The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1910-11-15
INTERESTING ADDRESSES
AT WATERWAY CONVENTION

coming back into its own. in the near
future. The sentiment of the Amer1-
can people has been aroused to the
influence Of this and kindred associa-
TONS and are today more than ever
before strongly in favor of improving
and utilizing all of the nations naviga-
BILE waterways The use OF these wa
terways has become the demand OF
necessity as we'll as sentiment. Pres
ident Wilkinson's eight years of adj
ministration for material progress
and substantial achievements has at
tracted the attention OF a whole ma
ton to the upper river improvements.
and won for us admiration of the best
element everywhere.
Your strong declarations and just
appeal have been widely read and
fayorably commented upon editorially
by the press of the country, and en-
Enthusiastically endorsed by the public
generally. l believe that the splendid
editorial printed in your Sunday Pen
sacola Journal was stimulated by
these resolutions, as we'll as the absc'
lutte necessity for the improvement of
navigable streams, deep waterways,
harbors and terminal facilities. l
quote part of the editorial have just
referred to:
Quotes from Journal.
Much as Pensacola needs another
railroad, The Journal is frank to say
that the completion of the inland Wa.
terway from the Mississippi to the
Atlantic, and particularly that portion
Of it between the Mississippi river
and Pensacola, will mean more for
Pensacola's development than several
new railroads would mean.
S- - koe, Io nr.
leans and Mobile? 1t is not the rail-
roads, because New Orleans and Mo-
bile were important factors in the
gulf coast commerce long before
either of them had a railroad. 1t is
the rivers on which they are located
that are responsible fer the develop
ment OF those two cities. The rail-
roads came afterwards and helped in
the development but the waterways
made the cities.
1T is the Lack of these waterways
that has prevented Pensacola from
being what she ought to be today.
The completion Of the inland water
way between Pensacola and the Mis-
sissippi will give Pensacola nearly all
Of the waterway advantages waicE
Mobile and New Orleans now have.
1t will give Pensacola the advantage
Of barge traffic down the Mississippi
and all of its tributaries, and down
the Alabama and all of its tributaries.
1t will control freight rates into and
through Pensacola from all of the vast
territory which those rivers drain.
All OF these things coupled with the
superior advantages which Pensacola
harbor will make Pensacola a tremen
dous city within ten years after the
waterway is completed. In the mean
time the new railroads will have to
come, just as they came to Mobile and
New Orleans.
1T was the Mississippi river that
made st. Paul. Mimi, ST. Louis, Mo-,
Memphis, Tenn, as we'll as New Or
leans, Mobile, and other cities located
On the Father of Waters from St.
Anthony's Falls to the Gulf of Mexico
The same can be truly said of Pitts
burg, Cincinnati, Cairo and other
cities on the Ohio river. The railroad
managers and interests realize this
fact better than anyone else
SCENES OF ACTIVITY.
In the halcyon days of my early
| manhood as shipping clerk on the
levy wharf at ST. Louis, l witnessed
the scenes of active and extensive
| business developments during that
| magnificent period of unprecedented
steamboat travel. / also observed by
| and through the powerful influence of
| railroad corporations and a public de-
sire as we'll as demand for rapid tran
| sit the marvellous steamboat trade
pass away. During the period. I have
| just mentioned, the Northern Line
and other lines of steamboats, carried
from st. Paul, Mimi, and the other
numerous shipping points along the
upper Mississippi river to the port at
st. Louis, tens of thousands of tons of
freight. In the year 1876, 6SS, 1855
tons of freight reached the city of
st. Louis by the river route: for the
same period the shipments were 6OO,.
600 tons of freight. exclusive of tran.
sit tonnage. The following regular
lines Of packets and freight steam
ers, with their barges. found profitable
employment: The Conrad Line. The
Eagle Packet Co.. ST. Louis & Illinois
Packet Co.. the Kuntz Line, the Mis-
sissippi Valley Transportation Co., the
Missouri River & Star Line. the Keo
kuk-Northern Line, the Anchor Line
the Carroll & Baker Line, and ths
Baggage Transportation Line, in the