Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1909-04-16
COMES TO ITS own
Mississippi as Field for Boating
Rises to Prominence It
Deserves.
SAFER THAN GREAT LAKES
This Year to See Greatest Power Boat
Regatta Ever Held ON Inland
Waters.

The Mississippi river, from st. Paul
to ST. Louis, will be the scene this
year of the most interesting water
sports ever Witnessed. In addition 10
local races and cruises at every town
of any size on the river, there will De
grand regattas at Burlington July :,
G and Z. at Peoria Aug. Is and 10 and
at Rock Island July } and Labor dag,
Sept. 6.
The Mississippi river, especially the
upper half offers as ideal conditions
for the pleasure of power boating ds
any place in the United States. The
government keeps the channel plainly
marked by buoys and lights by night
and day and boats can travel in safety
in any part of the river. For power
boat owners looking for speed there is,
anywhere along the river, ideal space
in deep water where there is ALSO
lutely no danger for boats. For people
looking for pleasure in cruising. fish.
ing, etc, the Mississippi offers ideal
spots and the numerous wooded IS
lands and small sloughs, bayous and
lakes makes the cruises of pleasure.
In many of the small streams, lakes
and sloughs, as well as in the Miss
issipp, the fishing is very good and
the power boat gives the owner every
opportunity to seek and find the home
| of the black bass. salmon and other
game fish for which the upper Mississ
| ippi is famous.
| Different Lakes.
A gentleman from city situated Oh
Lake Erie when he saw the river here
exclaimed: My, you people here have
dandy place for boating" He ex-
planned that, even on the incest days
power boat owners of the lakes are
afraid to venture too far away from
home on account of getting caught ii
the numerous squalls which come up
suddenly Here" he said. you have
ideal conditions that we would appre-
ciate more than you realize. Your
| fine wide river in the valley, your gov
eminent buoys, lights and harbor pro-
lection are all of great value to power
!. boat owners and should be appreciated
and taken advantage OF more than is
done"
The Mississippi Valley Power Boat
association, which has this same belief,
in an organization only two years old,
but is one of vast Importance at pres
ent. The regatta conducted by it at
Muscatine last July was a grand sue
cess. st. Louis. Peoria, Grafton anil
others at that time joined forces and
cruised up the Illinois river and
through the canal to Rock Island.
Then with the feet from Rock Island
they finished the cruise to Muscatine
to attend the regatta.
| Great Array at Burlington.
The year 1909 will see, at Burling-
ton, Iowa, the greatest array of power
/ boats ever witnessed on any body Of
water in the United States. Boat OWL
ers from all over the country have
their eyes on the 1909 regatta of the
NJ. V. P. B. A. st. Louis. Peoria,
Grafton, Beardstown and others will
again join together and cruise up the
Illinois and through the canal to the
Mississippi The feet will probably
number 100 boats. They will arrive in
Rock Island July s, and will be enter
tanned here according to arrangements
which will be completed later.
Rock Island, Davenport, Clinton and
the boats from the upper Mississippi
| will go from here in body to Mus
catine, from which city they togeth ar
with the fleet of the Pearl City club,
will complete the trip to Burlington.
There, extensive preparations have
been made to take care of this fleet
as we'll as hundreds of other boats
from different parts of the Mississippi
valley, from Lake Michigan, New York,