The Hickman courier. [volume] (Hickman, Ky.) 1859-current, 1909-10-14
AVER AND RAIL
X /at Hickman

= hsrgs line Of which MT. W. N
~.a.ush is the head. is preparing
-, n all over" Mark Twain. al
ayins is. and blunt the point OF
!, bis fayorite river stories
.,,,. IDEAS about river traffic arr
"a nm the adventurous days be
tbe war when boiler explosions
~, and James Bayou pirates made
.Ayeuturous. lie looked upon the
DIVER packet As the acme OF water
,,.oortation. and believes even to-
~ that tho Mississippi will never
Mo- freight again.
To prove this he cites no other
u han Hickman. In the old
avs" 50 runs his story. Hickman
promising river town which
I.Dlred TO be the metropolis OF West
m Kentucky. II had adjacent TO II
sreai area OF fine agricultural land
nd a greater area OF drainable swamp
Nd timber land. Hickman was per
spep,ly established on the river
Aaanel on The face Of a bluff where
e swift current impinged, In an
dsa non. aoodable location. OF course
ankman would b. a Blk rich city.
Alopg toward war time, says Mark
vain. the railroad fever set In and
hickman must have a railroad. This
course would TAP the rich hinter.
nj and bring all the people and the
Iroduets " Hickman to trade and TO
oai By river boats. So Hickman
Isople Pot al their money together
I'd The towns money as well. and sub
crbed for bonds to build a railroad
kieh As 10 make them greater than
Memphis or 81. Louis.
The result, says Clemens. was natu-
M but disastrous. The railroad also
Ayged the Illinois Central. and that
hang a better carrier than the Mis-
nlgpl. Hickman found itself a way
Ialloa al the up OF a road which
rsx all It's traffic away To tho rail-
OAa.
lis a pretty story and Mark Twain
u often told IT, But the truth Is
u always In IL. Hickman has a rail-
tae which should make II a great
Elnsslipping point: but II has al
ays lacked two other things. good
Oas 10 use the river. and good ter
iEAl installations for transferring
felght between river and rail.
Il Is these Two elements the new
Mississippi Valley Transportation com
my proposes TO supply. The COM
ahy has been Incorporated for ,lV.'
V.0O0 with the idea OF having enough
honey 10 build fleet capable CT car
tllg 5,UO0.UOO tons OF freight each
pa. and In addition modern termi'
as 10 connect with the railway and
rOduce The necessary link for through
saile.
When the new company Ia install
10 Hickman II will not Land pack
y al tAe old landing where Captain
sendeSons mulepower ferryboat used
Tie w land maybe does now for
The scribe knows) but instead
N have a permanent steel and con-
fe'e dock carrying steel freight
ffanes, against which will lie open
Iold steel barges. Railwaw tracks.
Ason roads and a fireproof ware
l0ase Will be the wharf. and the
ie'shI from the barges will be lifted
" not BY darkies but by the swift
FeFTleks. and with a single motion
sSns 10 the car or wagon or the
FaTehouse truck.
what this means to Hickman one
AZ Sec with half an eye. The new
O~pany proposes TO carry In mod
~ style for about half the rates
II" charged by rail. A great ton
age Of cotton from the country along
r. state line; tobacco and other
A'm produce for a hundred miles or
-o's Oaek inland which now goes by
" more distant cities, will be
IaSn to Hickman to interchange
~ 'ne Incoming wholesale grocer
'nu drygoods-just as Il was ex.
'Su When the railway was built.
nc Old prophecy will be fulfilled at
~ and Mark Twain will be confut.
'l'ueh'ally the new company pro-
H." passenger trade between
4, ~pnis and st. Louis stopping only
|c.s 'uOa towns as Hickman, Columbus,
,Ip" ~ u'raldeau and Cairo. and run.
hours. " "einpnis IN ~
M, n, president OF the new company
|ls.'. ~ kavanaugh. head OF the
49, ' % the Gulf Deep Waterways
Wv and he has associated
|ot 49, uin 100 Of the leading men
on ~. %e valley The stock is now
''i' throughout the valley.