Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1895-12-30
WATERWAYS DAY.
An Anniversary Occasion to be
Observed Hereafter.
THIS YEARS ANNOUNCEMENT.

4 Change to Advance River Commeros
aud the Ioterests Of the Hennep,n Canal
What Davenport L. Doing In This Line
Resolutions.
Secretary John W. Bryant. Of the
executive committee Of the Improve
ment of Western Waterways. has
sent out the official announcement of
the resolutions proposing MATER
ways Day." 1t is dated New Orleans
and urges that all boards of trade
and other important commercial Or
CARNATIONS observe the second Tues
day of January as day upon which
to hold mass meetings and pass reso-
lutions and memorials urging upon
the necessity for the inn
provement of the western waterways.
The resolutions adopted by the
Vicksburg cow ention read as fol-
lows:
Resolved. That the second Tues
day of January of each year be
known as Waterways Day" and is
hereby selected and set apart as a
day on which the people of the great
lakes and throughout the Ohio, Mis-
souri, and Mississippi valleys shall
through their boards of trade and
other representative bodies, adopt
suitable resolutions setting forth the
necessity for the improvement of
their waterways and calling upon
congress for adequate appropria-
tions; and further
Resolved. That the press through
out this section, mentioned, be, and
is hereby requested to give due
prominence to this important matter
and extend its aid in making water
ways Day" prominent and unique
success.
Davenport is responding to the
appeal and Capt. Lon Bryson, of the
Business Mems association commit
tee on waterways. is preparing q
leaflet bearing on the Hennepin
canal to be read Waterways Day."
when the Davenport Business Mems
association is to hold a mass meeting
to give expression to the sentiment
prevailing in that city. Rock Island
should adopt a similar course, as
there is no subject of so great i'm
portance to the city as that pertain
ing to the development and mainte-
nance of waterways.
importance of Water Tramc.
In conversation with Capt. Walter
A. Blair Saturday afternoon that
gentleman said to a reporter of the
Leader:
There is q certain amount of
shortsightedness on the part of a
majority of the people as to the value
of water as q means of carrying
freight. 1t should be brought before
the people more than it is and its
Importance impressed upon them.
The fact OF the matter is that in the
neighborhood Of S1.O00.0OJ tons of
freight have been carried upon the
Mississippi and Ohio rivers and their
tributaries during the past season.
As an illustration of the advantages
OF river navigation over railroads
can give striking instance. The
Louisville & Nashville rail road COM
pany has just purchased a large
Mississippi river steamer. the May
flower. which it will put in the trade
between Savannah, Tenn, and St.
Louis. 1t is not because the COM
pany does not make these cities, for
it does and many intermediate points
also. OF course it does not touch all
Of them. but it does touch many of
them. 1t is done because the long
haul on certain classes of freight can
be made better and more cheaply bv
water. The steamer Mayflower is a
large boat. 1t measures 44.foot
beam and has carrying capacity
equal to any boat l know Of that
makes st. Louis.
lone may get a fair idea of the
business done on the lower Mississip-
pi by watching the shipments out OF
New Orleans of cotton and other
southern products. 1t is an almost
tally occurrence te read of from one
to four or five of the large ocean
steamers leaving that port with
10000 bales of cotton aboard. The
principal portion of this is taken to
New Orleans by boat. In the same
manner one may get q fair concep-
ton OF the river business of the Up-
per Mississippi by noting the depart
urc of vessels for St. Louis. Now it
is just the other day that l picked
up a st. Louis paper and CHANGING
over the shipping saw where a YES
sci had left port with cargo of two
CT three thousand tons. That same
thing NAV hammer two mr. three mr.
even half a dozen times each day. 1
only mention this to illustrate the
vast amount Of carrying done on the
rivers Of the Mississippi valley and
to show the vast Importance to US
right here Of the Hennepin canal. We
should do everything in our power
to impress these matters upon the
members of congress. so that they
will not overlook us In the future rs
they have in the past"
The Modern Mother