The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1896-03-21
Visit or the Rivers aud Harbors COM
niiiiee.

The city of Wheeling and the neigh
boring towns OF the upper Ohio and
Monongahela valleys. through their
representative business men and their
wives and daughters, will welcome to-
night at the Mcclure house dlstin-
Eu!shed visitors who come on mission
which is OF the very greatest importance
to the vast commercial interests OF this
section OF the Union. 1t is needless to
say that the welcome will be cordial and
hoSpItable. and yet there will be an Gle
rnent OF seltshneSs in it for which the
hosts may be pardoned. The visitors
will understand all that 1t means, which
is to impress upon them the fact that
this great Industrial community IS deep
~ interested in its own development,
and looks to those 10 whom has been
delegated the power by the national
house OF representatives to set on foot
an undertaking in the line Of progress
which has been too long delayed.
1t is fortunate for us that the mem
bess OF the house rivers and harbors
committee have been prevailed upon
to make n personal tour OF inspection OF
the Mouongahela and Ohio rivers, for
by doing so they are better able to Judge
OF the needs in the way OF improve
ments and freedom OF traffic. and the
Importance OF the great industrial inter-
ests to be affected. than they could pos
slbly be by volumes OF written arEu-
ment read to them in their committee
room at Washington.
The distinguished visitors are brought
face TO face with facts which have
heretofore been presented to them in n
different and less effective manner. 1t
has been hard to make former congress
slonal committees realize that It IS true
that the Ohio and Monongnhela rivers
comprise the most important inland
waterway In the world in point OF tom
mage; that to increase their facilities
for usefulness means such vast POSI-
bIliies for one OF the richest sections OF
the United States, containing great
proportion of the population of the ma
ton; that 1t would contribute millions
to the national wealth and put new life
into the inland commerce Of the couH-
try.
Attempts have been made to impress
these facts on the minds OF the states-
men at Washington. but they have
nearly always been Intellectual, and 1t
is true that, notwithstanding the In
portance of the stream. there has been
in the long period Of slxty-eight years
hut little more than five million dol
lars expended by the government for the
Improvement Of the Ohio rivcr--an in
significant sum compared with what
has been expended on rivers OF far logs
Importance to the commercial and In
duStrial lntcreats Of the country.
Elsewhere in this mornings Inteill-
gencer In q special srpglemcnt contain
ing a series OF articles on the gubicct,
facts and figures are fully got forth,
showing the needs and Importance Of
navigation all the year round on the
Ohio and a free Mononraholn and the
extension Of slack water on that river.
and II Is unnecessary to elaborate on the
matter here. Suffice II To FAY that the
tour Of the rivers and harbors com
m!ttec, their contact with TIC people Of
these valleys and their Observance Of
The great Industrial devclopmcntand re-
sources yrt undcvclopcd, win impress
them with the fact that It to tho duty
NJ Congress to take hold NJ what It is
asked to % nHi accomplish the work
which has b""u TOO long delayed. That
Us WHY wheeling and her nelghbors viii
extend to them tonight such n hearty
welcome