The Mitchell capital. (Mitchell, Dakota [S.D.]) 1879-1918, 1907-10-11
RESTORE WATERWAYS,
SAYS GOV. CRAWFORD
Both Will Serve 70 Revive Com,
petition, South Dakota
Governor Declares.

NSVSllSS 6SSs0i
Memphis, Tenn, Oct. S.-Declaring
that one of the most effective ways to
check the monopoly of railroad trans
portation, which for years has harassed
the trade of South Dakota. as we'll as
her sister states. is to improve the Mis-
souri, river SO as to allow the passage
of large vessels, Governor Coe l. Craw-
ford, of South Dakota, for fifteen min
utes today spoke eloquently before the
delegates of the deep waterway con-
Nenton on the subject. The Relation
of South Dakota to Transportation on
the Missouri and Mississippi Rivers
During his address he referred to the
important part the Missouri river will
play, in the event that the purpose of
the convention is successfully carried
out. in bringing the states vast re-
sources to the markets of the world
Governor Crawford said:
A few years ago IA dealer in wool living
pounds of wool from there to New York
freight rate was over 81 per hundred from
Pierre to New York, While from Sioux
City. Ia, about 200 miles down the Mis-
York was 50 cents per hundred. Steam
boat traffic upon the river between Sioux
city and Pierre was very light and ire
trip in an entire season. This wool dealer,
however, rather than pay the exorbitant
faiir9ad a r3:a y, rate sueeeeded in hiring boat
for 40 cents per hundred including plac-
ing it on board cars for>New York
River Forced Lower Rate.
by this means he shipped it from Pierre
to New York for sl.2o per hundred instead
was forced by the threat of river compe-
tition to reduce its rate from Pierre to
New York TO s115 per hundred, which has
of how q waterway capable of floating
commere may be Il constant check upon
railway company. cor, even though it actu-
one or the new states through which the
upper Missouri pours its swift and muddy
current on the Way to join the Mississippi
For many years this great river inter
posed a barrier to the railroads which en-
tered the state from the east side and
stopped building when they came to its
eastern bank. AT Pierre, the capital, sit
uated upon its eastern bank near the geo
graphical center OF the state and at
Chambe,rain, nh, about ninety miles below,
IihioLn 1ne onlcago N;i ana Nofthwestern and the
companies for twenty years halted in the
extension Of their lines to the west. About
sone,hal1 OF the state lies on the west side
OF this river and that portion was without
railroad except in the extreme west,
where two lines built north into the
a., Black * Hills from Nebraska. Within that
poftlon OF the state was a country en-
bracing about $4,000 square miles used for
lnd;an reservations and grazing lands,
without railroad.
Old and the New.
| The chief output from that great section
of the country,-cattle. horses, sheep and
| wool,-was brought across the river by
ferry fy and shipped by rail from Pierre to
G,hamberIain. t,is During the past five years.
| the conditions there have undergone a
great change. The lands have been sur
seyed; the Indian lands allotted the bal
ance 1 taken by, the homesteaders, and the
rich pasture lands are being converted
| into farms.
:, Three lines of railroad have crossed the
river and extended to the western border
or the state. The distance from Pierre to
Rapid City, in the Black Hills. by rain,
mas been reduced from 1000 miles to l63
The prairies are filled with settlers
towns have sprung up like magic; natural
gas has been discovered; a commercial
aevolutson rev l;. has come and the traffic in
increased. With this new order of things
upon us,-our people are awakened to the
Important part the Missouri river may
In the old times before re- II the railroad
came, the upper Missouri was the route
a,s Dy winch la,.,,I the indian trader and govern
ment soldier reached the far off north
west. Steamboats, not only came and
went from st. Louis to Independence. but
ofoen Moef passed on l5oo miles to FIT. Benton
scouts. trappers and Indian missionaries;
bringing back furs from the Indian coun-
try ealia and gold 2,d from G,a the placer mines
kinson, Generals Harney' % suliv nionel Crock az
oanies Guster fdrai,e and the city Of ST Louis are
names nan forever linked with the history OF
connected with the old days of the Mains.
man, the scout, the trapper and the buff
falo,-now gone forever.
Railways Kill River Commerce.
t,n1
Hills in the '7os there was a heavy river
trade from Sioux city to TT Pierre from
Whlrh l1l, point passengers and freight were
the west. Today with three lines Of rai
way crossing this river and traversinr The
T5aae from M east asst, to west on their way to the
Great Northern doing the same thing in
North Dakota and Montana, the miner
missouri carries no commerce. Neverthe.
less, its sullen current flows on. suggesting
always way of escape when the railroa Z Z
becomes too exactine. The states lyinsy in
,he basin of the upper Missouri are Dart
Appalachian and Rocky mountains. known
as the mississippi valley, which we are
told embraces over 1900 miles of river
waterways. over 40 per cent. of the whole
waterway system of the United states.
The Missouri river is a very inportant
part OF the MiSsour-Mss wa
ing. and grain producing section Of The
United States.
This great section n,hraces about one
fourth of the United States and Il ner
cent of its population II has about "
per cent of the entire railway ,o7ilease of
lhe country and contributes about Is rer
cent. OF gross earnings annually to Ihf
railroads.
South Dakota Will Hc!D.
| The building of the Panama canal alone
Will undoubtedly accentuate the commerce
or on the Mississippi river. The constructior
of a great trunk cana! from Lake Michi-
gan to The Gulf of Mexico would en- arge
that commerce tremendously, while the
efficient improvement of the Missouri riN-
er, so as TO make it a practical route for
commerce from South Dakota to ST Louis
would bring to the trunk canal tribu
lary which could deliver to it millions o,
tons annually: and the saving to the peo-
pie both directly and indirectly would be
incalcuable. II is claimed hat The aver
age rate tor carrying frei.ht on the Grea
Lakes and upon the rivers in ti,e ,tiesis-