The semi-weekly messenger., 1903-04-03
A Race on the Mississippi:

Mark Twains suggestion of an old
fashioned steamboat race from New
Orleans to st. Louis as an advertise
ment for the Louisiana Purchase Ex-
position will no doubt attract wide
spread attention. Whether it would
draw many people to st. Louis is a
question which, we think, can be safe
ly answered in the affirmative. 1t
would not only do that; it would line
the banks from Cairo up-both sides
Of the river-especially should the fin
ish be by daylight. Moreover, general
interest would be aroused along the
whole 1,4OO miles of tie course, and
there would be betting. enthusiasm,
and contention beyond appraisement.
But would it-and, if so, to what ex-
tend-add to the gate receipts in real
cash?
Mr.. Clemens offers very at
tractive picture:
Il think they should have ample
forecastle crowds of negro chantey-
singers, with able leaders to do the
solo and conduct the chorus from the
capstan. I should reinstate the torch
basket and use the electric for busi-
!, ness. only. L should extinguish the
government lights in every crossing
boats are equally matched in the mat
ters Of speed and draught it is the
quality of the plotting that decides
the race.
Have you couple of six-day
boats? Then you have a continuous
six-day world advertisement; for you
would have wireless operators and
nfot
and they would report the position of
the contestants hourly. day and night,
and describe the succeeding or failing
| jOckeyings and stratagems Of the pi-
| lots. This would be an innovation and
dreadfully modern, but the value of 1t
would condone it. 1t would keep the
! boats quite vividly in sight straight
along a stretch OF 1,40O miles and for
the first time the world would see a
SlX-day boat race from start to finish.
'The fair would issue the great War
Department map of the Mississippi.
and every citizen would buy a copy
and check off the progress of the race
hour by hour and arrange his bets
with such 'judacity' as Providence had
provided him withal. This map is a
yard wide and thirty-six feet long. 1t
might be we'll to reduce it a little
Mark somewhat brutally suggests
that the spectacle might be enhanced
py an Old-urne DlOW-up as the boats
finished the homestretch,' but thought
fully adds that this should not be de-
hberately arranged. ''It is better left
to Providence and prayer says he.
willing for once to defer to the iudg-
ment of higher power
After all, though, is the scheme
practicable? Are there any more such
racers as the river knew just before
and just after the civil war? We fear
the railroads have crowded out the
old pa1atial boats such as the Natchez,
the Robert E. Lee, the J. M White.
Even such inferior boats as the Frank
Pargoud, the Magenta. the Wild Wag-
oner, and other swift and reckless
greyhounds of that class have disap-
peared. We cannot speak with GER
tafnty just ROW, but our general i'm
preston is that the Mississippi river
boats of today are heavy old stern
wheel tubs, built for carrying. not for
| speed, and offering few attractions to
passengers. We doubt whether any of
them is capable Of more than seven or
eight miles an hour up stream, and
apprehended that a race between such,
poats would furnish very little materi-
al for excitement
However, the event might be made
hlghly picturesque in the manner sue-
| gested by Mr.. Clemens, and at least
the idea is attractive-Washfn
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