The Parker post., 1913-06-14
SHIP CROPS
VIA PARKER
AND ALFALFA OF PALO
VERDE VALLEY MAY BE
BROUGHT UP COLORADO ON
BOAT TO SANTA FE.

Parker will become the railroad
shipping point for large portion of
the cotton, hay and grain output Of
the Palo Verde valley if the plans of
Fl. l.. Sullivan to put his new freight
boat into regular traffic between here
and Blythe prove successful.
Sullivan expects to make trial
trip down to Ehrenberg opposite
Blythe next month and will at that
time arrange definitely for handling
as large portion of the valley freight
as possible.
He will endeavOur to arrange for
landing at some point near Blythe
intake where there is a rock bank.
Freight teams will meet the boat on .
regular schedule, the loading and
unloading being done by machinery.
1t is estimated that the boat can haul
about 10 tons or forty bales of cot
ton each trip up and will make the
run to Parker landing in II hours
Sullivan has recent communications
from the Santa Fe officials granting
him the right to erect an elevator at
the bridge where there Is a siding
and this will enable him to load di-
rect from tn boat to the car by
means of a hoist. Thus the freight
handling will be done by machinery
at both ends and it is estimated that
this will mean a big saving in cost.
The present cost of hauling freight
between Blythe and the railroad is
SIS per ton 1t is thought that the
river transportation can easily com
pete with this rate.
The boat traffic should result i'll
an immediate reduction in the price
of alfalfa and farm products on the
Parker market as the output of the
Palo Verde valley will be delivered
here at a much lower rate than in
the past
The transportation of freight in
anu cut Ol CHo dIO VtIuO FdlIcy Ids
been a serious handicap to the de-
velopment of that country for several
months A means of transportation
that will overcome this handicap will
be welcomed by the people of that
valley, whether it be a motor boat,
railroad, a caterpillar or an air
line and there is hardly doubt but
that the S0-horse power boat will be
able to compete successfully with
the freight teams now employed.
The motor boat under construction
was designed for carrying ore from
river points to the railroad at Par
ker The fact that only small part
of this ore will be available for i'm
mediate shipment at the time of the
completion of. the boat next month,
has resulted in the plan to carry the
freight of the Palo Verde valley be-
tween Blythe and the river landing
at Parker
The boat is being built along or
iginal lines and is designed especial
ly for the Colorado river, which has
it's own peculiarities. The general
scheme of construction is high
power craft with shallow draft. Sui
livan, the owner, and Capt. Williams
who assisted in the designing OF the
boat have both had several years Of
experience on the river and we'll
know the difficulties that will at
tend practical river transportation
They are stalking their regulations
on the success of the project
The craft draws 1S inches loaded
and is to have a speed Of miles an
hour against the current Its carry
ing capacity is 10 to Is tons and in
case there is freight to justify it
barge will be towed
Sullivan states that in case his
plan works successfully another boat
will be built at once to enable him
to handle the ore above Parker.