The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1892-02-19
THE MISSISSIPPI


OA0<f <ottU0o%
| The following statistics and argu-
| menis presented In pamphlet issued
by Prof. = Waterhouse. OF Washington
university. ST. Louis. will be read with
| interest by all who favor the improve
| ment and devct 5pmcnt II the Mississippi
| river aud It's niliuents and the promo
| tion. Of traffic on the great system Of
| waterways:
Its thu aim 81 the facts and arguments here
In set forth 70 show the commercial import znce
| 81 our midland river system and the necessity
Of an early removal from the Mississippi and it,
main tributaries Of every obstruction 70 their
navigation. The courtesy 81 Hon. X r. Porter.
superintendent Of the United States census.
hasnrntiy furnished me with statistics which
exhibit the magnit udc Of our river commerce. =
summary AZ which Is - follows. embracing all
craft Of over Ave tons:
On the upper Mississippi system there are rs
steamers. with tonnage 81 - I'll 65 and valued
NJ slsi ~. rnriSssi craft. 3ls: tonnage. lso.
r<<sW: valu, So. ~ Total craft o. All kinds
ol3: tonnage sls.5s7cs: value e. lAac
On the lower Mississippi system there are
30 steamers. with q tonnage o. 7l.7D and
valued ~ SAl-1-2 Cnr1ggrd craft ~: ton
mage. IL. 500: value slus5ao Total craft
q Al kinds. So; tonnse,. ssse's 81 value. 81
On fhe Ohio system there are 81 steamers
with tonnage Of iu.. ls5 ~. and valued AZ s.
rp2.ns Cnnggcd craft. 57s: tonnage 2sl3.-
113m; value. S.snsn Total craft Of ali
Kinds, as; tonnage. s.so. ssss3; value s.
On the Red River Of the North there are
steamers. with = tonnage Of Al = valued at
$1sm CnrgRed craft. IL: tonnage los..m:
value, sll 30 Total craft Of all kinds. Is: ton
mage, II -ss5.se: value. S,ssD
Grand total for Mississippi valley: Steamers.
Ia: Tonnage. 30 1sl9: value. Sio5p.sI. Tn
rieged craft. t.ya. tonnage. 3.lx.soroo; value.
$s.M.s5t. Craft ~ all kinds. sss5. tonnage g.
sz<sxNse. valre. $l5ySS.OS
During the year lssp there were carried on
the entire system etSiess regular and excur-
sion passengers: s.Gsc<s ferry passengers. or
freight. and s.Sl6-5t5 miles were traverscd By
AL steamers
For the same year lssp, the gross earnings OF
Al craft on the entire system were SIC Ez5 SO:
exp%nse~- sissse .3sz: net earnings Sl7r.lsl-
These figures are arguments which scarcely
require = vevaal expression The coxency Of
the fscts i fu rsore convincing than the illns-
traticns Of rhetoric The efficiency Of the Mis-
sisspu - . means Of commercial intercourse
depends upon the freedom Of its channel from
distinctions In view Of the frequent Interrupt
f1ons Of navigation. the amount Of freights
bone on shs Mississippi IL surprisingly large.
But. II it, channel were always deep enough for
the passage az boats. the aggregate would be
immensely greater. The delays which
shadows cause deter merchants from send
ing sielr goods by the water route Last sum.
u1er the river was exceptionally low. The ex-
p>rience< II holiday excursion impressed me
Nth vivid sense Of the obstacles which II
times embsrrsss the navigation OF the Nissi<-
s1ppi. On my way 70 81. Paul and hack nifty
hours were spent on sand l,ars Th4. various
detentione arising from low water prot-.csed
the round trip nine days beyond the schedule
time There was = sufficient aow IL water for
unobstructed navigation. II IL had only been re-
>fricted 70 . narrow channel On the upper
river the wing dams are numerous and e.
fective. Indeed. without them the shall
lows would have been wholly impossible
But there are still scores Of shoals
which the government has neglected 70 re-
move. At only . few places were forces
Of men ~ work upon the improvement 81 tbs
channel The example ol France in providing
facilities for commercial intercourse adorsis an
instructive lesson 70 tbs United States In
France. from the days Of the great vauban. al
esluate ex ren1iturc< Of the public wealth have
hasfenei 20 completion every work that pro
noted the national interests. But IN this coun-
try fal~e system delays the usefulness and in
creases the casf ~ public improvements In
consequence the irrguisrlty and insufficiercy
~ congressional appropriat ons. works com
rnenci by the government sometimes
fall into partial decay before they can
L. finished. TIE est q recon-trucrin<
them i great and unnecessary
expense. Even the richest nation IN fhs world
can not afford such wasteful exfravagancr
True frugality requires an annual grant u funds
arnp'e enough Tor the sczsonahle completion OF
puhic improvements Our present impol;cv
RENDERS the upper Nississippi almost unnaviga-
Pr at low stages ~ water. deprives our great
TRANSPORTATION AMI a. regulator II railroad
freights. and deinr- the cits-~ On it, hanks from
the prosperity which sfouri-hne trade would
create. - state<nlnnship brussd a. the interests
Of or country and needless Of mistaken concer,-
IONS u public economy ought 70 make regular
AMI ade1uatt provision for Deepening the chan
mel u the Xississirpi river
The course ~ fo-rign g,rernm mt, Il ~ A.
cl0nsly different from our own For century
the great nations beyond the Atlantic clearly
recogaixing thA sourres ~ publir prosperity.
have leen effectively carrying out systems II
internal irnprovem mt. n thc Nj s-issirri were
ia Europe evf rything which inperi Il v .alth ami
engineer ng skill could accomplish would long
since have been done 10 free IT, channel from
Every Obstacle 70 its u'efuns~s Tne enterprise
~ Ametis j. = national boast hut in the
prosrrt on 81 great pubiic works. Europeans
have becn more r. - xres siye than our own coun-
trymen In Their management II internal i'm
tT1t'1 lll-u4 V1NulAult lulIUN
she guidance 81 foreign exanrl.s.
Ths preceding statistics snow how vast acorn
rsierce now floats on the Mississippi and its
affiucnts. hit their tonnage would h incalcu-
iably greater, II these streams were always
navigahle
The mn p-oycmersf q the Mississippi Il a vast
Undertaking. The permanent accomplishment
of this work Il perhaps impossible. The ever
shifting sands of nm alluviai he constantly re-
new the tasks of the engineer. But doubtless
the combined forces Of science and capital.
v mich have overcome 20 many seemingly in
surerablc difficulties. will IL able 60 maintain
nayagablc channels IN all Cur great rivers. The
inadequscy ~ small grants l. an urgent mason
FOR larger appropriations. False theories Of
frugality shonld not h. suffered 70 prevent
the improvfm mt Of waterways which II kept
orrr. would cheapen every form Of commercial
transportation. While congressional allowances
ought 70 bc more liberal the ffs'd Of operations
should r. restrict d The government funds /,
are dissipated over too large an area 20 be e.
fertre concentration II effort would hc !
more conducive 10 success. should the I'M
profitable policy ~ rrtrens hmeat prevail. Il |
would seem lest 10 limit the expenditure OF
pubic MONEY 20 the Improvement az the main |
streams. Psrnsp<- even in tn evcat ~ ample |
appropriations. such restriction would be the !
wi>c<t course. Minor interests should Md to |
the general welfare Ifexperiencc mar he taken |