The Princeton union. [volume], October 10, 1907, Page 2, Image 2

About The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976

Image provided by: Minnesota Historical Society; Saint Paul, MN

                
fc
S^v*,
W
By ROBERTUS LOVJE.
[ISTORY repeats itself, though
not always In the same tone of
voice In the city of Mem
phis, Ten n, in the year 1845,
as held a convention having for its
object the improvement of our inland
waterways. Incidentally it may be
mentioned that John C. Calhoun was
chairman of that gathering Now, in
this year of our Lord 1907, in the
same city of Memphis, has just been
held a convention having practically
the identical object in view. Theo
dore Roosevelt, who, like Calhoun, has
been vice president of the United
States, but, unlike the South Caro
linian, has achieved his ambition to go
up higher, was the most conspicuous
personage at the second Memphis wa
terways congress.
The sixty-three years elapsing be
tween these two conventions have
wrought vast changes. Memphis in
1845 was a small town on what was
then the frontier of Uncle Sam's de
veloped domain. Now it is a thriving
city almost in the center of the United
States as to population and develop
ment. The republic has grown as
Memphis has grown. The analogy
holds good through all lines of growth
territorial, industrial, agricultural
and otherwise
Steamboating In Its Prime.
In 1S45 there was an urgent demand
for impro\eJ waterways in the vast
Mlssissiopi alley At that period rail
roading Mac in its swaddling clothes
Steambcatmg was in its vigorous
prime. The toot of the stern wheeler's
Whistle resounded along the shores of
a score of streams tributary to the
Mississippi, the father of them all
Practically all long distance traffic in
the interior was carried on by water
None save the boldest dreamed that
the day would come when the shriek
of the land going locomotive would
make the steamer's toot sound like the
wail of a lost soul
That day carne, and the livers went
out of business What a facetious
person said concerning the Missouri
river a dozen years ago, when the gov
ernment finally abandoned all further
improvement of its channel, was appli
cable to all the Mississippi valley
streams
"The Missouri has been hung up on
the fence to dry
To be sure, there was more or less
river traffic remaining, but increasing
ly less from year to year The rail
roads had the call. Two streaks of
steel running here and there and yon
der across country at the will of the
builders had put the silver ribbons of
water out of the reckoning
Great Developer.
But it so happened that the excess
ive enterprise of the railroaders has
created a new and still more urgent
^expand for the steamboaters. The
yjrpad Is the great developer. It has
ljl|.tates and populated them with
orkers, and the workers have pro
fcett such vast wealth from the soil
of$he Mississippi valley, stretching
front West Virginia and Pennsylvania
on the east to Colorado op the west,
that the railroads are utterly inade
quate to the situation, TtiS railroads
icannot haul the trap? Jrhlca they
[have-created he^c^Vj^^pwaMiat
the thoughts of men arej^uraingagi
to the natural arteries of** commerce,
the once lo\ed but latterly despised
rivers, as an outlet for the surplus
This is the situation which called into
being the deep waterways convention
The President's Trip
DOWN THE LORDLY MISSISSIPPI TO THE DEEP WATER-
WAY CONGRESS AND THEN FOR THE BEARS.
Vital Importance of the Convention at Memphis Toward
the Relief of Congested TrafficFeatures of the Various
Projects Under ConsiderationNature of the
Scene of the President's Hunt.
at Memphis, with its 3,000 delegates,
its score or more of state governors
and its presidential personage in at
tendance.
History has repeated itself and ut
tered its repetition in an edition de
luxe.
Perhaps no gathering of earnest men
ever was fceM in the United States
which discussed matters of more vital
importance than this convention at
Memphis the first week in October.
What the convention actually did is
not so important as will be the results
which will flow from the discussions
and resolutions of the body. Inevita
bly bound up in the matter is the tic
klish problem of railroad rate regula
tion.
