The Kendrick gazette. [volume] (Kendrick, Idaho) 1892-1968, 1909-11-12


in the follow up boats might have a |
number of undelivered speeches in |
their heads, and these would be so |
heavy they would cause the river to |
bulge still more.
One of the deep waterway conven-
tons was held at Memphis, and this
was attended by Mr.. Roosevelt, who
also went to it in boat. Nothing
more disastrous happened than that |
the president ripped steamboat cap
tain up the back Nobody remembers
what the captain did, but everybody
recalls what Roosevelt said. How
could they forget? Thus words some
times live longer than deeds. At that
time the president expressed himself
in an enthusiastic way for the ship
canal as general proposition. but re-
fused to 60 into details. Perhaps
thoughts of the shifting bed of the
Mississippi made him sidestep being
too specific. If that river can be made
to settle down and stay at home it will
save trouble.
fourteen Feet Through the VAL
ley"
That the supporters of the deep wa
terway are in earnest is shown by the
fact that they have written poetry
about it, This poetry evidently came
of duty. We forbear quoting more
than one stanza, but the rest show the
same grim resolve to write song or
die:
We represent the people who want the
waterway
Fourteen feet through the valley.
We represent the shippers. who have the
biggest say
Fourteen feet through the valley
We want the ships. a-running and lower
ing the rate
Fourteen feet through the valley
I And If we get the water we'll guarantee
| the freight
| Fourteen feet through the valley.
The proposed ship canal connects
with Lake Michigan at Chicago. fol-
lows the Chicago drainage, canal to
Joliet, thence down the Illinois river
to the Mississippi and by the Missis-
|
through the valley" represents depth
at low water The project includes
more than the ship canal. 1t also en-
braces nine feet up the Ohio to Pitts
burg, six feet up the Mississippi to
Minneapolis and six feet up the Mis-.
souri, to Sioux City.
Tom Reed once said that ''the Mis-
souri, river is not navigable and the
Mississippi river ought not to be-" but
it was on one of his grouchy days
when most of the congressman were
yelling for river and harbor appropria
tions. The witticism should now be
revised and made to read, THE Missis
sippi river is navigable, and the Mis-
souri, river ought to be-" When it Is
reflected that the great river ard its
tributaries can freight from vas
territory extending from Pittsburg tt
Omaha and from Minneapolis to New
Orleans and that by means of thu
ship canal and the proposed connec
tion with the Red River of the Nortl
it could also reach the great lakes re
gion and the Canadian northwest thu
Importance of the giant scheme cal
be dimly realized. 1t would extent
the coast line of the nation by multi
piled thousands of miles. would reliev,
crop congestions throughout the vas
wheat. corn and cattle belt. woul'
lower freight rates, would make a con
tinuous ship canal from New York VII
the enlarged Erie canal to Buffalo
thence through the great lakes to Chi
cago and from there down the Missis
sippi to the gulf. would furnish nev
outlet to such important trade center
as Chicago. st. Louis, Pittsburg Cir
cinnati. Louisville. Sioux City. Omaha
Kansas City, Minneapolis, st. Paul an
Memphis and would be boon to til
farmers and merchants of the entir
interior of the United States and Car
ada.
Will Reduce Freight Rates.
Take the question of freight tariff
alone. Not only the boomers of th