USA > Missouri > Jackson County > The History of Jackson county, Missouri, containing a history of the county, its cities, towns, etc., biographical sketches of its citizens, Jackson county in the late warhistory of Missouri, map of Jackson county > Part 69
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I believe that if they understand their permanent interests aright, the exist- ing railroads will favor the proposition to re-organize the river transportation, so as to reduce its cost to a minimum. They may thereby lose a little tonnage for a time, but their permanent interests are that the trans-Missouri country shall be set- tled and profitably farmed, and that the industry of the people shall be organized and directed in the best manner. No permanent prosperity for the railroads can be established at the expense of the country, its wealth and well-being must pre- cede and form the basis for the success of its transportation lines. Already there is a preposterous amount of carrying back and to, and the road with which I am connected alone, has shipped to St. Louis, during the past season, many car loads of wheat, which it is now bringing back in the shape of flour at the rate of two or three cars a week.
It is a significant fact that no railroad in Illinois has as yet paid permanent
507
HISTORY OF KANSAS CITY.
dividends, save those which terminate upon the great lakes. I might almost say that none but those which terminate in Chicago have achieved great success. I can think of no explanation for this fact, save that these alone have been enabled to avail of the cheap water transportation of the lakes, and carry forward the bulkier products of the soil to be emptied into the vessels.
In answer to the questions which you more particularly ask, I would say :
Ist. " Can a barge line be successfully operated on the Missouri River from this city to St. Louis ?"
I think decidedly yes, although I believe such is not the opinion of many men who have spent their lives in navigating the river. Much, very much, it seems to me, depends upon how the experiment is inaugurated, and the class of boats and barges which are first put on. A first failure often does more to retard or defeat a worthy project than any intrinsic difficulties in the undertaking.
2d. " What should be the character and cost of the vessels?"
As I have had no practical experience of the navigation of the Missouri River, my ideas on this point are necessarily somewhat theoretical and crude. I give them to you for what they are worth, but I would urge that before being adopted, and indeed before any of your plans are carried into execution, the whole should be submitted to the better judgment of old river captains and pilots, and such other experienced persons as are not prejudiced against the experiment.
The steamboat should, I think, have great surplus power, for use in time of flood against the stream. It should have no passenger accomodation, except for the smallest crew with which it would be safe to handle it. It should be low above the water, and expose as little surface as possible to the wind. The wheels I would put well aft, and I am by no means sure that a screw propeller would not be much the best, as giving a more useful application of the power, and avoiding all trouble from drift-wood. It ought to be supplied with powerful movable spar machinery, which could be transported at once to any barge which might get aground, and power transmitted to it through adjustable sheives and blocks pref- erably with wire ropes. The boat might also be provided with anchor beams, to hold it at once, should one of the barges get aground, or strike a snag, and the lashings between them should be so arranged that no harm would result to the remainder of the tow, in going down stream, when the force of the current would tend to cause it to swing around upon the damaged barge as a pivot.
I am not clear whether high or low pressure of steam would be preferable. I think the former, working steam at 120 to 160 pounds to the inch pressure, and arranged with a variable cut off and expansion gear. I believe there would be an advantage in a high piston speed, and this could best be applied to a screw propeller. The steam chest and cylinders should be thoroughly jacketed and protected. I would burn coal exclusively ; and to save time, have chutes pro- vided at convenient points on the river, from which the coal, stored upon a slope, could run down by gravity upon the boat, on the removal of a tail board.
Such a boat as I have described, with capacity for towing six barges, carry- ing two hundred and fifty tons each, would probably cost about $20,000 on a wooden hull, and about $25,000 on an iron hull. The latter would probably be the best in the long run, but as mistakes might be made, requiring some changes in the construction, I believe I would begin with wood.
The barges should, I think, be of iron, divided into compartments by water- tight bulkheads, and stiffened with internal bracing and ribs of wood. The latter I believe important to prevent distortions in case of strain or accident. The ad- vantages of the iron may be briefly stated to be :
First, Comparative immunity from destruction and sinking by running over snags, etc.
Second, The damaging the cargo in none but the injured compartment. Third, Facility for repairs.
508
HISTORY OF KANSAS CITY.
Fourth, Greater durability ; the life of the barge being probably increased to thirty years, instead of six or seven, as now.
Fifth, Exemption from water-soaking, and decreasing carrying capacity.
Sixth, Greater value of the old materials when worn out.