We have tried to regulate railroad
rates by statute law. The proposed
deepening of the river channel is a
step toward rate regulation by natural
law. For many years the railroads
have enjoyed a practical monopoly of
the interior traffic. Railroads belong to
individuals or combinations of individ
uals. Rivers belong to the people in
common. There can be no private snap
river trust. The experience of the past
has proved that steamboats can trans
port goods at a freight rate much low
er than the railroads exact. By deep
ening the river channels so that vessels
of adequate size may navigate the nat
ural arteries of inland commerce the
people of the United States will intro
duce competition where monopoly now
rules. That is the sweetest kernel of
the exceedingly large and luscious nut
ranmuB Ca&nme.
to be cracked by Uncle Sam in the
e\ent that he plies his hammer on the
situation as the waterways advocates
suggest
Relief of Congested Traffic.
But even more important in its im
mediate uses is the relief of congested
traffic which the improvement of the
river promises. An authority no less
than James J. Hill, president of the
Great Northern railroad and chief de
veloper of the northwest, has estimat
ed that $5,000,000,000 will be required
to improve and develop the railroad
systems of the country to the point
now demanded for handling the trans
portation business as it should be han
dled. The waterways experts contend
that by the expenditure of something
like $300,000,000 the riveis can be put
into condition for relieving the situa
tion. This includes, of course, a canal
here and there to connect natural wa
terways, in addition to the deepening
of river channels.
We are spending approximately that
amount on the construction of the Pan
ama canal. With that project complet
ed, the need of navigable river chan
nels in the United States will be vast
ly greater. Deep inland waterways,
therefore, seem to be an inevitable
tftermath of the Panama canal.
The Lake to the Gulf Deep Water
ways association, chiefly fostered by
Bt Louis business men, has for its
Jlogan the cry, "Fourteen feet through
the valleyl" This means that congress
is to be asked to unite Chicago and
onsequently all the ports on the great
lakes with the gulf of Mexico by
dredging artourteen foot channel fro
Chicago to th gulf. Chicago
tit,hMississippli,eoconstituteThthriveroceam,
alna^e canal the Illinois and
course
a channe this depth big
fjKgghters may mosey up to Chicago
an&Ythence along the lakes to put off
at Buffalo their cargoes, or vice versa,
while the big vessels onjthe.lakes, now
*aid up on'account of ice^uring sever
il months of each yeav tnay" mosey
4 4- *r^ju,^ A^nr* Xt^* *i
i
down the Mississippi and do a salt wa
ter business in winter time. In the
event of the building of the proposed
ship canal to connect the Hudson river
with the great lakes, vessels of heavy
draft then may voyage from New
York to New Orleans by way of Buffa
lo, Cleveland, Chicago, St. Louis, Mem
phis and Podunk, Miss., and continue
on by the salt water route between the
tail end of Florida and the north coast
of Cuba back past Sandy Hook to
New York or, for that matter, to any
port of the seven seas.
Very Alluring Project.
This is a stupendous proposition and
a highly alluring one, but it follows
logically on the heels of the Memphis
discussions. It may be added that
there is also a well defined plan for
the cutting of a ship canal through
the Florida peninsula to obviate the
necessity of cruising among the peril
ous reefs of the Florida keys and to
shorten considerably the distance from
the gulf ports to Atlantic coast points
While these immense projects are
under consideration there are several
smaller though highly important ones
pressing for recognition. These relate
to the tributary streams of the Mis
sissippi. The Missouri, of course,
comes firstthe river that Uncle Sam
wrung out some years ago and hung
on the fence to dry. The Missouri
simply refuses to stay dead. It al
ways was a lively stream, moAing
about latitudinally as well as flowing
seaward longitudinally. There is a
tradition to the effect that a farm
house along the Missouri is on one
side or the other according to the di
rection in which a freshet moves the
channel of the stream.
Nevertheless for nearly a century the
Missouri was the artery of a glorious
and romantic commerce between St.
Louis and the far northwest Still
living In St. Louis are a few of the
veteran steamboat captains and pilots
who ran on the Missouri far up into
the Dakota country when steamboat
ing was in Its palmy period and the
government snag boats and dredgers
worked assiduously to give a passable
channel to the sturdy stern wheelers.
