The daily Gate City and constitution-Democrat. (Keokuk, Iowa) 1916-1922, 1917-08-16
Eoatman at Quincy Talks About the
Times Whom There Were Races
Between Steamboats, Along
This Stream.
BARGE LINE IDEA OLD
Newspapers Then Appealed TO the
Shippers to Keep the Barses
Goina-River Once Had
Monopoly.

Monopoly.
Some OF the good old days along
the river were recalled by an ole
boatmau at Quincy recently. The
Journal prints his "reminiscences IL
the following:
Boat races, that is, races by
steamboats,, are something out OF the
ordinary now. and in fact one hardly
ever hears OF one OF importance now,
but in the early days of steamboats,
on the Mississippi. they were quite
frequent" said Sam Sykes, river and
boat authority, as he was seated not
far from The old river one day re-
Gently.
Il often think OF them" he con-
sinued, and l can still see, in my
visions, some of the old time tests
OF speed, in days when they made
better time than now. We used TO
ponder considerably about the future
d. the old river, but / have often
wondered what the early settlers,
years before my time, thought when
they saw the first boat blowing its
way up the river.
1000 Tons on One Trip.
Speaking OF the $500 tons of coal
that the Nokomis took up the river
Z few days ago, the tow boat James
Guthrie, in April, 1854, took 1000 tons
OF coal into New Orleans. The trip
from Louisville to New Orleans was
made in four days and Pittsburgh,
Pa, mine operators owned the boat.
Instead of five narges. however, there
were ten ehead of this one and the
Lad was not uncommonly large for
those days when there was much big
shipping ON the Mississippi and other
rivers.
I'm 1869. coal shipments by water
amounted to 100000 bushels OF
about 1S6,44O tons. Each year there
after, for many years, the business
was increased until in 1889, it was
25,O00,000 bushels.
Barge Lines Not New.
Barge lines on the Mississippi
river are not new. though it would
be news to this generation IL they
were revived. Back in 1880. every
yard from Cairo to Pittsburgh was
filed with barges and new ones were
built as fast as the old ones had
served their time. And the barges
were Of the big. useful kind, some
with a capacity of 1.400 and 1,S0O
tons and not long after that the bust
ness drifted to the railroads, more
speed was demanded, river terminals
were needed and there was not the
wherewith to build the terminals.
Before long all through freight went
to the railroad, and the river held
only the local freight that was
thrown its way.
Newspapers appealed for barge
lines to continue, and they asked for
more interest in river shipments, but
this was not enough. There was not
the interest that was needed, yes, de-
manded to maintain river transporta
ton, and no matter how many public
spirited men were called together tC
discuss the question, the fact remain
ed that the terminals were not built
and when shippers wanted quick ser
vice they went to the railroads and
got it.
River Once Had Monopoly.
thine was when the river had g
monopoly on the traffic business OF
the country, the same as the rail
roads have now, and In 1889, the
Railway Register said that 'undoubt
eddy the first glory Of the great rivers
has departed meaning the through
feright business which by that time
was practically gone.
"But the agitation has never dice
out 1t exists in one form or another
today. It became more costly tt
build barges and men were not will
ing to invest in business that from
Indications was destined to give way
ut least to the big shipping jobs, nc
matter If the destination was on the
river. Railroads generally delivered
the product sooner than the barges
could, and it became a point of the
Epeediest carrier surviving
Congress discussed the question
then, the same as it does transporta
ton issues now, and there were many
In congress who were friendly toward
The barge lines, but that made no
difference in the end. The big bust
ness went the way of the railroads,
and they eventually had more than
they could handle and sometimes
were willing for the river companies
to come to their rescue and help
themselves to what business was left.
This they did during the last few
years of their existence"
Corporation is Formed.
limited Press Leased Wire Service I