The morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1899-1930, 1907-06-08
ROOSEVELT AND THE
FATHER OF WATERS
What the Author Of "Winning the Vest WiliYSee
During His Trip on the Mississippi.

\ WASHINGTON, June 9. 1901, Rec,
ognition Of the value TO this country ol
the water route afforded by the ia.
ther Of Waters l. likely to be more
general than ever before. after next
October Over the long aqueous high,
way where once thousands OF passen.
gers each month made the journey by
boat from st. Louis or Cincinnati Ia
4 New Orleans, The President of the Cni.
ted States has promised. unless some
unforeseen exigency prevents. 10 make
a tour Of inspection next autumn. Mr.
Roosevelt Il anxious, II Is well known
TO nee both what has been done on the
greatest Of American rivers and what
larger projects remain to be completed
In order that the revival Of the routes
Of inland water transportation, foI
which the chief executive has pleaded
eloquently. may take place. The needs
Of the Mississippi are. Of course, typ
ical Of the needs Of lesser rivers II il
| significant That governors Of sixteen
states have united In urging President
Roosevelt TO make this trip. He has
accepted their invitation, and coupled
with II statement OF belief that the
improvement Of conditions Of traffic on
our waterways is of vital concern to
every community Of the country.
All apart from future requirements
of the natural highways Of Uncle Sans
dominion, the voyage, whether up Or
down the long winding stream, viii be
lof kind to appeal to the imagination
lof man Of President Roosevelt's
Temperament. Whatever Is left
on the river from the activities Of ante
bellum days still possesses the pictur.
esque human interest which delights
a President Of generous impulses and
liking for men Of the adventurous pio-
neer type. The feet OF river steamers
to be sure, Is smaller now than it was
In the halcyon days Of the traffic. The
advent Of putting tug boats capable Of
pulling beyy Of barges for thousand
miles or more in reasonably quick time
has caused the gradual disappearance
Of most Of the many.decked steamers
into whose hold three thousand tons
or more Of cargo could be slowed.
AS author of the "Winning of the
West and the "Life Of Thomas Hart
Benton,' President Roosevelt is certain
to be particularly impressed with the
"reminiscences Of pioneer days along the
riyer-in the grass-grown towns which
once aspired to be metropolises and in
those places which like Memphis and
Vicksburg are really achieving some
thing Of the greatness that was early
predicted.
The President. may, perhaps, start
from st. Louis, which from small
French trading post has become one OF
the largest cities Of the Western Hem
isphere. Its destiny was cut out for it
long before the days Of railroad build
ing, for the early settlers discovered in
lit a center from which trade was possi-
BILE over more than ten thousand miles
Of navigable river. Some Of the stretch
Is Of uninterrupted course on which St
Louis has prided itself ever since the
era when canoes and rafts furnished the
only transportation facilities Of the in
terror of the country We're 5000 miles
up the Missouri as far as Fort Benton,
500 miles on the Mississippi to Mime
apolis, 1890 miles down stream to New
Orleans, 1000 miles up the Ohio to
Pittsburg, 300 miles on the Tennessee
to Florence. $50 miles on the Cumber-
land to Nashville, 400 miles up the Ark
l
ansas to Fort Gibson, 600 miles on the
White River to Bull River, 600 miles on
the Onachuta to Camden, and 700 miles
on the Red River into the interior Of
Texas, The total Of navigable waters
in the Mississippi and its tributaries
under the present plan Of Of improve
ment win be about 10000 miles.
OF the immense commerce before the
Civil War along the deepest and most
valuable stretch, that between st. Lou
is and New Orleans, Mark Twain has
written q quantity picturesque and sym.
pathetic account, such one as might
be expected from a man who in child
hood had as practical ideal Of future
greatness the possibility Of becoming 4
steamboat pilot For the boys in the
Missouri river town in which Mr., Glenn
ems was brought up all entertained Al
a