The Greenville times. [volume] (Greenville, Miss.) 1868-1917, 1909-08-28

EDITORIALS OF MERIT
THE WATERWAYS CONVEN.
TON AND ITS PROMISES.

Sept. 80 and for three days in Oc-
tober are being perfected, and as
surances are given that the Presi-
dent of the United States will be
here, which will insure a great crowd
The prospect OF securing legisla
ton that may result IN the spending
OF large sums Of money in deepening
and otherwise improving The West
ern rivers is very attractive and
would be extremely pleasing TO the
people OF the great valley
But the main thing is to get some
thing practical for the handling 81
our interior commerce at the lowest
reasonable rates and free from the
powerful railroad influences. which
have driven commerce from the
Western rivers The restoration
and revival OF the river trade would
leave enough business for the rail
roads, more, indeed than they can
carry. and it would so classify
freights that the roads would get
all that was suited for them, while
the boats would secure those SORTS
that are best suited to their capacity
That feature OF the business will
however, Occupy but little OF the time
OF the convention as all the oratory
win be devoted to secure the requi-
site appropriations for the improve
ment of the Waterways. Nobody
will look beyond that Nevertheless.
it is worth while to inquire into the
reasons why the large commerce
which was carried on the Mississippi
river and its tributaries twenty years
ago has almost entirely disappeared.
The changes which have taken place
in that time are truly astonishing
The following figures of the ton
mage on the Mississippi river and on
the Ohio in 1880 and 1000 are inter
csting:
| In 1880 the boats plying above
ST Louis carried freight to the
amount of 6,26o,444 tons. In 1906
the freight carried on that part Of
the river had declined to T,z58.IoI
tons, d loss of more than four mill
lions tons, or about p per cent
In 1880 the boats operating below
St Louis carried 6,232.o8z tons of
freight, but in 1900 the tonnage car
ried was only 2,546.I8z, a loss Of
more than three million tons, or
about 90 per cent.
But the business on the Ohio river
was so large and remains so, that it
amounted iii 1880 to nearly 10000,
600 tons. and had lost in 1900 little
over 3 per cent.
When it is remembered that the
rivers are much the same as they
were twenty years ago, and while
the Mississippi, both above and be
low St Louis, has lost the grcasteat
part OF its carrying trade, the Ohio
has maintained a large boat traffic,
and yet II is the greatest sufEerc1
from low water 1t can readily be
imagined that if the Ohio river wer,
properly improved it would show &
great increase Of business. while no
such prospect appears for the Mis-
sissippi except the grand promise
made by Chicago.
Chicago, the wonder OF the world
is the magic city of our globe
Within the lifetime of a generation
which still is represented among us
Chicago has grown from a mere
frontier village to be the second cit!
on the hemisphere, with two and :
half million of population and an
enormous business. Chicago, whose
only channel TO the sea is through f;
foreign country. is suffering for ;
water route through our own country
: for her vast foreign commerce
Chicago sends abroad every yea
enormous quantities of wheat ans
other grains, flour. hog products am
other provisions and she believe
that if 'sEe had a I4-foot channe
: from Lake Michigan to and through
| the Mississippi river to the Gulf o
Mexico. she could send out her pro
ducts on the broad-bottomcd. light
draft, ''whalebacll" steamers an,
bring back her own imports.
t It is this idea OF Chicago's that /
: at the bottom of the great move
2 ment Of our interior waterways, an,
it IS the wonderful enterprise an
determination Of Chicago to secar
! this sea route she has planned tha
4 has created the confidence that
: now felt in it throughout the eoun
try. Chicago has already gone a
far with her money as she could t
: secure such an outlet to the Gulf {
Mexico by the construction OF
canal from her lake harbor to tn
Illinois river. an important tribu
tary OF the Mississippi above S
! Louis.
> The Chicago Drainage and Shi
|. Canal is one Of the most i1nportat
canals open to navigation since 1873
This canal was built by the city {
Chicago for the purpose of giyin
that city proper drainage faciltie
/ by reversing the movement OF til
! water which formerly flowed int