New-York tribune., 1909-10-30
TAFT HURRIES ON
RIVER TRIP NEAR END.
President Due at WdterUayS
ConUentiOn To-daY.

Sston Rouge, La. Oct 2s-Althougl lie
arrived here more than three hours late
tonight, President Tafts river schedule
went great deal better to-day, and there
was not a daylight hour that The twelve
boats constituting the waterways feet we're
not in sight Of ths flagship. Sailing fran
here tonight. the Oleander will probably
land the President in New Orleans by
noon tomorrow He is scheduled TO speak
on waterway improvement before the con-
ventlon in that city at 2:So 2. m
The Oleander left here tonight at top
speed and with fresh supply Of coal on
board The President will so right into
New Orleans without waiting for the rem
devious of the fleet outside that city
Natchez, Miss. oct. 29.-Not since the
day the battleship Mississippi visited Nat
chez have there been such crowds on the
bluff as that which greeted President Taft
when he arrived here at 9;i5 a. IN. on the
Oleander,
The President VAS nearly three hours
behind time. Eight other vessels OF the
waterways feet were in sight when the
Oleander pointed her nose into the bank.
This was due 10 the fact that the Oleand-
or. which shook off all the other boats yes
terday in the run TO Nicksburg and caused
the governors and Congressman to desert
their steamers for a special train, got into
difficulty herself last night and could not
make her usual speed One Of the regular
fremen had TO be put ashore at Memphis
on account of illness and a green hand at
the fires succeeded i'm choking them. An
other reason for the long delay was that
tho boats arriving at Vicksburg after the
OIeandel last night crowded into tho har-
% nrH0
and blocked the exit of the President.
Every pilot and master blamed the other
for the choked condition of the harbor,
and 1t required great tact to get things
Strengthened out. Once out of Vicksburs
Harbor another incident which will prob
ably cause trouble for some OF the river
men occurred.
The Erastus Wells won second place
in the line yesterday in the free-for-all run
from Helena to Vicksburg. The Alton.
which is said to be faster than the Wells,
tried TO push into second place as the
Olesnder was starting, and there was an
exciting and dangerous scene. suggesting
the old days on the Mississippi. Great
clouds of smoke poured from the tall
stacks OF the two boats and occasional
flashes Of fame burst from them. The
masters were trying to push each other
out of line as they rushed along. The race
continued until the two boats were almost
at the stern wheel of the Oleander. As
they came within hailing distance Com
mander Tillman. admiral of the fleet, gave
some orders through a megaphone which
set things straight He directed the Alton
to drop astern OF the Wells, and the race
was over
Secretary Nagel of the Department OF
.tf<v.
over the steamboat service. was on the
deck of the Oleander watching the mid
night race.
President Taft was greeted here by Mayor
Benbrook and a reception committee. The
Mayor made a brief address of welcome,
and the President responded. The Presi-
dent and many of the visiting governors
we're taken for an automobile ride through
the city. The ride ended at court of
honor on the bluff, where the President
made brief address.
MR.. TAFTs AMBITION.
He said in part:
The Mississippi River, in its willingness
to make eddies and trouble, in its beauty
for it has great beauty-reminds one-dare
/ say it?-of beautiful and powerful
Properly directed (only by suggestion),
happiness that we have In life. But treated
without discretion. sought to. be henmed
character break out. she loses the oppor-
tunity for usefulness and sometimes
wrecks everything she strikes:
And now that is the kind of a creature
that the Waterways Association invites
the Speaker of the House and his aSSo-
oiates-a quorum, | may say, OF the COM
Uniou--to study with a view TO controlling,
so that we may make the. most of her.
neither the Speaker nor / am inclined to
confide TO YOU at present. But such a
movement as this; which gathers force not
throughout the country, is certain to bring
about results which cannot but be useful.
not Only TO the country at large, but eS-
peCially to those who are locally affected
by the stream.
have one ambition (perhaps have
largely in my dreans), and that Is thst
when I lay down the staff OF office the
people of the South NAV feel that by rea-
son o. my administration the bonds be
tween them aud the other parts of the
country have been drawn closer
At the close of President Tafts address
there were calls for Uncle joe"
Mr.. Cannon spoke of the work accom-
plishcd by the first waterways convention
a. ST. Louis in 1873, leading 10 the deepen
ing Of the South Pass in the Mississippi
delta on the plans proposed by Captain
James B Eads. He intimated that as
that great work had come after trip
made by congressman who went from St
Louis TO the Brazos River. then to the
mouth of the Mississippi and up to New
Orleans, so might this trip from ST Louis
to New Orleans result in another great
work for inland waterways.
Secretary Dickinson made few remarks
CoNGREssMEN AND POKER
In his speech at Vicksburg late last night
President Taft had little fun with the
congressman on the river trip, and n
boarq whose steamer. it is said nine poker
tables were provided. Addressing the pre-
sidinG officer At the Elks' Club. the Presi-
dent said:
You have inttmated that somebody
thought it was tunket Well that de-
pendS upon what YOU mean by tunket. "
II Is 10 be defined as the man defined his
plea sure when he did not take his wife
with him, II is iurket. If It means a
Journey full Of pleasure, and with no work
and no effort in it, then deny that II is a
iunket
II YOU had seen the efforts made at ora
tory on board the Congressional steamer AZ
it came down the river YOU would under
stand that they we're stiu practising their
ing of the governors and heard their limo
cent Investigation into whar is meant by
that phrase that rolls off our tongues with
much the conservation of