The National tribune., 1909-11-04
THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER TOUR.

far from being all that its projectors
hoped for. There have been the most an
noying accidents and hindrances. Even
the Presidents light, swift boat has
been unable to make up its schedule
and has suffered from detention on
sand bars and tho like, while the other
boats have been so hampered and re-
tarded that they were hours behind
the Oleander, and the whole program
of receptions and displays has been
thrown entirely out of joint.
The distinguished excursionists have
been shown a mighy river, 1t is true.
and one of infinite possibilities that
should be utilized, but there are colos-
sal obstacles that stare one in the face.
The distance from Cairo to New Orleans
| by tho winding course of the river Is
nearly, if not quite, twice that by rail.
and the accidents and delays attending
navigation are such a constant factor
that the railroads are patronized in
stead, with the river falling into al
most complete disuse as a channel of
transportation. On the face of things
this seems Incredible. Stated as a
bare proposition 1t would not seem that
the railroads could ever compete with
the river in carrying bulky goods.
Every little while some enthusiast
arises to stir up the country and par
ticularly the carrying interests on the
Great Lakes and the elevator and COM
mission men associated with them as to
the superior cheapness of carrying the
products of the West from st. Louis,
Kansas City, or elsewhere by simply
floating them down the river to tide
water. But to this fair-sounding prop
osition are opposed the stern practical
facts that the merchants the commission
men, and the planters from the mouth
of the Missouri to the Gulf will con-
tinue to send their goods to market by
rail or lake rather than use the great
water highway which flows by them
unused.
With his accustomed consciseness
and force, the President presented to
the people of Memphis the problem in
the fewest possible words. He said:
II don't believe there was any one
on any one of those boats which came
down the river this morning who VIII
be able to watch the caving banks on
this side of the river and see the snags
and swainps across the river who can
tell us how this great waterway prob
lem is to be solved. We must first stir
up the people and then give to the prob
lens that serious consideration ana
thought and study which they demand.
"If you have the river and it is not
used, then there is no use in pouring
into it to improve it.
This proposition of a 14-fOot cham
mel requires much serious thought and
study. The entire river must be studied
by experts. And then when we are de-
termining upon the methods to be used
in making good stage of water at all
places the year around, we must create
terminal facilities as well. Terminal
facilities are of as much vital import
ance as is a deep channel from the
Lakes to the Gulf.
you men of Memphis, the business
men and manufacturers, are now ship
ping your cotton and your goods by
railroads even when you have the river
at your door, and YOU are not going to
ship your cotton and goods by river
even when you have deep waterway
from the Lakes to the Gulf unless you
know that it will be of profit for you
to do so. You have simply got to make
the river transportation worth while.
II use these words as words of warn
ing to you. They will tend to show
you the difficulties which must be over
come before the deep waterway chan
mel, II feet thru the valley, becomes a
reality"
In other words, the people along the
Mississippi must begin the work of i'm
proving the navigation on the Missis-
sippi by actually using the river in their
business. 1t is not necessary to have
A 14-foot channel before they begin to
employ the river for transportation
In other days boats drawing only
foot or two of water found profitable |
busines $. All of the older generation
who have travelled in the Mississippi |
Valley will recall the immense loads |
carried up and down the river by these |
steamboats,. Many will |
remember the striking sight of seeing |
Dne' of these light boats coming into |
he river from a shallow bayou loaded |
TO the upper decks with bales of cotton |
gathered up at some plantation and !
being carried to market. One would |
'ay that there is not such extreme haste |
n getting cotton, sugar, hay, grain and |
1ther products to market that it was |
necessary to resort to the railroads, but |
hat these things might be carried as |
deliberately as they are on the Great |
lakes. There need be no such demur-
age and frequent handling as is neces-
iary by the Northern route. For ex-
ample, a train load of grain gathered
Ip at Kansas City is taken to Chicago |
where. after standing on the tracks
iome time, it is transferred to an ele-
Tator and thence loaded into vessels
which make the great circuit to the
iorth thru Lakes Michigan and Huron
before their course is eastward by Lake
Erie to Buffalo, where the grain is /
AIKEN out of the vessels, transferred to
IN elevator, and thence loaded into
anal boats and sent by the Erie Canal
o Troy, N. Y, from which city it is
AIKEN down the Hudson $50 miles to
Iew York City. Absolutely none of
his is necessary in transport along the
The grain can be put into
| boat at Kansas City and there is no
iced of touching it again until 1t is at |
Iew Orleans. 1900 miles away. To re-
'eat: On the face of things all the COM