When the Chester Stuck.
Just to illustrate the fact that the
Missouri needs heroic surgical treat
ment if it is to come in line with in
land waterways progress the trip of
the steamer Chester only a fortnight
before the Memphis convention may
be cited. With Captain William R.
Massie, a veteran Missouri river pilot,
at the wheel, the Chester undertook a
round trip from St. Louis to Kansas
City, carrying produce and passengers
each way. The distance between the
cities is about 300 miles. On Sept. 23,
seventeen days later, the Chester got
stuck on a bar near Hermann, Mo,
not far from the home plate, and her
passengers finally concluded that to
get home in time for Thanksgiving
turkey they must go ashore in a
launch, which they did. The Chester
draws three feet six inches when
light. She was heavily cargoed with
wheat. At the point where she finally
hung up the channel was only three
feet seven inches. Enough said!
The Ohio, of course, will come in
for some of the improvements, though
It must be said for the Ohio that she
has been able to keep her head above
mud in a manner highly creditable to
her and correspondingly chagrining to
her western sister, the Missouri.
Deeper Channels Needed.
Then there is the Arkansas. The
state of Kansas has been suing the
state of Colorado for stealing the Ar
kansas river for irrigation purposes
What is left of the Arkansas flows
through Indian Territory and Arkansas
to the Mississippi. It is still navigable
in spots for goggle eyed perch and flat
bottomed boats. The Arkansas should
carry sizable craft clear up to Musko
gee, I. T., and no doubt the new state
of Oklahoma would have put in its
constitution a demand for a deepei
channel but for "lack of space."
The Tennessee, the Cumberland, the
Red river and other smaller streams
hope for some of the federal improve
ment pie. Deeper channels where the
are needed will aid greatly in relieving
the situation throughout the vast Mis
sissippi valley.
It is interesting to note in connection
with President Roosevelt's voyage
down the Mississippi from Keokuk to
Memphis to attend the waterways con
vention that the president's paternal
grandfather commanded the first
steamboat that ran on the Mississippi
In 1811 Captain Roosevelt took a
steamboat down the Ohio and the Mis
sissippi to New Orleans, the very first
to make the trip. The president's
grandmother also made the voyage.
Congressman Theodore E. Burton of
Ohio, chairman of the inland water
ways commission, and his confreres
now have mapped out for them a pro
gramme the carrying out of which
should immortalize their names.
Bear Hunt In the Canebrakes.
At the close of the inland water
ways convention President Roosevelt
left for northeast Louisiana to partici
pate in a bear hunt in the canebrakes.
His hosts on the trip will be John A.
Mcllhenny, former rough rider and a
member of the national civil service
commission, and John M. Parker, own
er of a large cotton plantation, who
accompanied the president on his bear
hunt in Mississippi four years ago.
Two camps have been pitched for
the president's party. The first is at
the junction of the Tensas river and
the Monticello road, In East Carroll
parish. This camp will be about five
miles from Alsatia station, where the
temporary "White House" will be es
tablished for the president's secre
taries, telegraphers and newspaper cor
respondents. The second camp is at
the junction of the Monticello road
and. Joe's bayou. A temporary bridge
has been built across the Tensas river
THJfl fBESClSTOK UNIQy THirKSDAY^OCTOB.EB 10, 1907.
to establish communication between
the camps.
There are bear in plenty in all the
swamps of that region, and only a
short time ago a negro hunter killed
a 400 pound animal after following the
trail only an hour.
The scene of the hunt consists, out
side of the settlements, of virgin for
ests, with white oak, pin oak and mag
nolia trees, and of immense canebrakes,
the whole interlaced with bayous and
dotted with little lakes. The forests
axe more or less open, with little under
brush, and it is possible for a horse
man to ride at a considerable speed
through them without inconvenience.
