The Paducah evening sun. [volume] (Paducah, Ky.) 1906-1929, 1907-06-15
ON MISSISSIPPI
In ANCIENT DAYS
Stirring Scenes Witnessed BY
Youths of Another Decade
What President Roosevelt VIII See
Floating Down the Father of
Waters.
THE GREAT RIVERS TRAFFIC

Washington, June 10 Recogni
ton of the value to this country OF
the water route afforded by the
Father of Waters" is likely tc be
more general than ever before, after
next October Over the long aqueous
highway where once thousands of
passengers each month made the
journey by boat from st. Louis orI
Cincinnati to New Orleans, the presi-
dent of the United States has prom
isej, unless some unforeseen exigency
prevents, to make a tour of inspec-
tion next autumn. Mr.. Roosevelt is
anxious. 1t is well known, to see both
what has been done on the GREATEST
of American rivers and what larger
projects remain to be completed inl
order that the revival of the routes
of inland water transportation, forl
which the chief executice has pleaded
eloquently. may take place. The
needs of the Mississippi are, Of
course, typical of the needs of lesser
rivers. 1t is significant that COVER
nors of 16 states have united in urg-
ing President Roosevelt to make this
trip. He has accepted their invita-
tion and coupled with it a statement
of belief that the Improvement of
conditions of traffic on our water
ways is of vital concern to every
community of this country.
All apart from future requirements
of the natural highways of Uncle
Sans dominion, the voyage, whether
up or down the long winding stream,
will be of kind to appeal to the
Imagination of a man of President
Roosevelt's temperament. Whatever
is left on the river from the activi-
ties of ante-bellum days still possess
the picturesque human interest which
delights a president of generous i'm
pulses and liking for men of the adj
venturous pioneer type.
The Mississippi.
AS author of the winning of the
West" and the Life of Thomas Hart
Benton" President Roosevelt is GER
tain to be particularly interested in
the "reminiscences of pioneer days
along the river-in the grass-grown
towns which once aspired to be me-
tropolises and in those places which
like Memphis and Vicksburg are
really achieving something of the
greatness that was early predicted.
The president may perhaps start
from st. Louis, which from a small
French trading post has become one
of the largest cities of the western
hemisphere. It's destiny was cut out
for 1t long before the days of rail-
road building, for the early settlers
discovered in it centre from which
trade was possible over more than
ten thousand miles of navigable riv-
er. Some of the stretches of uninter-
lrupted course on which st. Louis has
prided itself ever since the era when
canoes and RATS furnished the only
transportation facilities of the inte-
rior of the country were 5000 miles
lup the Missouri as far as Fort Ben
ton, 500 miles on the Mississippi to
Minneapolis, 1900 miles down
Istream to New Orleans, 1000 miles
lup the Ohio to Pittsburg. 800 miles
on the Tennessee to Florence, $50
miles on the Cumberland to Nash
lville, 700 miles up the Arkansas to
fort Gibson, coo miles on the White
fRiver to Bull river, COO miles on the
lOnachuta to Camden, and 700 miles
on the Red river into the interior of
Texas. The total of navgable waters
lin the Mississippi and its tributaries
under the present plan of improve
ment will be about 10000 miles.
OF the immense commerce before
the Civil war along the deepest aai
most valuable stretch, that between
st. Louis and New Orleans, Mark
Twain has written quantity pictur-
esque and sympathetic account, such
, a one as might be expected from a
man who in childhood had as a prac-
tical ideal of future greatness the
possibility of becoming a steamboat
pilot. For the boys in the Missouri
river town in which Mr.. Clemens was
brought up all entertained a vague
> hope that II God was good to hem
: they might become pirates. but next
to that they wanted to be boatmen.
The sight of the passing traffic was
of character to fire the Imagination.
Historical Evidence.
Interesting historical evidences on
the Mississippi itself of work already
done to improve this great natural
highway of commerce Mr.. Roosevelt
will find everywhere. From an early
I date labor and money have been
, spent in relieving the channel of the
snags, so easily formed in stream
that is perpetually eating away its
banks. The course of the river has
been more or less Strengthened out
by natural and artificial means. 1t Is
curious fact, for example, that in
IT'S years. ending in 1875, the Miss
issippi Is known to have shortened
a itself by 242 miles. A characteristic
r example was in 1922 when a neck OF
land half a mile wide. near Port
v Hudson, Louisiana, was cut by the
river. which henceforth avoided a
y great loop S5 miles long Much arti.