The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1899-04-06


ton. Texas. would respectfully represent
the Importance OF the early Improvement
OF the navigation OF Buffalo bayou from
| The mouth of Smms Bayou, the present
| terminus OF gulf navigation, TO the mouth
| Of White Oak bayou, In the city OF Hous-
ton. Again. the memorial states the SUR
| yey recently completed by the United
States engineers, we are informed. dem
onstrates the practicablity OF the work
at reasonable cost. We respectfully
refer 10 the statistics furnished by the
secretary OF this exchange, which we are
informed accompanies the report OF the
survey, for datas showing the commercial
| position of the city OF Houston and the
commerce OF Buffalo bayou as demonstrat-
Ing the necessity OF this Improvement and
! Its value to the general trade OF the
country. The statistics referred to above
were courtcousiy acknowledged BY Major
4 S NJ. Mansfield, United States engineer,
in his report to the chief Of engineers OF
United States of America. as follows:
MIR. q. W. Kidd. secretary OF the Hous-
ton Cotton Exchange and Board OF Trade,
has kindly furnished the following statis-
| tics, viz:
/. Extract from report OF special com
mittee OF city council February 16, 1880,
| giving statistics respecting the commerce
of Buffalo bayou and the city Of Houston.
/ 2. Houston cotton movement.
3, Houston and Texas Central railway
business.
! 4. Houston Direct Navigation company
and rs business.
s. Trade relations with Now Orleans
and New York.
G. Houston's population. trade. manu-
features. public institutions, etc.
This memorial. properly authenticated
with the seal of the exchange went for
ward to all of our congressman, and In
time moderate appropriation followed. IT.
Is a well known part OF the history of our
! waterway to the gulf. that to escape the
onerous taxes at Galveston. Charles Nor
gan made a ship channel to Clinton aud
| his steamships piled between New Orleans
and that point for some time. To relieve
any embargo upon our commerce and re-
imburso him for his outlay through tho
efforts OF our representative, the late Hon.
Charles Stewart, a committee OF United
States engineers was appointed to assess
the amount that should be paid, which they
agreed upon and submitted report There
was some contest on the part Of the Morgan
interest as to the sum being too small /.
Colonel Stewart asked that memorial
be submitted by this exchange briefly as
possible giving especially the traffic
through Buffalo bayou and the ship chan
nell All he cared for was the naked data
and he would present the matter before
the committee on commerce. When he
read that from September T. ~ to Feb
IudIN W. - ONHT slNsuuN phltS VI CDllOl
alone were transported through the ship
channel. the committee was astounded.
having no conception of the commerce of
our great waterway To the sea, and with
out discussion made an appropriation OF
over $4,000 to pay the Morgan interest
and thus making 1t free and untrammele1.
we are all familiar with the report of
the United States engineers recommend
ing an appropriation OF si,000,00D and
this was brought about under the auspices
of this exchange
Tribute should be paid to an association
styled Newcomers" that did efficient work
in gaining the influence Of the congress
men Of the several States whence they
hailed, and it is hoped that organization
will be kept intact and use its influence
, with The congressman OF the great Wes
and Northwest, so deeply interested II
: cheap freights, and from whom our mos
influential support must come in the great
fight in favor OF longitudinal lines AZ
against the latitudinal railway powerful
, antagonism. Aside from the efforts mad,
: by Houston committees all honor is du'
TO our congressman, Hon. Thomas II Ball
recognized as peer among his fellow
members, for his very able advocacy o
the report OF the United States engineers
: Houston has had constant, unswervlni
Il advocate of her interests in the Hon
d Roger O. Mills from the time he was frs
S elected to congress. The chairman OF thi
Il committee was an honored delegate am
. secretary of the nominating convention
. that made him candidate Elected t.
4 the higher position OF United states son
ator he never forgot his first love- and thi
= was shown In the resolution in the senat
v approprating $2,OO0,0OO tor the work NJ
our waterway.
IL behooves Houston TO bring every In
n nuenee to bear, to use supreme efforts 4
A accomplish the grand result by which gu
city viii become a great, If not the creates
city of the Southwest The papers tell IL
that English capitalists are investing heav
lily in coal oil fields In this State, and con
0 sequently there viii follow pipes TO Buffal
= bayou to load vesses in bulk for foreig
y shipment. adding another element to VIII,
= we should have deep water. In re
. porter's interview recently with Coils 7
I Huntington that extraordinary man will
:, rare executive ability, described incidental
- ly Houston's marvellous railway and water
- way advantages, In these words. ''Trafh
Z seeks the lines of least resistance of great
n est celebrity and economy; the condition
are natural and we can't change them
/, Had he stood on the floor of this exohang
d and uttered these words he could not NOR
d forcibly and concisely have depleted Hous
II toms vantage ground.
In the report of this committee In 1895
II the fruitloss efforts OF our exchange Z
d secure any action of our city council, the
:, in office, as TO the sanitary condition @
the bayou was duly recorded. 1t is note
l. with pleasure that the present city council
5: has secured the services Of a competcr
Ig engineer 10 devise plans TOR seweraR
NJ system that the bayou be no longer pol
l, luted. and following this 1t is hoped
!, crematory VIII be built TO destroy the ofa
I'd OF every kind. Committees from our cit'
l. zons largely composed OF members OF thl
IN exchange. have been making strenuous ei
I, forts 10 secure rights and titles TO pror
al erty on either side the bayou. that tn
l. United States government will tind no i'm
e pedment in the way OF carrying out IN
re grand projected plan of widening and deer
= enlng our waterway a notice In III
u Houston Post states that a meeting wi
be held tomorrow at 4 p. IN. In this eN
w change 10 hear reports from said commit
., tees. which II Is hoped will be full and eS
"a haustive. the chairman. our late cor
IN gresham, Hon c. Hutcheson, havin
"a called said meeting for the purpose IL
Cu dicsted. All of ths foregoing Is very r.
Ia spectfuiiy submitted G.. w, Kidd,
:" Chairman ship Channel Committee,