The excerpts from the pamphlet about the trip
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Pamphlet in possession of Rob Lewis |
Schedule of
President
Taft’s
River Trip
From St. Louis to New Orleans, October 25-30
Accompanied by the Governors and the Congressmen, Under the Auspices of the
St. Louis Business Men’s League and the Lakes-to-the Gulf Deep Waterway
Association.
Monday, October 25, 1909.
Arrive St. Louis (Iron Mountain Railroad), 7:27 a.m.
Breakfast as guest of the Commercial Club In St. Louis Club 8:30 a. m.
Address in Coliseum to 15,000 people, 11 a. m.
President introduced by Governor Herbert S. Hadley.
Luncheon, Planters Hotel, as guest of Business Men’s League, 2 p. m. (No
address.)
East St. Louis, dedication of Government building, 4 p.m.
Leave St. Louis at 5 p. m. by the steamboat Oleander.
Dinner at 7 p. m. with the Governors on board the steamboat St.. Paul, as
guest of the Business Men’s League of St. Louis.
Tuesday. October 26. 1909.
Arrive Cape Girardeau 6 a. m. (Distance 120 miles, Average speed 18 miles an
hour.)
Ride in automobile to State Normal School . Address by President. Ceremony of
planting a tree on the campus and return to boat.
Leave Cape Girardeau 7 a. m,
Arrive Cairo, Ill., 12 noon. (Distance is 55 miles, Average speed 11 miles an
hour).
Govemer Deneen Introduces the President, who makes an address,
Leave Cairo 1 p. m.
Arrive at Hickman, Ky., 4 p. m, (Distance 51 miles.
Average speed 11 2-3 miles an hour).
Governor Willson introduces the President, who makes an address.
Leave Hickman 5 p. m.
Wednesday, October 27, 1909.
Arrive Memphis, Tenn, 8 a. m. (Distance, 195 miles, Average speed 13 miles an
hour.
President heads automobile parade to Y. M. C. A. building, which be
dedicates.
Parade goes to Auditorium.
Governor Patterson introduces the President, who
makes
an address.
Leave Memphis 12 noon.
Arrive Helena, Ark., 6 p. m. (Distance 75 miles. Average speed 12½ miles an
hour)
President in automobile escorted by military to Custom-house.
Introduced by Governor Donaghey. Address, and back to boat.
Electric light illuminations on entire way.
Leave Helena 7 p. m.
Dinner with the Congressmen on board the steamboat Quincy, as guest of the
Lakes-to-the-Gulf Deep Waterway Association.
Thursday, October 28, 1909
Arrive Vicksburg, Miss., at 3 p.m. (Distance 295 miles. Average speed
14 3/4 miles an hour.)
President visits the battleground and makes an address. Dinner at 7 p. m. at
the Elks Club.
Leave Vicksburg 10 p. m.
Friday, October 29, 1909.
Arrive Natchez, Miss., 7 a. m. (Distance 100 miles. Average speed 11 1-9
miles anur.)
President is driven through the city and makes an address on the bluff.
Leave Natchez at 9 a. m.
Arrive Baton Rouge, La., 8 p. m. (Distance 133 miles. Average speed 12 1-11
miles an hour.)
President makes an address.
Introduced by Governor Sanders from the balcony of the Federal building.
Leave Baton Rouge 9 p. m.
Saturday, October 30, 1909.
Arrive New Orleans 8 a. m. (Distance 133 miles. Average speed 12 1-11 miles an
hour.)
Lakes-to-the-Gulf Deep Waterway Convention opens at 10 a.m.
Address In Convention Hall, 2:30 p. m.
Sunday, October 31, 1909.
In New Orleans.
Monday, November 1, 1909.
Leave New Orleans (Illinois Central Railroad), 3 a. m.
(Distances from the record of the United States Engineers’ Office and the
Mississippi River Commission.)
