Omaha daily bee., 1910-01-09
Iowa
BOON FOR RIVER TRAFFIC
Packet Companies on Upper Missis-
sippi Look for Unusual Season.
RIVER FROZEN SHORE TO SHORE
while Boats Are in Their FriEid
Berths Icemen Are ReRplng
Harvest bigger Than
Usual.

BURLINGTON, Ia, Jan. S.-(Special)-
With the surface Of the Mississippi river
frozen solid TO a thickness OF from twelve
to twenty inches, and snow coating the ice
bridge from three to six inches in depth,
making the waterway a vast ~thoroughfare
Of glittering white from the ~headwaters
to the mouth of the Missouri, the river
interests are busy with next seasons boat
ing industry. For 1t is anticipated that the
coming summer will be the best the upper
river has seen since the palmy days of
steamboating, when Mark Twain and his
fellow pilots were lords Of creation, and the
people considered the steamboat g floating
palace on which to rid was a matter Of
honor and enjoyment. While no new steam.
ers will be put forth by 0e various com
panies, plans TO keep up the regular traffic,
which has increased In considerable amount
in past years. and TO make the river a
popular highway Of travel and shipment,
are being perfected in the various cities
where the companies have their h~eadquar-
tiers. In st. Louis the Diamond 10 people
are planning TO take care of a splendid
business. Their boats are being put into
first class condition. The steamer Quincy
will have considerable work done on II
putting It into fine shape forA the passen-
I ger anu lEtlkhN lIdllHNs 81 II ahl VIII
also have a general overhauling and will
take the water next summer a handsome
clean vessel inviting to the patrons Of the
line. The Sidney win probably share the
st. Louis Burlington and Keokuk trade
during the early season. Both boats are IN
good condition. The large through packets
will not come out until the middle of the
season when the tourist rush toward the
Minnesota resorts will begin.
Campaign. of short Lines.
Meanwhile the magnates of the Carnival
Packet company are busy in Davenport
planning a big campaign for next sprina
and summer. This company owns a chain
of steamers reaching in successive short
lines from Davenport to quincy. the links
are Quincy to Keokuk; Keokuk to Bur
lington; Burlington to Davenport. The
steamer Keokuk will serve the Quincy
Keokuk trade. The new steamer Black
Hawk-Eye will ply between Keokuk and
Burlington and the Helen Blair and the
Columbia will serve the Burlington-Dav
export trade. Captain Walter Blair OF
Davenport is the presiding genius of this
steamboat company and has built up the
service. in q remarkable manner from 9
single steamer plying between Davenport
anu DuIiLiSbOh StNNtaA SSoiS dSS' AfV "a
poets a big thing for the upper river thi!
year.
And while the steamers are sleeping IL
their frozen berths in canals and har
bors a. very different industry has takeI
possession of the riverway which they pl!
in summer. The iceman is abroad and |
gathering in hundreds of thousands o
tons of the finest crystal ever taken from
the river. Great ice cutting plants mari
the surface. of the stream all the wa!
from Hannibal to the northern lakes an
hundreds of men are employed daily in tn
hurry of capturing the ice while II, remain
clear and firm. For half a dozen years, tn
ioemen have been sorely put to 1t to secur'
a sufficient amount of pure crystal t
serve their customers during the summe
season. The recent seasons have beef
marked by a scarcity of ice. much of /
having to be cut in sloughs and ponds be
cause the river did not ever freeze owe
in the winter. This winter, however, thing
are very different. The heavy drop in tn
mercury and the steady cold quickl,
bridged the river with a firm ice covering
and is now furnishing clear and pure ic
to the dealers. Vast quantities are beinl
cut and stored and shipped to inland point
and to the south. The outlook is 70
cheaper ice next season. b.