The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1910-07-13
So Says Captain William Leyhe Of
the Eagle Packet Company Of
ST. Louis-Railroads to
be Carriers.
ALONG THE RIVER
Repairs to the Sidney Finished and
the Boat Left for st. Louis
Probably no More River Ex-
cursions This Year.

The usefulness of the Mis-
sissippi river from the view
point OF the steamboat is at an
enc, according to Captain William
Leyhe, president of the Eagle Packet
company. Captain Leyhe, after hear
Ing OF the wreck of the steamer Cane
Glrardeau, owned by the company Of
which he is president, declared that
the few remaining steamboats, were
1ast disappearing, and that the steam
boat trade was absolutely doomed. He
belleves that there will not be an
other steamboat left on the Missis-
sippi river within another twenty-five
years.
The last big river steamer. the
Alton. declared Capt. Leyhe the other
day, was built about three years
ago and as l know Of no big boats
being built at present, it would be safe
to assert the Alton will be the last
Of the steamboat race"
Captain Leyhe said the railroads
were driving the boats off the river,
owing to the quickness of freight and
passenger delivery by them.
He said the railroads could deliver
freight much more expeditiously than
the steamboats, and at satisfactory
rates. Captain Leyhe thinks the
river will never be useful any more
from a commercial viewpoint. He
said he did not believe the river
trade of old times would be revived
even If IA foot channel were built
He thinks the river will be used only
for small pleasure boats and as q
drainage canal
The repaires to the hull of the Sid
ney were finished yesterday and the
boat started on her way to st. Louis
She passed the local wharf about 8: 81
yesterday afternoon and will make st
Louis in time to start on her regular
trip Thursday. The Dubuque will BIZ
up this evening and will continue OF
to Burlington, coming back tomorrow
evening and laying over night at the
10 boat house.
The following from the Hannibal
Journal will be of interest to the Keo
kuk people that have been planning
on taking some of the excursion trips
that are usually held each fall.
D. Walter Wisherd, general passen
ger agent of the Acme Packet com.
pany, has finally heard from Captain
John Streckfus president of the com
pany. And the message was to the
effect that the excursion steamer w
w. now at Rock Island, will not be
down on this part of the Mississippi
until the river has risen several feet
That means there will be no excur-
sions on the w. W., in or out of Quin-
cy in July and possibly none in Aug
ust. All excursions booked for July
are to be cancelled or indefinitely post
poned, while those for August may be
cancelled or held later in this month
when 1t will be known whether or
not there may be enough water for the
boat to resume its schedule
ST PAUL, MINI. July 13.-With
many delegates in attendance, COM
ing from Missouri, Iowa, Illinois, Wis
consin and Minnesota the ninth an
nual convention of the Upper lIissis-
sippi River Improvement association
was opened here. The aim of
the gathering is to secure the early
completion of the project as adopted
by congress for six foot channel in
the upper Mississippi river from
Minneapolis to the mouth of the Mis-
souri,. The business sessions of the
convention will continue over tomor-
row and papers will be read covering
practically every phase of the subject
by men familiar with the problems the
undertaking presents. Senators and
representatives in congress from the
states bordering the upper Mississippi
are among the scheduled speakers.
Thomas Wilkinson Of Burlington
president of the association, presided
at today's sessions. Lewis B. Boswell
of Quincy is secretary.