But the canebrakes are as dense as
a tropical jungle. The canes grow to
a, height of twenty-five or thirty feet
and are close together. A hunter can
penetrate tStfs close wall of vegetation
only by wielding a sharp knife or
machete constantly, cutting room for
himself at every step. Wild animals
and dogs can work their way through
slowly close to the ground, and it is
said a pack of hounds in full cry not
more than a hundred yards away
sounds in the brake as if miles dis
tant.
When Mr. Roosevelt goes into camp
he lays aside the presidential dignity
and everybody is on an equal footing.
He becomes "colonel" to everybody,
and as only intimate friends are in the
party there are no "misters."
jByers
Has Bargains
all the time
And carries continu
ally a large stock of
the very best
I General Merchandise
1R. D. BYERSI
Bottom Price Cash Store.
IF IT ISN'T
A Victor
IT ISN'T THE BEST.
i $10, $17, $22, $30,
vio?o nachines $40, $50, $60, $100.
Records 35c, 60c and $1.00.
All Supplies and Latest Records.
J. C. BORDEN,
Only Authorized Agent for Princeton.
T. J. KALIHER, Proprietor,
Princeton, Minn.
Single and Double Rigs
at a /foments' Notice.
Commercial Travelere' Trade Specialty
The Rural
Telephone Co.
THE PEOPLE'S FAVORITE.
Lines to Dalbo, Cambridge, Santi
ago. Freer and Qlendorado.
ar Good Service in Princeton and to all
adjoining points We connect with the
Northwestern Long Distance Telephone.
Patronize a Home Concern.
Service Day and Night.
p-
m/am
|mmmmm?!?mmmmmmmmmmmmmn!mmmmnfmt?!mmmmmnfmnimm^ ^uutiiuuiuiiuiuuuuuuuiuuiiuuiiaiuuuuuuiuuiiiauuiuuuuaiuiiuuiituutiutiuiiii^
jpHHMMMHfr^*H^
!-I'!!!!!'-t-'I1
i
*& vfe r,i^rit
Solid Satisfaction 1
IN BIG CHUNKS
awaits the carpenter and builder who gets his
lumber from the Princeton Lumber Company.
You see it's well seasoned, the best to be had for
the price, and therefore "works up" well. The
owner and tenant of a house built of material
procured here knows that warping and shrinking
will not annoy him as the days go by.
GEO. A. COATES, Manager. 3
First National Bank
of Princeton, Minnesota.
Paid up Capital, $30,000
A General Banking Busi
ness Transacted.
Loans Made on Approved
Security.
Interest Paid on Time De
posits.
Foreign and Domestic Ex
change
S. S. PETTERSON, President.
T. H. CALEY, Vice Pres.
J. F. PETTERSON, Cashier.
Security State Bank
of Princeton, Minnesota.
Capital and Surplus, $33,000.
Buys and Sells Foreign Exchange.
Steamship Tickets to and from Europe.
Insurance and Real Estate Loans.
Transacts a General Banking Business.
JOHN W. GOULDING, President. G. A. EATON, Cashier.
BANE OP PRINCETON.
J. J. SKAHEN, Cashier and Manager.
a Gzxrl
Banking Business
Collecting and Farm and
Insurance. Village Loans.
M. S. RUTHERFORD E. L. MCMILLAN
W Make
A Specialty of
Farm Loans
M. S. RUTHERFORD a CO.
Odd Fellows Building,
Princeton, Minn.
!!4-!!!!!!!!!!*!!4-!'!!-
To My Patrons
And the Public Generally:
I gives me pleasure to announce that I am
now occupying my new store in the
Townsend block, on First street, and that I
am prepared to meet all demands for fine
shoes. The stock is all new and comprises
the best makes in Gentlemen's, Ladies' and
Children's Shoes that can be obtained from
American manufacturers. The variety is
complete in every detail and the prices are
the lowest possible. I respectfully solicit a
continuance of the public patronage, and take
this opportunity to thank my many patrons
for the favors which I have received from
them in the past. Everyone is cordially in
vited to call at my new place of business and
inspect my extensive stock.
Very respectfully,
Solomon Long
!$
4*
a*#a*ejM|t
mi
v**r\t -afiifi