The Montgomery advertiser., 1902-08-31
ALABAMA RIVER is A VALUABLE AGENT
IN THE UPBUILDING OF ALABAMA'S CAPITAL
Stimulates Commerce by Reg
ulating Freight Rates and
Affording Carrier to :
the Gulf.

Outside of it's picturesque beauty, out.
seide of its usefulness as a medium oil
pleasure and recreation the Alabama
River renders a most valuable service to
the health and prosperity of Montgom-
cry.
The business section of Montgomery oc-
cupies the center of horse shoe sur
rounded on all sides by the hills of the
residential portion. The open space In the
horse shoe is where the river joins the
business portion of the city. In the sum-
mer season when most inland cities are
suffering from continued droughts and the
health of the city is endangered by lily
perfected systems of sewerage. Montgom-
cry is kept clean and fresh by every
summer shower, and its sewers are hush-
ed from one end of the city to the otner
by the drainage which its fortunate loca-
ton affords. All of the trash and rub
Dish of the great city is swept into the
Alabama River and borne safely away
upon its swift currents far to the south
At such times as these the river Is
God-send TO a city and no doubt much
of Montgomery's splendid health record In
the past has been due to the daily ser
vice rendered by this silent but constant
friend.
In the commercial world the river plays
a part no less important Water trans
portation is cheaper than rail transpor-
tation. Cities situated upon navigable
rivers have always commercial presuge
over cities less fortunately located, so
the lines of steamers plying between
Montgomery and Mobile are constant
menace to an increase in railroad rates
above a proper and just amount. Whiie
1t is probably true that the railroad car
ries the freight, it is also generally true
that the river makes the rate.
The river in the past has proved
salutary check upon exorbitant freignt
rates, for when charges were excessive
merchants shipped their goods through
to Mobile and back by the river and
thus brought about an equitable regula-
ton of conditions once more.
Although Montgomery is at present the
head of navigation of the Alabama River
1t is probable that before many years
pass the Coosa River will be opened and
the headquarters of the system of riv-
ers, of which the Alabama Is part Will
be transferred to Rome, Ga.
With the exception of a small portion in
the Northern part of Alabama, the en-
tire State forms the watershed of the
Tombigbee and Alabama River systems.
These two rivers in turn unite to form
the Mobile River, which reaches the Gulf
of Mexico through the port of Mobile.
The Coosa formed at Rome, Ga, by the
junction of the Oostenaula and Etowah
rivers is over 300 miles long. 1t unites
with the Tallapoosa near Wetumpka to
form. the Alabama River, which is over
400 miles long. The Alabama River in
turn unites with the Tombigbee to form
the Mobile, making a complete system
of waterway from the headwaters of the
Coosa to the Gulf of over 1863 miles. the
longest system of waterways in this coun-
try with the exception only of the Mis-
slssippi and it's tributaries.
Between Greensport and Wetumpka,
distance of 142 miles, distractions occur
in the shape of shoals and rapids inter
mingled with long pools of deep water.
The present Governmental project con-
templates an expense of $6,000,000 for the
construction of thirty-one locks in order
to complete through navigation to the
Gulf.
Locked in the bosom of the Coosa Val
ley there lies the greatest combination
and variety of valuable minerals in close
proximity to each other and to the sea
board, that can be found in any part OF
the United States or perhaps in the CIV
ilized world. Towering mountains OF
limestone, assaying 9S to 100 per cent. pure
lime, overhang the river; mountains oil
iron ore, both hematite and limonite, rise
in close proximity to the limestone; while
vast beds of slate and field upon field OF
fine grades of marble, bauxite ana Gaiens
ores, kaolin yellow ochre, graphite. mica
and gold itself are found in commercial
quantities, while all of these are covered
by dense forests of long leaf pineAl
It is conservatively estimated that thu
annual business of the riverzwhAn opened
to through navigation tosthe Gulf will
be million and a quarter tons of freight
valued at over 81 900 900. Ntf
The Importance of the Alabama Rivel
will not cease simply with the opening
of the Coosa River to through naviga
ton. Another and greater field is to b'
occupied when the Nicaraguan Canal il
completed and the immense traffic of hal
a continent is turned through the STATE
of Alabama like a funnel to supply tn
Pacific Coast, the Philippines. China, ia
pan, Australia, and all the Latin Amer
lean countries of the Eastern Continent
At such times 1t is not too much to be
lieve that Alabama will be the industrial
center OF the Western Hemisphere ant
that hundreds of mills will be manufac
turing it's cotton crop into cotton good
of fine and coarse grades, shirtings an(
sheetings. clothing, rope and Irvine. cot
ton seed OIL cotton seed meal and hulls
scores of furnaces will be manufacturing
pig iron billets and steel for foreign ship
ment; its numerous mines will be ship
ping train loads and harges of steam Goa
southwark TO the Gulf. while her count
less saw mills will be cutting millions
of feet of lumber to supply the mex
haustible demands of an Unsuitable East.