Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1892-12-25
Belgium and France the people are turning

''For wears the Colonel advocated the in
PRODUCTION of steam as the motive power on
canals. Cur old waterways were constructed
wears ago, and were adequate to the needs
of the cou utry at the time. Because the
growth of business outstripped them and
the people got the railrosd craze is no reason
why large, canals carrying steam vessels
would not be great step in advance to-day
instead of backward, as the railroad people
claim Thu railroads are very selfish of
their iutereA is, and yet every man knows
they are not equal to the trathc OF the
country. Witness the excessive rates
charged and Il re dong delays aud trouble we
have to contsI ID with III shlPPlng goods.
The only oueEr on about the Erie canal is
its feasibility. Uncle Sam should build
these internal aterwsys for the benefit of
+he reouIe he time is coming when
the Government; will take hold of these
GREAT proiects in earnest. 1t won't be long
before the pationa debt will be wiped out,
and then Uncle Sam will be in a position
TO develop the interior admire the way
in which the Southern people by pulling
together have secured millions from the
Government to sink in mud holes. While
the North has been frittering away its time
and opportuuitieN the South has been get
ting appropriations, and regret to state
thar most of the money for mud hole i'm
movements was SO much thrown away.
The United States has grown to such an ex-
tent that nothing small will do for our peo-
pie in the future. Our eyes have been
ppened, and l am in favor Of any great pro-
rect ike the Erie Canal, because it will help
the country"
Cincinnati FnthuSiastic for the Canal
Csptain Wise, another prominent river
man. said the Cincinnati people were en-
tbusiastic for the canal He had canvassed
Ihe river Congressman, and they will vote
For the canal bill this winter. "You need
not waste your time, he continued, 'inter-
viewing the rivermen. They are all in
line and as anxious for the construction of
the canal as the coal operators and packet
navigators in Pixtsburg.
w. H. Field, Vice President of the
American Cotton Seed Oil Company, won
dered if the Lord was not against the enter
urise Still, be was not opposed to the
project if it was feasible. He had heard of
the canal in a general way, but had no idea
Of the details 81 am q railroad man, he
said, 'for several reasons In the old DAYS
we shipped our oil on the rivers. Itwas hall-
died csreIessly and thrown into the mud at the
wharves, where 1t laid often for a long time.
1t was disagreeable to move it, so we COM
menced shipping on the railways. Now
we have tracks running to our warehouses
and we load directly on the cars without
extra handling. But 1 can see where if
the Erie Canal was built it would help ur
business. Our supply of caustic soda and
coal comes from the East, and could be
shipped at a low rate by water. The same
is true Of iron. What 1 want to see is
better water supply for Cincinnati. If this
canal will benefit the city, L am in favor of
il.
Lack OF Enterprise Deprecated.
Captain Alexander Montgomery, smother
wealthy owner of a line of boats that ply
between Pittsburg and st. Louis, COM
planned bitterly OF the lack of enterprise
among river people. He said the public at
large had no idea of the Importance of the
Ohio river. 81 ain a great believer in navi-
cation" he said, ''and it is pity that the
streams of the interior are neglected. The
Ohio should not only be made navigable all
the wear around, but 1t should be connected
with the lakes The commerce of the Ohio
is no small matter, and ought to be in
creased and protected. 1t wouldn't take a
vast deal OF money to confine the water aud
make the river deep enough to float vessels
al all times. The traffic is more than suffi-
cieut to warrant the expenditure in i'm
Ir0vements.
Then the construction of the Erie Canal
would add TO the value of the Ohio 100 fold.
The grain and iron ore would come this way
through Pittsburg, and there wouldn't be
this constant blockade on the railroads dur
ing the winter season. 1 need not say thst
the river and canal offer the safest means of
transportation in the world. When a man
ships by river he can 60 to bed at night
feeling reasonably sure that sooner
or later his freight will reach its
destination all right. The wrecks on the
river are few and far between, and are
mainly caused by railroad impediments,
principally bridge piers.
Railway Smashups Too Frequent.
but how numerous are the ,smashups
on the railways! Every day large quanti-
ties OF valuable goods are destoyed and the
drain on the country is considerable. 1t is
surprising what an ordinary river boat can
move in one cargo. For example, one of
NV boats, the Frisbee, will leave Pittsburg
tor Cincinnati to-day with about 5000 tons
OF freight on board In the cargo are
1900 900 brick, nails and steel rails from
the Edgar Thomson mill. The rails were
loaded from the river bank at Braddock, |
and was done easier thar putting them on
cars. 1t would take a very long train to |
carry the Frisbee's shipment 1 feel con-
ldeut the Erie Canal will be built"
". j. Carpenter is one of the delegates
TO the National Board of Trade, and will
vote for the Endorsement of the Erie Canal.
He attended the last waterway convention
al Evansville and is a leading member of
the Cincinnati Freight Bureau. Mr.. Car
peuter is a stationeT so that he can't be
accused OF having an ak to grind in urging
the construction OF the canal, save that of
interest in the growth of his city. He said
that any Improvement or extension
OF navigation that would benefit PitUsburg
would help Cincinnati. The interests OF
the two cities are common ana identical
lie said local shippers complain of freight
determinations, and he had seen enough to |
know that the complaints were Just. He
added that he was glad of the opportunity
20 work with Pittsburgers for the success
OF the enterprise. He hoped the day was
coming when the Ohio, the Mississippi, the |
great lakes and the ocean would be con-
neCted by a series of waterways.
c. q. klngsbUry is also member of the |
delegation TO the Board of Trade. He is |
The manager Of the American Express Com
pany. In Cincinnati pretty nearly every |
business man in the city is a member of the |
Chamber of Commerce. The men at the |
head Of the transportation companies take |
Ru active interest. In the case of the
American Express Company, the corpora
tlon paws the annual dues tor its agent, and
Is glad 10 be represented in the trade organi-
cation. In Pittsburg the express agents
state that they are not given a chance to
work with other business people in the
Chamber Of Commerce.
Money Couldn't BE Better Spent
Mr.. kingsburv in discussing the canal
said: 81 don't know anything about the de-
tails OF the project, but believe it will be