These advantages would in my judgment more than counterbalance the in- creased cost of iron over wood and greater interest charge. So great do I con- sider them to be, that I would recommend that at first the company should be their own insurers, until their experience should settle what would be a reasonable rate of premium.
In order to divide up the load and permit the doubling up around any swift bend of the river, in times of flood, I believe a smaller class of barges than those in use on the Mississippi should be adopted. I am inclined to recommend that they be about 100 feet long and 24 to 26 feet beam, drawing not more than eigh- teen inches light, and carrying 250 tons on a draught of six feet, which would give about 130 tons on a draught of four feet They should be "model barges" and not flat-bottom scows, in order to offer the least resistance in towing up stream, and in my estimate of cost, I have assumed them be built of one-fourth inch boiler plate. The decks and inner furring might be of wood and they must be arranged by all means so as to carry deck loads, protected by tarpaulins, in case of need : They must be arranged so as to carry grain in bulk, and to be easily loaded and unloaded by machinery. Success will depend greatly upon doing away with hand labor.
I estimate the cost to be about $5,000 per barge, and would advise the begin- ning with six, with ample facilities for loading or unloading at either end, so as to detain the steamboat as little as possible.
The best manner of making up the tows would have to be ascertained by experience. Whether the barges should be abreast, or somewhat forward, or back of the tow boat, or a number of them grouped to occupy all these positions, I cannot tell. I would begin with two, then try four, and finally experiment with six, but, as already hinted, the lashings should be carefully considered, and so arranged that while they can be released instantly, they will be sure to do their duty when required for hard service.
The best mode of working the line would also have to be tested by experi- ence. The experiment clearly will be made upon through freights, and in the in- terest perhaps of a single city, but if it succeeds each town bordering the river will have its own barge, which will be leisurely loaded during the week, to be upon a specified day taken in tow by the steamboat, which is to take it to market, there to be unloaded and reloaded by machinery and sent back with such com- modities as the tributary country requires.
Partly with this in mind, and in order to meet the unforeseen contingencies sure to arise, the working capital should be made ample, and a good surplus pro- vided. The estimate is as follows :
I steam tow-boat, wooden hull. $20,000
6 iron barges at $5,000. . 30,000
Landings and machinery at termini. 5,000
Contingencies. 10,000
Working capital
25,000
Total
$90,000
If we assume your city as an initial point, we find that it is but roo miles further by water from New Orleans than Chicago is from New York, while you are nearer New Orleans than Alton is from New York. I take the following fig- ures from Humphreys & Abbott's report on the Mississippi River :
509
HISTORY OF KANSAS CITY.
Mouth of Kaw to St. Louis by river . 392 miles St. Louis to New Orleans by river . 1149 "
Total . . 1541 miles And by the above table :
Chicago to Buffalo by lake. . ยท 950 miles
Buffalo to Albany by canal.
350 12
Albany to New York by river
151
Total
145112 miles
Difference .
8972 miles
There remains, however, in addition against you, the great disadvantage of the effect of tropical climates upon certain cereals in transit, and these may re- quired to be kiln-dried, to fit them for exportation. The southern local consump- tion, however, can perfectly well be supplied.
I regret that I have no data at hand, later than those for 1853, of the cost of ocean transportation from various ports; they were then as follows :
TABLE OF OCEAN CHARGES FOR THREE YEARS PRECEDING 1853, FROM VARIOUS AMERICAN PORTS
To LIVERPOOL.
To HAVRE.
To HAVANA.
To RIO JANEIRO.
FROM.
Miles.
Voy- age.
Per mile.
Miles.
Voy- age.
Per mile.
Miles.
Voy- | age.
Per mile.
Voy- age.
Per mile.
mills
mills
mills
milis
Quebec
2910,$11 00
3.75
313C
Boston .
3020
5 25
1.74
3000
$5 00
1.6
1960 1480
$4 00
2.70
6010 5310
$4 00
' 0. 75
New York .
3150
5 00
1.60
3318
4 50
1.35
1250
3 00
2.40
5240
4 00
0.76
Philadelphia
3295
5 50
1.70
3385|
5 00
1.47
1220
4 00
3.27
5000
5 00
1.00
Baltimore
3530
5 75
1.60
3620
6 00
1.65
1215
5 00
4.11
5000
6 00
1.20
Richmond.
3395
6 00
1.70
3485
6 00
1.72
1170
5 50
4.70
5000
6 00
1 20
New Orleans.
