The evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1907-1908, 1907-10-03
GULF TO
LAKES PLAN
ENDORSED
President Makes Speech on
Board Steamer Which Gre
ates Great Enthusiasm.

CAIRO. Ill, Oct. s.-When President
Roosevelt stepped ashore here at 3
o'clock today he manifested every evil
dence of having spent a comfortable
night on the steamboat Mississippi, and
his spoken word confirmed the impress
sion made by his appearance. He re-
tired about midnight last night. and
there was little to disturb his rest ex-
eept two or three demonstrations on
the shore which, though violent while
they lasted, were of brief duration,
Quiet as was the after half Of the
night, the first portion of it was fully
occupied. He was the guest at dinner
on the steamer Alton, of the Business
Mems League of st. Louis, and with
that entertainment and the speech
making and conversation that followed,
his time. until almost u o'clock, was
fully taken up.
h Inner was regarded by all as
an event of rare occurrence, and when
the President had said his farewell not
a. few were heard to remark that 1t
would become historic. N important
feature was the fact that the scheme
of a ship channel from the Gulf to the
Lakes received an impetus which all
believed will do much towards insur-
ing the earnest pressing of that enter
prise.
The occasion was also notable in that,
in addition to the President, it was at
tended by no fewer than fifteen Gov
ernors, the members of he Inland
Waterways Commission, by several
Illinois Congressman and by represent
atives of the business world of st.
Louis. The Governors attending were:
Conner. ofAlabama; Broward, of Flor
ida; Deneen. of Illinois; Cummins, of
Iowa. Hoch, of Kansas; Blanchard,
of Louisiana; Folk, Of Missouri; Shell
ton, of Nebraska;s Curry, of New
Mexico; Burke, of North Dakota;
Frantz, of Oklahoma; Chamberlain, of
Oregon; Crawford, Of South Dakota;
Davidson, of Wisconsin; Brooks. of
Wyoming, and Governor-elect Noel, of
Mississippi.
The dinner was presided over by
President Smith, of the Business
League. and President Roosevelt was
the principal speaker. He requested
that his speech be not reported, but
consented that the statement might
be made that he had announced
unequivocally his Endorsement of the
general principle involved in the
scheme for the creation of a ship chan
mel up the river and to the Great
Lakes. As he stated the case, he would
have a loop in the Gulf at New Or
leans that would practically create an
arm of that body of water to the lakes.
At the same time he was most careful
TO say that ne would not give his as
sent to any particular scheme of i'm
provement. He also pointed out. many
of the obstacles of carrying into effect
any plan of such vast proportions and
involving so much expense, and, while
promising all the assistance he could
give, he told his hearers hat the only
way to make success certain was to SO
thoroughly prepare themselves as to
render their arguments unanswerable.
The speech was greeted with pro-
longed applause, and this Endorsement
took the shape of words when Gov
ernor Folk, Governor Deneen and Gov
ernor Blanchard spoke. All of them
pledged their utmost efforts in further
ance of the enterprise.
While the dinner was in progress the
President was presented with an oil
painting of a section of the Mississippi
River under present conditions, and the
companion piece to represent "condi-
tions after the completion of the water
way" was promised for the future.
The President n party drove to
st. Mary's Park, where a great crowd
was assembled. Mayor Parsons intro
.,AA1 1xro~r~ 1884, - a. IL
in turn introduced President Roosevelt,
who then delivered his speech.
The Cairo harbor and levee slope pre-
scented a beautiful appearance. The har-
Dor contained over thirty steamboats,, all
tastefully decorated with flags and BAN
ners.
The line Of march from the 1evee to
the park was a mass of flags and decora-
tons. Hung along the line in every block
were large signs reading Fourteen feet
from lakes to gulf through valley"
Over, $4,000 people were scattered along
the line Of march, and the ovation to the
President was continuous from start to
finish. Two thousand school children, ON
platforms, saluted the Presidents party.
President Roosevelt departed from here
shortly before noon. The next stop will
be Memphis, which, according to the
schedule, willie be reached at / p. IN. to-
morrow. 1t has been cloudy here all
meYning. but no rain fell.
Before beginning the reading of his pre-
pared speech at st. Mary's Park the
president again INDUCED in some extern
poraneous remarks, which on this occasionl
consisted of the. outlining of his position
on the deep waterway project along the
lines of the speech mare last night at the
Banquet on the Alton.
Il have" he said. long felt that the ma
ton must undertake the Improvement of
the great highway of the Mississippi, but
my observations on this trip have had
the effect of making me much more ardent
than | was.''