The Cairo bulletin., 1910-09-22


the movement of such crop is fully
linaugirated.
I Where must we look for relief In
this matter but to our waterways?
The people OF the Ohio Valley are
looking to the accomplishment of
1.-THE nine foot channel from Pittsburg
to Cairo, for relief in this direction,
and we sincerely trust that our pres
ident and congress fully appreciate
the importance Of the consumation OF
this great problem.
When this wonderful engineering
feat is finally completed we invite
you to locate at Cairo, where you
may enjoy the full fruition Of the
blessings conferred by this greatart.
cry of commerce. You can locate
your Industries with us on deep
river frontage fror miles in extent
backed by trunk line railroad track
age, giving you unexcelled facilities
! for the concentration OF raw mater
ial and the distribution OF "manufact-
ured product from the most sentral.
| " located city in the United States.
enjoying both water and rail trans.
portation, to all domestic. and foreign
markets.
In this connection 1t occurs to us,
that nothing could be more oppor-
tune than the introduction at this
ftime. OF radical improvements in
river transportation in both methods
and equipment, which promises to
treduee the cost of operation OF river
craft, and of handling freight at ter;
minals, as also increasing carrying
capacity on moderate stages OF water
the result of which means lower
freight charges to the people, and
this at time when the great rail-
road systems are endeavoring to sus.
tain fixed charges on heavy over
capitalization, by adding additional
burdens on the Shipping public by con.
slant advances in freight rates. We
refer particularly to the new Missis-
sissippi Valley Transportation Com
pany, who will very shortly intro
duce on our rivers these modern
ideas in river craft we have mention.
ed, and which we will illustrate to
you among our views. and in the
| future development OF which Cairo
Twill play an important part.
In the matter of capitalization LED
lus suppose that the length of this
great highway of commerce, the
Ohio river, were capitalized at
tsl5o,0o0 to 100000 per mile, as
lsome single lines OF railroad are,
flor its 1000 miles in length, produc-
ling fund OF s15o,000.00O to 5000.
100000 to be used for the perma-
nent Improvement of this, the peo-
lples' highway, what would it mean to
1.-THE peopler Can any one grasp the
Full meaning of such a highway Of
commerce to the people of this ma,
ton? Does s63 1000, 600 seem like a
large sum in view of these figures,
this latter sum being the amount ap,
lpropriated by the federal government
for the completion Of the Ohio river
Improvements.
| We will not attempt to recite in de-
tail statistics showing the import
anee of our city, in volume of freight
traffic. extent of manufacturing. etc.
I The views We will present You will
! illustrate existing conditions in our
city more clearly than we can recite
them.
We win cali your attention briefly
to a few facts bearing on the COM
mercial activity of our city, viz:
We are rated as the fifth city in
the United States in relation to pop
/, pfation, in the matter Of freight ton.
mage handled.
! We rank fourth among the cities
OF Illinois, outside OF Chicago in the
volume of telegraph business trans
acted. and in long distance telephone
business. we are classed in the, first
rank OF cities of the United States
Of equal population.
Our railroad facilities consist Of
five trunk line systems. viz: the
New York Central Lines, the Illinois
Central system, the Missouri. Jaeific
Iron Mountain system, the Mobile &
Ohio and 81. Louis & Southwestern
railway, known as the Cotton Belt
in addition to which we have the
Cairo & Thebes railroad linking our
city with the Mississippi river
bridge crossing at Thebes, ILL.,.
Our banking facilities comprise
four substantial institutions, with
combined resources or s4,578,S96. In
the hands Of thoroughly efficient
and broad gauge management,
Our public utilities consist Of 11h
miles OF electric street railways; q
modern gas plant with rs miles OK
mains; an up-totdatc electric light
and power plant furnishing light
for the city and power for street rail
way lines and for the Cairo & st.
Louis Interurban Railway, as well as
current for industrial power pur.
poses. A water works system fur.
nishing water SO per cent pure and