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Show OLD RIVER VOATS POTTO WORK ST. LOUIS, Mo., Aug. 13. Steamboats Steam-boats that during the days of Mark Twain and since have plied the Mississippi, Miss-issippi, performing perfunctory duties not at all commensurate with the river's riv-er's possibilities, are to be put to work to help win the war and will be augmented by boats of modern type; by barges and towboats powerfully propelled and modernly equipped, capable ca-pable of greatly relieving the heavy transportation burdens of the railroads. rail-roads. A fleet of freight-carrying boats running between New Orleans and St. Louis and on up the river as necessity demands, has been designed and the federal government has backed tho project with millions of dollars. The Mississippi Valley Waterways association, asso-ciation, representing varied Interests throughout the valley, is exercising general supervision of the project. Revival of river traffic on a large scale was suggested months ago when freight congestion on the railroads became acute. Business men began to wonder why the broad expanse of the Mississippi could not be used to transport trans-port their freight expeditiously and the idea took form in an application to the government for financial assistance assist-ance to build and maintain a river fleet. The government appropriated $8,000,000 to bo expended between St. Louis nnd New Orleans and$3,600,-000 and$3,600,-000 to bo used on the upper Mississippi, Mississip-pi, between St. Louis and Minncapo- |