Louis the opportunity to build
up large export trade, and to expedi-
tiously and easily get rid Of her winter
accommodations of grain. This has created
commercial alarm from Chicago to New
York, and meanwhile the grain trade OF
the river goes on with its " boom" The
Journal referred to, after review Of
the matter, says: est. Louis is now
feeling the success of the jetties, and
their influence on the trade of the river
''is proof enough that further improve
ment should begin ON its lower waters.
g The true way to get the quickest and
g most permanent return, and TO open the
door for future improvements, is to con-
:" centrate all our energies on the better
"ment of the lower river on an intelh-
gently devised plan. Once get St. Louis
g in easy and certain Communication with
g the sea by way of the river, and the
"minor improvements viii come of them
"selves. We must abandon our small
'creeks for the present, and insist on large
appropriations to hurry forward the
work cut out by the Commission, until
g the river becomes entirely serviceable
from It's mouth to st. Louis" The value
of this preface TO California readers must
be obvious. We have had miniature
Mississippi, to this State equally as indis-
pensable as drainage way, and of fully as
great Importance as commercial highway.
But it has suffered from greater neglect than
has the Mississippi, and while the National
Government is putting forth extraordinary
efforts to improve the latter, it does prac-
tically nothing for the Sacramento, leaving
to local effort the solution of the problem
it involves. Considered solely in the light
of its value to the people of the whole
State as navigable stream, and aside from
all local causes as to its filling up and
shoaling, it would seem to be the part of
wisdom for the commercial interests of the
State to take time by the forelock and i'm
mediately organize systematic effort for
enforcing the attention of the National
| Government to the stream and its import
ancc, and the necessity for aiding the State
efforts being put forth to rectify it, and
preserve it natural and capable drainage.
way and navigable stream. It's evident
that our political representatives will, as
in the past, unaided, be unable to awaken
Congress to the fair demands of the people
in this regard, but the united and well.
directed effort of the commercial classes
might, in the course of time, bring the
National legislature to due consideration
of the subject. 1t is sufficient now to call
attention again to the fact that while our
Congressman devote energy to the procure
ment of large sums to create an artificial
harbor at Oakland, where commerce does
not need one, they fail to procure adequate
appropriations for the river, which CON-
merce needs and with which it cannot
dispense. The subject thus outlined is
augmented in its State and national i'm
portance by recalling recent event.
When the Southern Pacific Railroad formed
junction few days since with the
Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway,
the first news of Importance flashed across
the wires was the announcement that St.
Louis was actively engaged in maturing
plan for the transportation Of two hundred
thousand tons of California grain over
those roads to St. Louis, thence down tn
river to New Orleans, en- route for the
Liverpool market. 1t Immediately dawned
upon this people that the Mississippi river
and its jetties had become important
factors in the problem of how to get Cali
fornia products most speedily to market
Yet had any one prophesied fifteen years
ago that the Mississippi would play any
part in the California grain shipment ques-
ton the prophet would have been voted
fool for his pains.