The Cairo bulletin., 1907-06-10
WHAT ROOSEVELT
WILL SEE ON TRIP
VOYAGE DOWN RIVER WILL an
PEAL 70 HIS IMAGINATION a
AND LOVE or ROMANCE.
FAMOUS OLD STEAMERS
When Every BOY Hoped 10 Be Pilot
and Marx Twain's "Reminiscences
Recalled-tils Interest in
Waterways.

Washington, June S.--R cognitioa
o. the value 10 this county on tho
water route afforded By the Father ci
] Waters Is likely 10 be more general
than ever befor after next Oct her.
Over the long aaneo highway where
once thousands Of passengers eaeh
month made the journey By boat from
st. Louis or Cincinnati TO New Orleans
4tha president Of the United States has
J promised, unless seme uni; reseen ess
gcncy prevents, to make tour or fri
spfction next autumn Mr.. Roosevelt
| Is anxious, IT Is wen known, TO so
both what has been done on the great
| est Of American rivers and what lart:
or protects remain TO bs completed III
order tina the revival Of the routes II
inland water transportation FOR which
TIE chief executive has pleaded eo
quently may taxi place The nee Is
Of the NJ ssissippi are OF course, typ,
cal OF the needs Of lesser rivers. Ii III
significant that governors of six.eea
states have united In urging PreAlIen
Roos welt to make this trip He his
accepted their invitation and cauplaa
with 1t statement OF belief that the
improvement of condi ions 0f traits
ION or waterways ii OF vital c0nceri
to every community Of this country.
viii Appeal TO His imagination.
All apart from future requir nlents
OF the natural highways Or t1neie
Sans dominion, the voyage whether
up or down the long winding stream
win be Of q kind 10 appeal 10 he I'M
aglnat.on Of man Of President Roose
fvelts temperament Whatever Ia lett
On the river from the activities III
anie.bellum days still possesses tire
picturesque human interest which 4
lighss a prf sident zancfaiIs l.si
pulses and liking fQF men III the aai-
vcuturHFs pioneer tyre me EeeF
of river steamers, to tn sure II rsall-
er now than II was tn the halycpn days
Of the traffic The advent OF n flint
tug boats capable OF pulling d Levy
OF barges for 4 thousand miles III
more In i astnably quick time has
eaused the gradual disappearance III
most Of the many decked steamers
into whose holds three THOUSAND tous
or NOR Of cargo could be slowed.
The president may perhaps start
frsm st. Louis, which from a small
French trad ng pos; has become one
Of the largest cities Of the western
hemispherg. ITS destiny was cut ont
for II long before the days Of railroad
buildingf for the carly settlers dts
covered In II centre from whici
trade was possible over NOR than
ten thousand miles Of naylgable river
OF the immense commerce before
the c vii War along the q epest AMI
most valuable stretch, that betwesl
s.. Louis and New Orleans. Marx
Twain has written sualntly pictur
esge and smypa hetic account sach
a one as might be exp cted from
man who In childhood had as a prao.
tical ideal Of future greatness the pos
sibility of becoming a steamboat pilot
Flo rfhe boys IN the Missouri river
town In which Mr. Clemens was
fluENt w al NhN tftihhN '"7N
hope that If God was good 10 them
they might become pirates but next
10 that they wanted 70 be hoatmen
The sight Of the passing traffic VAS q
a character 10 FIRE IN Imagination.
Some idea OF the extent OF 10 Is gained
from the statement that the marine
Insurance written in The CITY Of 81
louis absu. ih time Mark Twan was
looking loneingly mon the river craft
specifically in 1872 amounted 20
nearly ss1000.000
the Decline Of River Commerce.
The story Of the decline Of com
merce on the Mississippi 70 position
in which. though sim conslaerab! H
has FOR many wears been distinctly
sui,c rdinate TO the railroad interests OF
the Mississippi YaIev has been
rrauhlraHy and anrf ns.y -old by
Mari Taain himself iu chaptoFs Vi;i
which Pres, Tent Roo-meii is Of cpurss
Fam Har. Th' narrative shows faaf
other factors besides the ao-grai con
b. if1n between two types 20 trans
oor. alton entered mo the dec
Thus the liFii Var tuesed TIE
strrciion of many fanfols oia hosts
fbst haF made their wlrk BY relry
sora,rfre fhe racing rc "a from Ne
Orleans ID Cato-three Jaws fat u
was an cssy msi-cr in fse j. ter days
af the Conf derary. when northern
Huat steamed between southera
shores 20 mount a battery q few
~rs On one Of the hiuEs and snS
her as she tried 10 pass So that even
after. in Presid ut Lincoin's classic
nh-ase. -the Father ar Waters foFei
rriroBiicf O. The sea- Q good naaf
nisrhaneas tefen members q TIE
river Sect