Free trader-journal. (Ottawa, Ill.) 1916-1920, 1919-01-22
FREIGHT LINE FROM
CHICAGO TO GULF.
IS BEING PLANNED
TERMINAL WILL BE ESTAB-
LISHED AT PERU-COMPANY
WILL ALSO OPERATE LARGE
PASSENGER CRAFT.

! Gefu Is beginning TO reap the bene-
fit Of her foresight In promoting a ter
iminal project, If the advertising that
she is getting out of prospectus
which Is being mailed throughout the
nation to the various shippers can be
considered Such. The pamphlet is
published by the Great Lakes to Gulf
| Transportation Company OF Chicago.
The concern Is newly organized
one and has capital of s. 900 000.
The stock is practically all sold and
the fact that the officers include some
of the wealthiest and most prominent
men in America speaks well for it's
tuture.
The president. John A. Fox. was
formerly director of the national
rivers and harbors congress and was
instrumental in the securing of a $42,-
100000 appropriation for the lower
mississippi. Former Governor George
A. Eberhart of Minnesota is vice pres.
ident. w. A. Berkman, noted steam
boat man, is the general mana, 80
Others in office are w. II. Spears q
the American Express Company and
we'll known throughout the country as
the foremost exponent OF the See
America First campaign; w. S. How,
etson, retired millionaire grocer of
Chicago, and Webster Davis, former
mayor OF Kansas City and assistant
secretary of the interior in the CALI
net of President Mckinley.
The company proposes to operate
two large steel steamers between
Peru and New Orleans, and in con
nection with this i. further proposes
to construct twenty or more smaller
barges OF 200 tons capacity to navi-
gate the. canal between the ware
houses and factories of Chicago and
the Calumet manufacturing district
and the city of Peru. where the
freight will be gathered to be trans
ported to the larger 2,00O-ton steam
boats for transportation to New Or
leans.
Traffic arrangements have already
been made with a steamship company
at New Orleans and the company will |
issue through bills OF lading from Chi |
cago via Peru, H., so that shippers |
can send their freight direct to South
or Central America, to the Pacific |
coast and to the Orient.
Each of the steamers will carry in |
addition to the freight 250 passen. |
gers, making the round trip-Peru to |
New Orleans-in two weeks. Each |
will cost approximately $275,0o0 and
will be provided with every known |
modern device for handling freight
Smaller barges will gather freight |
among the interior waterways and |
concentrate it at Peru, which mayl
thus become one of the greatest dis |
,ributing points in the middle west.
Blocks DespIaines Dam.
Romance and adventure of the !
early days of Illinois. when French
yOyageurs padded fur-laden canoes |
down the rapids of the Desplaines |
handed down yesterday by the United |
States District Court of Appeals hold
ing that the Economy Light ard |
Power Company could not construct |
lam across the Desplanes.
The court affirmed a decision give n |
by Federal Judge kenesaw NJ Lands |
on May ), 1917, ordering that the |
company, which had started a $10,-
100000 power project, cease con
5tructing dam across the river at
Minooka. Grundy County. The plant
was to furnish light and power for
all northern Illinois.
The decision of the Court of Ap- |
Oeals was written 10y Judge Sanborn.
He stated that the river has been
used by fur traders and explorers
rom 1873 to 1925.
6 Traders in Canoes.
From the latter part of the sew
enteenth century to the rst part of
the nineteenth century traders passed
up and down the Desplaines> River in
canoes and fiatboats," he said
Canoes of several tons burden, he
said were used by traders on the
river on the route from Chicago 20
st. Louis and otner river points
OFTEN salboats piled the stream with
as high as 5000 tons of freight and
l,000 tons of provisions.
Sees Railroad Crisis.
He stated that the closing of rivers
by means of dams would be a serious
matter If another crisis came In which