The Farmington times. (Farmington, St. Francois County, Mo.) 1905-1926, 1921-04-08
DEVELOPMENT OF THE
MISSISSIPPI RIVER

to its source; double track rallroauS
running alongside; boats and barges
laden with freight, plying up and
down the stream all day and all night;
mammoth docks, terminals, modern
machinery; greater production, in
creased wealth; the Mississippi Val
ley the most rapidly developing and
some day the richest industrial dis
trict in the world
These are q few of the things that
James E. Smith, pioneer river enthu-
siast, sees in the plan for the develop
ment of the rivers of the Mississippi
Valley as freight carriers. Smith,
who is 70 years old, has spent years
of his life and dollars out of his own
pocket working in behalf of this move
ment. As vice president of the Mis-
sissippi Valley Association, formed
throughout q states for the develop
ment of river projects, he serves with
out recompense.
at is my life work." Smith ex-
plains. 81 have dedicated myself to
it,, and while he talks the glow Of
enthusiasm lights up his face as he
tells how success is almost within
reach of those who have fought for
the development of river transporta-
ton in America.
1.-THE dawn of new era in Ameri-
can industry is here" Smith explaint.
"Within a few weeks, at the most,
the new boats and barges will be 60
ing into service as freight carriers on
the Mississippi and the objects fought
for for years by those who have the
best interests of the river and. coun-
try at heart will have been attained.
II venture to say that the next ten
years will show a much greater per-
centage of progress Of the Mississippi
Wal!ey from business standpoint than
has been noted in the last decade, and
that result will be traceable, to a
large extent, to the contamination Of
this river program.
1.-THE latest development in pending
plans is the decision to ask for nine
foot channel in the Mississippi river
between Cairo and St. Louis. Hereto
fore, the Newton bill, which calls for
the completion Of river work UNDER
taken by Congress in 1910, has speci-
fed an eight foot channel between
these two points. The growing ten
dency is to ask for a standardized
channel.
"The Government is now building a
nine-foot channel between Pittsburgh
and Cairo on the Ohio river. If the
provisions of the Newton bill are car
ried out on schedule this will be COM
pleted within three or four years.
"The present channel from Cairo tc
New Orleans averages better thar
nine feet. 1t is clearly desirable tc
have a nine-foot channel extended al
the way to st. Louis in order thai
barges loading at st. Louis for lowe
river points may be loaded to capacity
If it is necessary to load light on ac
count of the eight-foot channel t.
Cairo, fully 20 per cent of their car
rying power will be wasted.
at is puzzling to understand why s.
little stress has been hitherto laid OF
a standardized channel. Not to hav
vne is ridiculous. looking 1T 1t fron
the business point of view. Chicag
is asking the Illinois State Legisla
ture for S30,OO0,OOO for waterwa
projects and is pressing her claim
for a nine-foot channel from ORATOR
H., to Cairo. This comedies exactl
with what st. Louis wants, 30 tn
move gains added weight owing to tn
fact that two Of the nations larges
together with their surrounding tel
lritory are vitality concerned with tn
construction of such a waterway.
"Illinois has let contracts, and wor
has begun upon the great waterwa
connecting the Chicago drainage ca
nal, which ends at Joliet, with the II
inois River at Utica, above LaSall
This great project will be complete
within the next three years. Chic;
go is planning extensive municipj
terminals which will be completed b
the time the waterway is fiHshe
More than $4,000, 900 will be expen'
ed to secure the connection with Il
Mississippi River.
an 1910 Congress adopted a riv'
improvement program calling foratl
expenditure of many millions of dc
lars in clearing and deepening inlar
rivers. In brief, it was proposed
deepen the Ohio river to nine feet b
tween pittsburgh and Cairo; to Co
struct an eight-foot channel betw'
Cairo and st. Louis in the Mississippi
a six-foot channel between st. Lou
and St. Paul and six-foot channel ,