The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1910-07-15


the steamboats, and at satisfactory
rates. Captain Leyhe thinks the riv.
er will never be useful any more from
commercial viewpoint. He said he
did not believe the river trade Of old
times would be revived, even II n
fourteen foot channel were built. He
thinks the river will be used only for
small pleasure boats and as a big
drainage canal
Warsaw Bulletin: Here you nave
the opinion of a practical steamboat
man-one who has spent more than
half a century on the river. 1t spells
quite differently from that of profess
sional promoters, dreamers, theorists
and graflers who have been working
the fourteen foot channel to the gulf
so effectively as to secure congress
sional endorsement. OF all the Chin
erical propositions for the improve
ment of transportation facilities this
deep waterways project is the least
plausible. 1t has the endorsement of
certain class of engineers it Is true,
but not of men jealous of their repu-
tation in that line. Why, it runs con-
trary to the practical experience of
river men, than whom none knows bet
ter the habits of the Mississippi. The
leveling process of the river in times
of high water would obliterate the
,.tiG ~ oh ~ nd hnn aof for
of dredging would have to be repeated
1 at an expense out of proportion to the
benefits accruilg and involving per-
/ iod of time that would simply put deep
/ water navigation out of commission
1 for the greater portion of the season
We are aware the answer is the wing
i dam and storage reservoirs, but the
wing dams the government has al
4 ready placed in the stream have sim.
/ ply filled up the bed of the river with
out offsetting the harm done with
greater good accomplished.
Again. there might be 2me reason
for the proposition If the facilities
now afforded were utilized to their ut
most. but this is not true. River
traffic has been gradually declining
for the past forty years until now the
only packet company operating boats
between St. Louis and St Paul runs
E but one steamer the greater portion Of
the season and two additional fol-
less than three months. A third of {
century ago freight boats towing from
two to five barges. loaded to the wa
ter's edge, were daily sights. Toda.
such a thing would be curiosity !
, third of a century ago there was
daily packet line between st. Loui
and Keokuk, with three boats in tn
trade Today there Is but one.
third OF century ago boats piled tn
river the year round. if the ice woul
( permit Now they go to the bank tn
a latter part of October or the first c
/. November and do not venture OF
$ again until the last of April It wi
not do to say 1t is merely the want {
sufficient water, for the last three sc;
SONS preceding the present one a
forded good boating stage from th
opening to the close OF navigation
Why, the river has ceased to be use
a for even rafting. all lumber comm
y by car. Captain Leyhe tells II
e story Ii is quicker and cheaper raj
d road rates. Moreover, an importal
Q item is terminal facilities of railroad
q Freight by boat cannot be handled
a. advantage and is delivered where II
e the least convenient of access at Il
II end of the journey. This defect Pre-
dent Taft pointed out in his spec,
ID on the occasion of his trip from s
o Louis to New Orleans. and it is 81
ne ious one. There Is more sentime
or than sound sense in the attempt to
ne hibftate the Mississippi as a gre
Ut commercial highway, al least at II
ne period Of the country's history WI
dy changes the future may bring is
Ily problem, but it takes prophetic '
en- ion and a lively imagination to y
'rs ture it as a successful competitor VI
les The railroads paraileliDg the river a
ry operating at all seasons Of the We
"
pd paad The TaiI., Cate (,itx,