4755
7 50
1.60
4845
7 50
1.54
595
4 00
6.72
6555
7 00
1.06
.
NOTE,-The rates of freight to Rio Janeiro are proportionately low, because the return freights are generally good.
As there is now a barge line in successful operation between St. Louis and . New Orleans, I suppose it will be your purpose to connect with that, rather than to attempt for the present to extend as far as New Orleans, the rather as the suc- cessful navigation of the Missouri River, will probably require a somewhat dif- ferent class of boats and barges than that of the Mississippi.
It will be noticed that in the table given by Mr. McAlpine, the cost of trans- portation on the Mississippi River, is stated to be three mills per ton per mile, and on its tributaries at five to ten mills per ton per mile. This I understand to be the prime cost, and it is undoubtedly high on account of the wasteful methods hitherto practiced on those rivers, and the considerable extra expense entailed by the accommodation of the passenger traffic on the same boats.
Without having investigated the subject as thoroughly as I could wish, and made as many calculations as I would have done had I fuller data at hand, I am inclined to estimate the prime cost of barge transportation on the Missouri River at one quarter (14) of a cent per ton per mile down stream, and about double, or one-half (12) a cent per ton a mile up stream.
It is very likely that even this would require to be enlarged in a short time, to insure the success of the undertaking. If it succeeds, as I believe it can, it will yield handsome returns upon many times the above investment.
Pardon me, gentlemen, for inflicting so long, and I greatly fear, so tiresome a letter upon you. It has been written hurriedly, using such materials as chanced
PER TON.
PER TON.
PER TON.
PER TON.
Miles.
510
HISTORY OF KANSAS CITY.
to be most convenient at hand, and has grown to its present great length in con- sequence of the great interest I take in any proposal to reduce the cost of taking to market the produce of our Kansas farmers, and the conviction that I entertain, that under the circumstances existing at present, they will find it difficult to make their operations profitable. I am, very respectfully,
O. CHANUTE
Capt. Eads soon afterward wrote the promised letter, in which he took strong ground in favor of the feasibility of barge navigation on the Missouri, but urged that some improvement of the river would be necessary to insure its success.
Thus supported by the opinions of eminent engineers, the Journal continued its agitations of the enterpise, yet singular as it may now appear, met with the opposition of every other Kansas City paper and of the united St. Louis press, by whom the "old river captains" were quoted as ridiculing the idea. Undaunted, however, the Journal continued its agitation, though it was not able to bring about any movement looking to the realization of its idea until the following year.
THE CITY DIVIDED INTO SIX WARDS.
On the 20th of February, 1872, the Missouri Legislature so amended the charter of the city as to divide it into six wards. The first ward by this enact- ment embraced all that part of the city between the river and Ninth street and east of Walnut street; the second all that part of the city between the river and tenth street and between Walnut street on the east, and Lincoln and Bluff streets and a line from the junction of Bluff and Fifth streets north to the river. The third ward was all between Ninth and Fourteenth streets east of Walnut. The fourth ward was all south of Fourteenth street and east of Walnut. The fifth ward was all south of Tenth street and west of Walnut to Lincoln and Dripp streets. The sixth ward was all west of Dripp, Lincoln and Bluff streets, north to the river.
OTHER MATTERS.
The principal other matters that interested the city during the year 1872, were as follows: An effort was made early in the year, to induce the railroads centering here, to erect a union passenger depot. The building that was being used for that purpose was a small wooden structure, on the site of the present elegant building, which had been erected by the Hannibal & St. Joseph Railroad on its first entrance into the city. As an encouragement to the railroads, a prop- osition to exempt such a depot from taxation for fifteen years, was submitted to the people at the spring election, but it was unfortunately defeated.
The city and the Board of Trade during this year were most interested in the adjustment of the difficulties which had arisen between the county authori- ties and the Memphis Railroad. At one time an effort was made to secure a transfer of the subscription of $450,000 to the Louisiania Railroad, to the Toledo, Wabash & Western, which proposed that if sufficient aid was given it, that it would extend a line direct to this city, by the way of Moberly, Mo. An effort was also made to secure the building of a road between Ottawa, Kansas, and Emporia, and between Ottawa and Burlington. The former of these last two ef- forts was unsuccessful, but the latter finally succeeded, mainly through the efforts of W. H. Schofield, Esq., who was the president of the company. This road is now known as the Kansas City, Burlington & Santa Fe, and is operated in con- nection with the Kansas City, Lawrence & Southern Railroad.
