Grand Rapids herald. [volume] (Grand Rapids, Mich.) 1892-1959, 1893-06-07
TO LIVE ON BOARD
Crew OF the Valley City to Hare
a fcfecaste.
RIVER TRAFFIC OPENED JUNE IS
Capsaia Nsr Explains Why Shippers
Are Dsmd>af fDw .
Deeper ChAnn~L

The river steamer Valley City Is
osi1g fepainsed and rehtIsd and will %
sssiy - begin it, regular trips abSIaf
June Is. IL sas tho intention 10 start
NJ boat June I. bat the bad weather
hes delayed the work u repairing IL A
hitchea. dining room and cabin are be
tns added. aud hereafter the crew ALL
i've On board tho boat
We are looking forward to an IN
equally good season." said John y.
Craig. secretary and treasurer Il the
company ~ho vas in the city yesterday
The delay IN starting the Valley City
aas DOT been due To any misunderstand
ssg between members u the company OF
~ . lack IL business. But we iidnt
care o. start the boat until the passenger
seas0n opened The Barrett can take
care II al the spring freight. and the
sFofifs q the Valley City are derived
largely from the passenger business IL
Doc ia Connection with the freight bus.
snsss Whea the Valley City 10 ready
~ run 10 viii make round trips daily
Tks outlook for the season IL very co
soaraging and we expect 10 do good
business
Eight Feet OF Water.
AT the shaliowest places between
nero and the Haven there are about
saght feet q water" said Captain John
Muir. The Barrett IL making down
tiIs on Mondays. Wednesdays and
fn,lsys returning on Tuesdays. Thurs.
days and Saturdays The Barrett il
dosng a very good freight business We
have made arrangements with the Good
r,ch and d.. q. III. 4 VI. companies 20
carry our freight across the lake. We
Lay. arrangements With roads running
vest frOm Chicago and Milwaukee, aud
ar sending furniture west from those
ei.i-s. something We have seldom done
before The great trouble with our
trade : that shippers do not have con.
fdsnce an the river. They know there
h. plenty of water now. but they do not
know how long IL will continue. Where
Nc have eight feet 81 water today we
uay not have more than three feet a
Month from today. On that account IL
Is 4 difficult matter q build up good
river trade. But we are handling more
furniture than ever before.
shippers Need Assurance.
III the shippers were sure that there
would be eight feet Of water in the river
al summer. and that their consignments
would not be delayed. there would be no
trouble ia working up big river trade.
Shippers prefer water transportation for
non yerishabl- goods when they can
RELY upon a.
One or two newspapers IN the city
have suggested that. as the river is high,
i would BE- good time 10 demonstrate
the practical value Of river navigation.
Bat this suggestion ~ a sensc.ess one.
Deep water for a month or 80 does not
count f0r much What we need IL a
permanent channel from here To Grand
Haven Then the shippers will know
that the facilities Tor transportation vii
te just as good three or four
mouths from now az they are
noN. What progress could a
railroad make Il ITS track were in good
condition only one month IN the year.
r. never could obtain a good. paying
business. IL is the same with the river
steamboats, Give US eight or ten feet
q water al the time. and there elii lie
70 trouble ia inducing manufacturers 10
Send their products by boat. The dif
~ 8ce "a Toe freight rates Is enough IN
Isef Il they can be assured that their
shipments viii not BE- tied up on ac-
couu. % loX Waters