DESTINATION OF FLOTILLA
———
The presidential flotilla, escorting William Howard Taft, President of the
United States, is bound for New Orleans where It is due October 30, on which on
will open a convention of the Lakes-to the-Gulf Deep Waterway Association.
The trip downstream is expected to consume five days, and will cover
approximately 1,200 miles. The various delegations and guests are numbered at
2,800 strong.
Details of the trip were arranged by the St. Louis Business Men’s League
and the Lakes-to-the-Gulf Deep Waterway Association, membership in which extends
from Chicago to New Orleans.
The start was made from St. Louis at 5 p.m., Monday, October 25, 1909.
——————
PURPOSE OF THE TRIP.
———
The personally conducted journey of President Taft down the Mississippi River
Is being made to call the personal attention of the President of the United
States, members of Congress, army engineers and levee engineers of the various
interested States to the commercial necessity and possibilities of deepening the
Mississippi River.
It is expected there will be a general "round-up" of the deep
waterway interests this winter, resulting in the passage of an adequate river
and harbor bill that shall contain a paragraph carrying a sufficient
appropriation by Congress to put the building of the deep waterway on a
continuing basis, as the Panama Canal.
"Federal co-operation" Is wanted with the State of Illinois, the
voters of which have authorized a bond issue of $20,000,000 to continue the deep
waterway southward from Joliet, Ill., where it now terminates.
——————
HISTORY OF THE "DEEP WATERWAY."
———
The present deep waterway movement dates from 1905, when United States
Senator Thomas Carter, of Montana, committed the stupendous commercial crime of
killing an entire river and harbor bill by an administration filibuster.
The blow awoke the Mississippi Valley, and from Chicago to New Orleans deep
waterway associations were formed for the purpose of obtaining recognition of
the Mississippi River and its tributaries.
The first convention of the present Deep Waterway Association was held in St.
Louis in 1906. One hundred of the most prominent businessmen of seven States
were sent to Washington and a campaign if publicity was waged. As a result, the
largest appropriation for river improvement in the history of the country went
through that session of Congress.
The slogans have been "River regulation is rate regulation" and
"River improvement will be railroad improvement." Campaigns of river
education are waged unceasingly.
The first convention, held in St. Louis, had 1,100 delegates; Memphis, the
second, had 2,300, representing nineteen States; Chicago last year had on its
roster 3,517 delegates, from forty-four States. It is expected that New Orleans,
holding the fourth convention, will surpass this record.
We find listed on the Steamer Quincy:
STEAMER QUINCY.
——
Captain Maurice Killeen.
——
Carrying Vice President James S. Sherman,
Speaker Joseph Cannon and 177 members of Congress.
Local committees as follows:
Joliet—
Mayor John R. Cronin.
Cliff. W. Jordan, president Commercial
Club of Joliet.
Kansas City—
Walter S. Dickey.
L. M. Jones.
Hon. E. C. Ellis.
Cairo—
Mayor George Parsons.
K. A. Smith, president Commercial Club.
St. Louis—
J. A. Lewis.
Nathan Frank.
Edward L. Preetorius.
C. F. Beardsley.
John L. Messmore.
Paul W. Brown.
Natchez—
James K. Lambert.
Simon Moses.
Lenny Morest.
Cape Girardeau—
Fred Naeter.
W. H. Harrison.
E. F. Regenhardt.
Memphis—
Sidney M. Neely.
W. H. Russe.
Lewis T. Kavanaugh,
James S. Warren.
New Orleans—
City Attorney H. Garland Dupree.
Albert Godchaux.
Judge I. D. Moore, City Attorney.
Vicksburg—
Lee Richardson.
A. L. Fischel.
John A. Hennessey.
Chicago—
T. Edward Wilder.
Elmer H. Adams.
C. N. Kimball.
La Verne W. Noyes, president Illinois
Manufacturers’ Association.
Hon. George B. Swift, former Mayor of Chicago.