CITY ADDITIONS.
The plotted part of the city was enlarged during the years covered by this chapter by the following additions :
511
HISTORY OF KANSAS CITY.
April 4, 1870-J. C. Merine's Sub di- vision.
April 7,'70 -Wm. Toms' Sub-division. April 8, '70-Munford & Fancher's Addition.
July 9, '70-Balis' Addition.
July 23, '70-Balis' Sub-division.
August 18, '70-Matthew & Hill's Addition.
September 10, '70-M. M. Evans' Addition.
September 14, '70-Pratt's Addition.
October 21, '70-Payne's Addition.
November 2, '70-Jarboe's Addition. November, 8, '70-German Building Association Sub-division.
July 10, '71-M. M. Evans Resurvey March 21, '71-East Cottage Place Addition.
May 2, '71-Quest's Addition.
May 20, '71-John Meyers' Sub-di- vision.
June 2, '71-Mulkey's Second Ad- dition.
October 4, '71-Tracy's Sub-division. October 24, '71-Jaudon's Addition. December 16, '71-M. J. Payne's Sub-division.
January 4, '72-Prospect Place.
February 3, '72-John Johnson's Sub- division.
May 6, '72-Continuation of Smart's Third Addition.
June 24, '72-Sub-division of Blocks in West Kansas Addition No. 1.
July 13, '72-Union Place Addition. July 19, '72-Victorie's Addition.
October 24, '72-Bouton Park Addi- tion.
November 9, 272-German Building Association Sub-division.
November 25, '72-Campbell Block Sub division.
UNION ELEVATOR
512
HISTORY OF KANSAS CITY.
CHAPTER XIII.
THE PROGRESS OF 1873 TO 1876.
Street Railroads-Barge Line Agitation-The Panic of 1873-Efforts to get the Indian Territory Opened to Settlement-Efforts for Transportation Improvements-The Mail Delivery-The Securing of the Atchion, Topeka & Santa Fe and the Missouri, Kansas & Texas Railroads . -How the Latter was Done-The Grasshopper Plague-The Revision of the City Charter- Efforts to Secure a Mint-The Re-organization of the Board of Trade and Erection of the Exchange Building.
But little real progress was made by Kansas City during the year 1873. The depression preceding the panic of that year had already begun to affect public enterprise throughout the country, and Kansas City suffered in common with all other places. The population by this time had increased, by the estimates of the Directory to 40,740, being but a few hundred more than in 1872. There was little improvement or building of any kind, and every movement looking to the advancement of existing enterprises or the addition of new ones felt the weight of the national depression. However, the spirit of the people was such that they still struggled to secure the improvements of a public nature that they felt the city most needed. There was much discussion of the water works matter, and in the early part of the year an attempt was made to form a company to build works. There was also an effort to secure the union of interest between the Kansas City, Wyandott & Northwestern Narrow Gauge Railroad, which had now been turned to the eastward toward Lexington, and the Keokuk & Kansas City Company, which was proposing to build a road to this city from Keokuk, but it failed. There was also an effort to inaugurate a railroad from Kansas City northward toward Chariton, Iowa. The importance of an extensive white lead manufactory was also much discussed and investigated by a committee of the Board of Trade.
STREET RAILROADS AGAIN.
Early in this year the Jackson County Horse Railroad Company was organ- ized, and proposed to build a street railroad from the corner of Fourth and Main streets by Fourth street to Wyandotte street, thence to Fifth street, thence by Fifth and Bluff streets and Union Avenue and Mulberry, thence north to Ninth street, and thence by Ninth street to the State Line, to connect with a company that had been organized in Wyandotte. It proposed another line from the corner of Fourth and Main street by the way of Fourth and Walnut to Fifth, thence by Fifth to Grand avenue, thence to Independence avenue, thence to Forest avenue, and thence southward to Twelfth street.
About the same time there was organized the Union Depot Company. Its line was to run from the Exposition grounds on Twelfth street to Grand avenue, thence to Eleventh street, thence to Main street, thence to the junction of Main and Delaware, thence down Delaware to Fifth, and thence to Walnut. Another part of the line was to start from Sixth and Delaware, and run along Sixth to Broadway, thence to Fifth, thence down Bluff and Union avenues to the Kansas stock yards. Part of this line was built in 1873 and at the same time the wes- tern part of the Jackson county line, and in connection with it the Broadway line from Fifth to Twelfth street. The next year the depot line had some trouble of a financial character, and was sold, when it was bought in by the proprietors of the Jackson county line, and both roads were put under one management, and not long thereafter the Westport road passed into the same management. Since
513
HISTORY OF KANSAS CITY.
the consolidation of the Jackson county and Depot lines, the latter name has been dropped and that part of the line on Sixth street abandoned and taken up. It is now operated as a double track road from Broadway to Hickory street, and the Delaware and Twelfth street, and Independence and Forest avenue part of the line is operated as a circuit.
