Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1905-11-25
RIVER TRAFFIC NOT DEAD,

- - seFNTTlS No OEAO,
According to the Muscatine Journal
and The Davenport Times, two papers
published In thriving cities on the Mis-
slsslpp1 river, there Is no reason to
fear thai river traffic is about to dis
appear nor that the lumber business,
the backbone OF that traffic is nearing
the end OF it's run. The season has
just recently closed and river men
are casting uD their accounts for the
season. The Journal says they are
we'll pleased with the business they
have done and all are preparing for
busy season in 1906.
The Times, in comprehensive arti-
Gle on the situation and the outlook.
has the following to say, of interest
alike to all people living in the Missis-
sippi valley, whether residents of river
cities or not:
Notwithstanding the fact that some
papers along the river predict that
the saw mills will soon disappear, the
men who ought to know something
about the business-the river men
have no fears that the business next
season will show any marked decrease
in volume. Among those who have re.
Gently expressed opinions upon the
river traffic of next season are former
Governor Van SAINT of Minnesota, own
err of rafting fleet, and Captain John
Monroe of Clinton. who has recently
had charge of the steamer Isaac
Staples.
Mr.. Van SAINT asserts positively that
the business on the river next year
will be as good or better than 1t was
this year. He admits that the rafting
business this year was not as heavy
as it should have been for the reason
that the transportation of logs by rail
caused a slump in the business. Prob
ably he believes that the railways
have taken as much of this business
from the steamers as they can and
there will be no additional decrease
of the number of logs floated down the
river next season.
Captain Monroe arrives at his con-
clusion in another way. With the ex-
ception Of two bow boats which have
been sold to people on the Fonda
coast he does not know of u single
rafter-which will leave the upper river
next spring He asserts that all the
rafters VIII be out next spring. While
two or three big mills have closed
down permanently this fall, according
to his belief, it will be many years be-
fore the last mill along the upper
Mississippi is dismantled.
"The packet business will, of course,
continue as it has in other days, for
the steam ers always get passenger
business in competition with the rail-
ways. 1t is a pleasure to ride upon the
water The excursion business is grow
ing instead Of decreasing. Taking ev-
erytning into consideration it is safe
to predict that the levees Of Daven-
port and Rock Island will be lively
places during, the season of 1906"
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The state of Wisconsin is certainly
lucky in one respect. A recent dis
patch sent out from Madison states
that the state officers have decided to
levy no state tax this year. The same
dispatch contains the statement that
this is the third year this has been
done under Governor LaFollette's adj
ministration. The announcement says
the state has money enough to cover
all the appropriations made by the
Legislature for running the university
and the charitable and penal institu-
tons, and with the sum expected to be
collected from the railroads for back
taxes and rebates will be enough to
cover other expenses of the state gov
eminent, including the school tax.
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