Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1902-11-24
Development of Lumber Indus
try in Honduras Will Fur
nish Them Employment
GOOD WAGES FOR THE PILOTS
and Lumber interests Need the
Men Who Have Followed the Missis-
sippi River and Are Out of Congenial
Employment by Reason of Decline in
River Traffic.
pecial to Times Republican.

| Special to Times Republican.
Clinton, Nov. 24.-The old Mississip-
pi river men who have been thrown out
of employment on account of the de-
cadence of traffic on the great Father
of Waters will be overjoyed at the pros
poets of securing work way down in
Honduras on the Patuca river OF
course this is a long way from home
but there is no other alternative for the
scores of men who formerly navigated
the Mississippi river, and they will hail
stand at the wheel and pilot boats thru
the water, even tho it be in remote
Honduras.
That there will be employment for
many Mississippi river men on the Pa
tuca river is proven by the fact that
the American Honduras Company OF
Cleveland, O., which is developing a
large tract of land in Honduras, has
employed Captain Sherman Hallam Oh
this city for term of several years 70
take complete charge of the boats OF
the company and look after its logging
and lumber interests along the river.
kkac tacddkfonyanah HIM HIM Inn hnh
When the rush to the great gold fields
of Alaska was at it's height 1t was
thought many Mississippi river cap
tains and pilots would eventually go to
that river and, in fact, several did ma
employment on the Yukon, but the sur
roundings were such that nearly all
have returned home, and since then
have been waiting for something to
turn up." These men have followed
the river all their lives and have drawn
salaries ranging from s125 per month
to 5000, and when the boats commenced
to lay up along the Mississippi river
few years ago, found nothing at which
they could turn their hand. They nave
seen powerful feet of nearly 100 boats
on the upper Mississippi dwindle to
about twenty with the number growing
less each succeeding year. Many of
these men are in the prime of life and
the prospect of employment on the
Patuca river of Honduras has opened
up new world of labor for them.
Captain Hallam will leave here In
about a month, and expects to have
several boats in commission soon. In
fact three boats are now ready to put
into service, and others will be added
to the fleet as rapidly as possible. Mr..
Hallam will employ largely Mississippi
river men on the boats, but until he
goes to Honduras will not be able to
state how many men he will employ.
In the meantime he is securing a list of
pilots engineers and firemen,
and may take several with him when he
leaves here about the first of January.
Later, he will send for others as he
needs Them
The American Honduras Company
has grant of nearly half a million
acres, in which are gold fields, forests of
ebony and other lumber, and
also has in the course of development a
large banana plantation. Its boats will
navigate the river for distance of
about 400 miles, and as there are no
railways in that section all the traffic
will be by water, which will necessitate
the use of a large number of boats. The
will also build a big wharf at
the mouth of the river, will build a big
customs house, construct and operate a
telegraph line and will otherwise de-
velop the country, all by river naviga-
tion