THE BARGE LINE AGITATION OF 1873.
With the beginning of the year 1873 there was a more determined effort made to secure the establishment of barge navigation of the Missouri River. It was proposed now to make an effort to have this matter tested practically, and to that end the Board of Trade appointed a committee to ascertain if barges could be had, and, if so, what guaranty would be required. This committee corres- ponded with the Mississippi Valley Transportation Company, of St. Louis, then the only party on the western rivers using barges, but got little satisfaction from them. However it was determined to raise a guarantee fund of five thousand dollars, and the money was subscribed.
While these events were transpiring the people of St. Louis were arranging for a convention of western Congressmen in that city, the object of which was to awaken a more general interest among them in the improvement of western rivers, and especially the Mississippi. This convention was held May 13th, and the Kansas City Board of Trade was invited to send delegates to attend it. The Board accordingly appointed as such delegates, Col. R. T. Van Horn, Col. James E. Marsh and Hon. H. J. Latshaw. Col. Van Horn could not attend and so appointed as his substitute the commercial editor of the Journal, of which he was editor. This gentleman had a personal acquaintance with Charles Davis, then editor of the St. Louis Globe, a new and very enterprising paper which as yet had no record on the question of Barge Navigation of the Missouri River. During the three days he remained in St. Louis, in attendance at the convention, he furnished Mr. Davis with three editorial articles on Barge Transportation on the Missouri from a St. Louis point of view, strongly favoring it as a St Louis enterprise. The other St. Louis papers which the year before had ridiculed the idea, now indorsed it. The "Old River Captains" were quoted in its favor, and singular as it may seem the Kansas City papers which the year before had opposed it as chimerical republished all these articles from the Globe approv- ingly, and urged the movement already on foot to secure a practical test. Soon afterward the Board of Trade committee was able to make a contract with the Mississippi Valley Transportation Company, to make the trial trip on a guaranty of $2, 700. It was now a very unfavorable season of the year. There was little grain, which it was proposed to load the barges with, remaining in the country, and the water was getting low. By the time all these difficulties could be over- come, and a load of grain secured, it was found that proper insurance to protect the grain, could not be had and its owners would have to take the risk them- selves. This led to an abandonment of the effort.
THE PANIC OF 1873-
Mention has been made in several places in this chapter of the financial panic of 1873. It is not necessary here to discuss the causes that led to that event further than to remark that it was the result of the inflated condition of prices which had prevailed since the war, and a most unwise contraction of the national currency by the action of the Secretary of the Treasury. It was precip- itated in September by the failure of the banking house of Jay Cooke & Co., of Philadelphia, and immediately spread to all parts of the country, causing a sud- den suspension of nearly every bank in the land, and the collapse of prices to an equality with the contracted volume of the currency. The banks in Kansas City suspended payment on the 25th of September, and for a time nearly stopped all
33
WH
WHO
ES
& FURNISHING GOODS,
IR
GOODS.
SIM
OTLE HANN
& C
IM HANNA. CHITTENDEN & CO
415
R'ISFY. MILLETT-HUDSCN.K &N P# 147
TOOTLE, HANNA & CO.'S WHOLESALE BUILDING, KANSAS CITY, MO.
515
HISTORY OF KANSAS CITY.
business by the locking up of the funds of their customers. This action of the banks, however, was rendered necessary by the suspension of their correspond- ents east. At that season of the year the movement of currency was to the west, and for them to have continued would have resulted only in paying out what cur- rency they had on hand, which would have been done in a day or two, when they would inevitably'have gone into bankruptcy. The merchants held a meeting at the Board of Trade that day and adopted resolutions approving of the course taken by the banks, and pledging them their cordial support in whatever efforts they might adopt to remedy the difficulty. In a few days new accounts were opened by the banks with their customers, and new checks were paid from the new deposits, the banks promising to pay old deposits as speedily as possible. This arrangement was acquiesced in by the people, and soon business was re- sumed, though on a much restricted scale.
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