The Cairo bulletin., 1908-06-09
LAKES To GULF
DEEP WATERWAY
RECEIVES STRONG ENDORSE
MENT FROM CAIRO AUDI
ENCE AT OPERA HOUSE.
CONGRESSMAN l0RIMER
And Representative Indy Explain
Merits of Bond Proposition
Interesting History OF
Movement.

In spite Of the almost continuors
rain several hundred people gath
cred at the opera house last night
to hear Congressman Llrimer ana
Others tell about the Lakes-to-Gulf
deep waterway, and the $Z0.000,00l
bond issue for canal purposes.
Mayor Parsons was master of cere
monies and acquitted himself credit.
ably as always on such occasions. b
fore the business OF the evening b.
gan there was a short moving picturs
show-just enough to make those
who witnessed it want more.
The distinguished party arrived on
the scene shortly after o'clock.
Mayor Parsons spoke briefly of the
project in hand, and OF the men who
| had taken a prominent part in its
promotion. chief among whom were
| Congressman Lorimer and Repre-
sentative Indy The latter was
then introduced and gave a twenty
minute talk in which he presented
more especially the advantages OF
the canal through Illinois as "a reye.
nue. producer, saying that il would
yield over three million dollars an
nually in rent Of electric energy aud
would therefore pay off the bonds
proposed to be issued in a very few
years. after which its revenue would
go towards paying state expenses.
The proposed bond issue was not a
tax in any sense. il was merely a
proposition to lend the credit OF the
state for a term of years to secure
an improvement which would be orl
incalculabe value to the state in al
variety OF ways. Congress would do
its share toward the project if the
people of the state of Illinois did /
theirs.
Mr. Indy was followed by State
Senator Potter of this district WHO
spoke in about the same strain, |
promising to give the proposition his
earnest support in the legislature.
Congressman Lorfmer was next |
introduced by Mayor Parsons. and |
he spoke nearly an hour, holding the
close attention of his audience every
minute OF the time. He gave a his,
tory of the movement TO build this
Lakes to-Gulf waterway. telling how
it was taken up some fourteen years
ago and how gradually congressman
had been interested in it through per-
sistent efforts. He described a trip
he and Congressman Rainey and
others made in a small boat from
Chicago all the way to New Orleans.
at all important points to or.
ganiZe deep waterway associations
whose purpose should be to urge the
from their districts to
rom Chicago with one Democrat and ,
our Republicans. and ended at New {
orleans with one Republican and FOUR I
Democrats. There was no politics in :
his matter he said, it was purely a
BUSINESS enterprise in which all the Z
PEOPLE OF Illinois, irrespective OF ,
larty were interested Surveys had {
,een made by congressional direction I
nd the engineer had reported that I
14-foot waterway from Chicago to i
IT, Louis and Cairo was practicable,
nd 1877 foot channel from Cairo S
0 New Orleans. Congress was ready /
o appropriate the sum needed TO i
AIRY ont its part of the work to St. e
ouis, estimated to cost s31 100000, Il ?
he people of Illinois would do their d
art in carrying the canal proposition J
trough. Mr. Lorimer had a series q
( large maps on which he pointed '
ut details Of the proposed improve
lent. a
Mr.. Lorimer was followed by ca =
ohn l.. Vance president of the Ohio y
liver Improvement Association, who -
poke interestingly of the state Of -
ork on that great stream. Col. Vance a,
as stopped at all the important Ohio
yer towns and met with enthusiastic -
ceptions everywhere. "a,
All the speakers were heartily ap-
auded by the audience n,
There were on the stage: Congress n,
an Lormer. Representative Indy II,
d. Vance, Congressman Thistlewood, Ia
ate Senator Potter, Mayor Parsons. in
ihn s. Aisthorpe. and President E. it
Smith of the Cairo & Thebes. II