The Wheeling intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1903-1961, 1919-03-26
min R|VER| DESTINED tt.
BECOME ONE Of GREAT ARTERIES
OF COMMERCE, SAYS ]. v. BROWN
q. S. GOVERNMENT HAS REcoG-
NIZED THE VALUE OF OHIO
RIVER AND SPENT MILLIONS
ON IT.
FrEMS ARE SHPPING AS CoEDI-
TToNS WARRANT AND MANY
TAKE ADVANTAGE OF RIVER
FACILITIES.
THROUGH BILLS OF LADENG WILL
AID MATERIALLY IN TNCREAS-
ING TIDE FUTURE BUS1-
NESS

NESS.
The Ohio river is destined IN become
ono " tho great arteries Of commerce.
and tn" products "f III" bordering states
will b. carried on In" bosom II the
famous stream IN the future. said j. w.
Brown, general manager OF III" Liberty
Transit Co. yesterday. 1t is true that
the river carried a large traffic before
the days Of railroads and thor" is II"
reason on Earth that it cannot do so
again.
The Cnitrd States government has
recognized the value of the river for
commercial purposes and has spent MIL
lions Of dollars in improvements and
Will spend lots moro before the river il
canalized from pittsburgh tn Cairo. Al
present there are about invent T-fIve
completed dams. many ar" under con-
struction and others contemplated to
AL out the scheme Of s'ackwater with a
nine foot stage along tho entire course
OF the river.
Twenty continuous dams arc in oper-
alton between Pittsburgh and BellcVillr.
W. Va. distance of over two hundred
miles: others, are under construction be-
low this point and in q couple of years
the Slackwatcr will extend to Hunting
ton.
With the advent of the Liberty Tran
sit. Co. which WAS formed on government
request. the traffic on the Ohio has
grown. from practically nothing 10 a
very gratifying figure and the future
looks very bright.
All firms ar" shipping as conditions
warrant and they are taking advantage
Of tho quick time in which river shipp-
ing delivers goods.
Another thing that rs attracting their
attention Is the through bills Of ladins
as freight can h" shipped To any point
on the Ohio between Pittsburgh and
Louisville by an Arrangement between
the companies operating steamboats,
up and down The Ohio river from thn-
cinnati. Through freight is also handI-
cd from Charleston TO Pittsburgh and
from Charleston 10 CINCINNATI and from
Cincinnati to Louisville.
The movement Of freight along the
! river is. assuming good proportions with
manufacturers goods as we'll AZ farm
products and live stocks. Much live
stock is brought by its boats 10 Wheel
! ing where it is slauGht cred and turned
into food products and shIpncd TO var
| ious points UP and down tho river.
Ono nf the large firms Of This city
which has a national reputation are
using the river whenever possible for
quick delivery; this hnc is handling Il
great deal Of their products which is
packed in cases. each CASE when filled
weighing about 1000 pounds and We
will move about fifty of these cases this
week
Tobacco Is another product Of Wheel
ing which is going by river TO n! points
within a hundred miles and The stogle
manufa cturrrS arc also utilizing the &C
comutatiuns Of river traffic.
Steel goods in tho way OF galvanized
| iron made into 4 hundred different forms
| for buildings and household use arc
Shinpcd by river where the point of dc.
| livery is On tn" stream.
Steel products OF all description maoo
! in tho PitiSburg and Wheeling districts
/ have begun Il steady movement by
steamboat and under this head might
! b. mentioned automobiles and automo-
! bile parts.
| Many heavy stool castings for gov
| ernment' dams arc going out Of this
| city via the Ohio. and oil we'll supplies,
| such as pipe. etc, Is carried on most
every boat plying on the Ohio and Ia
ma wha rivera
There is a movement out Of Ctncin-
natl up the river 10 Marietta and vi
cnlty Of seed and fertilizers ut this
! time Of the year. which formerly went
by rail.
\ steady movement out Of the Ka-
| nawhas river OF hoop-polcs for the pot
! terry district around Fast Liverpool.
hoop-poles arc used in binding the
casks enclosing pottery for shipment.
i l could go on and -=nuncra:c freight
| by the hour which is now shipped by
river. but I will mention only n few,
such as meats. china. bottles and tum-
blers, drugs flour. furniture.' carpets.
wholesale Eroreries. high grade finished
! lumber chickens. eggs. chemicals. cord
age. auto tires, refined oil, wagons. cast
! ings. galvanized iron. contractors sup
plies. building material and SO non al
! inflnitum
These things are Just starting 10
| come and before long the river will be
carrying eevry mentionable form Of
manufa ctured product and farm produce
| in the territory embraced by the Monon
gahela. Ohio. MusIngum. Little la
nawha. Big Kanawha and Kentucky riv-
ers. only speak Of conditions above
| Louisville. but 1 understand that The
business men and merchants Of the low
er end Of the river are awakening to
the fact that the cheapest method Of
| transportation Is right at their doors
and a revival Of river traffic can be
| looked for on the lower end Of Tie
Ohio"
! Mr.. Brown Is taking an active in
! terest In river affairs since joining the
Liberty Transit Company and Is work
inE extra hours to bring tho attention
| Of the Ohio river as an arLary OF trnf-
/ hc to tho minds Of the shippers along
/ The river.