Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1903-07-30
WRITES OF RIVER.
William E. Curtis Testifies to
the Beauty of the MissIs-
sippi Scenery.
TRIP FROM ST. PAUL TO ST. LOUIS
Figures Given Showing Amount of
Business Done and Cost OF
Improvement.

William +. Curtis in today's Chica-
GO Record-IIerald writes interestingly
of the beauties of river trip on the
Mississippi from ST. Paul to St. Louis.
He lil<cns the Mississippi to the Dan
ube, and says that the scenery on the
way down is not eXcelled by that on
on any rivers except on the Hudson
and the Rhine, Judicious advertising
he recommends as the means of max
ing the Mississippi trip one of the
most popular ones in this country for
tourists.
. An account is given of the methods
used in travel on the upper river
and the boats are named together with
the ports between which they run.
The list of short line packets between
ST. Louis and St. Paul is as follows:
G.. y. Mower, from Fort Smelling to
ST. Paul.
Cyclone, from ST. Paul to Wabasha.
Lion, from Wabasha to Lacrosse.
City of Hudson, from Lacrosse to
Brownsville.
Teal. from Potosi to Dubuque.
City of Winona, from Clinton to
Rock Island.
Helen Blair, from Rock Island to
Burlington.
Eloise, from Burlington to Heokuk.
Silver Crescent, from Keokuk to
Quincy.
Belle of Calhoun, from GAINESVILLE
to st. Louis.
India Givens, from GAINESVILLE to ST.
Louis.
Spread Eagle, from Grafton to ST..
Louis.
Robert Harris, from Fountain City
to Winona.
Beaver, from Lacrosse to Browns
Vile.
Mabel, from Lansing to De Soto.
Obtained Data Here.
Much of the data contained in the
letter was obtained while in this city
ON the occasion of the writer's lee
ture at the Moline chautauqua. MIR.
Curtis writes:
Mai. j. l.. LuSk, the United States
engineer who has charge of the inn
Provements of the upper Mississippi,
tells me that the passenger traffic is
constantly increasing, and that last
year the packets did the largest husi-
ness in their history. They do not care
for freight unless it is long haul, be
cause il takes so much time to re-
ceive and discharge cargo, and detains
the boats, which can earn more mon
ey by quick and frequent trips with
passengers. The pleasantest part of
the year for making the voyage is be-
tween the 18th of May and the 18th
of July, and between the 18th of Sep
TENDER and the middle of October, al
though usually after the middle of
July the water is likely to be very
low. This year the unprecedented
rains have kept it bank full all sum
mer.
The report of the Diamond 10 line
shows that more than - per cent of
its earnings come from the passenger
traffic, leaving only % per cent for
freight receipts, but at the same time
the boats are an always available
check upon railway transportation
rates. 1t costs little money. and little
time to put on boat, and cargo can
be carried on the water for seven
months in the year at merely nominal
rates. The Diamond Jo steamers
| charge from II to 40 per cent less for
the same kind of freight for the same
distance than the railways which run
along the rivers banks. Thus the riv-
err is a permanent freight regulator.
There are two railroads on each
bank-the Rock Island, the Milwau-
kee d St. Paul, the Burlington and
the Great Western-and Capt. David
Upton, the venerable commander Of
the government boat Mackenzie, says
there would be another track in the
middle of the river if the government
would permit it.
Guest of NAL Lusk.
I'VE made the trip in charge of
Capt. Upton upon the government
boat as guests of Maj. Lusk, who, dur
ing the summer months is busy super
| intending the improvements that are
going ON at different points under his
assistant engineers. 1t costs the gov
eminent 100000 a year to keep this
section of the river in proper order,
which is an average of about $500 a
mile, but this includes new work as
well as maintenance. Since 1877, when
the permanent improvement of the
Mississippi was commenced by the
government as a result of an agita-
ton started by the late Senator Win
dom, of Minnesota, total of $11 ,OO7,-
622.35 has been appropriated, and
most of it has been expended in Sc
curing a channel of four and half
feet between ST. Paul and the, mouth