Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1902-05-16

|
tlide to which this commerce has
grown is suggested by the fact that
one individual feet has carried an
| nually 2OO.O00,O00 feet of lumber down
the river to enrich and upbuild the ter
ritory tributary to the Mississippi. In
| a single trip one boat has towed a suf-
f1cient tonnage of lumber to load to the
limit a railroad train two miles in
length. It is scarcely saying too much
to assert that the total downriver ton
| mage of lumber fleets any day in the
moving season is sufficient to stall the
| traffic of all the competing railroad
| lines, if the traffic were transferred
| from boats to rails, and amounts to
500, O00, 900 feet annually.
| This-marve1ous development is due
to the steamboat, and few, if any,
achievements of my life afford me
! more personal satisfaction th6n the
fact that built and operated the first
steamboat of large power for this par
| ticular branch of river traffic.
In the inland sections of the coun-
try an impression prevails to-day
| that the Mississippi is now no longer
| an active factor in the world of
| transportation, that it's traffic days
are only recollection, and that the
| great stream has no claim upon the
| gratitude of the people of the
| northwest on the score of present
benefits. This de1usion will be keen
ly resented by all who are Loyalty
jealous of the reputation of the
great river.
True it is that it's through pas
senger traffic has been almost COM
pletely absorbed by the railroads.
On the other hand, the volume of it's
freight carrying, especially in lum-
Der and coal, is still very large, as
the facts I have already cited will
Indicate. But of far greater mo-
ment is it's value as a conservator
of freight rates. 1t acts as per-
petual and unalterables check upon
the greed of railroad systems and
will continue so to act for all time
to come.
With the completion of the 18TH
milan canal a new era of prosperity
will be assured to the river. A
mighty volume of traffic will sud
denly be turned southwark and the
activities of the Mississippi will be
multiplied in manner now hardly
to be realized. This great govern
mental enterprise should, for this
reason, command the heartiest sup
port of every dweller in the valley
of the Father of Waters, and of all in
the vast northwestern empire tribu-
tary to it.
1t is by no means to be admitted,
however, that passenger traffic is
wholly dead letter on the Mississippi.
On the contrary, it is still considerable,
although radically changed in char
acter. All along it's course the river is
piled by ''short-line packets" which
make daily and profitable trips be-
tween cities not far distant from each
other. The lines from Davenport to
Burlington and from Keokuk to
| Quincy are examples of this traffic,
which will certainly increase with the
passage of time.
| Another recent development is the
excursion business, which is also
destined to increase. The boats de-
voted to these lines of the carrying
trade are modern and slightly, some of
them costing $4,000 each.
No review of the old days on the
/ Mississippi is complete without refer
| ence to the famous races in which the
fast steamboats, indulged-a practice
which has found appropriate embodi-
ment in the literature as well as the
history of the west. How strong was
the racing spirit in the old-time river
masters is best illustrated by an in
cident which will ever remain vivid in
my recollection.
AS captain and part owner of the D.
A. Mcdonald 1 had shown the proper
| river spirit by trials of speed with all
corners, and these efforts to maintain
the reputation of our boat had reached
the ears of my partner, Mr.. Musser, a
| conservative man, much older tia my
self. He had given serious admonition
| against the folly and danger of racing,
and had exacted a promise that would
not again indulge in the practice. I'm
mediately after 1 had given this pledge,
however, he accompanied me on an
up-river trip. We were in a deep and
broad channel when one of the fastest
boats of the day hove in sight of our
stern and was rapidly overhauling US.
The strain on my self-control was
great and I could hardly restrain my
self from putting on more speed, when
| my Pdi CACI Suuueiiy appeared dt III y
side, his eyes blazing with the fire of
| contest.
Sammy" he exclaimed (xcitedly,
clapping me on the shoulder-'tSam-
my, throw in more coal and wood
Throw in all you want, and I'll pay for
it! But don't let that boat pass you
Strife for speed records was not al
ways or indeed generally inspired pure
ly by racing sentiment The first boat
of the season to get in at the port OF
destination received her wharfage free