The Democratic Whig. [volume] (Columbus, Miss.) 1842-1843, 1843-03-16
OF THE ngISSIS.
SIPPE ANDI.cs TRIBUTARIES.

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SIPPT ANDI'cS TRIBUTARIES.
4 Before she intEoductiOn Of steam nav
cation, (which dates upon The waters I
THE Mississippi about 1871, y the trade q
! The upper Mississippi and Misspukf sea.
Icely existed, and the whole .np,rard com
merce of Now Orleans WAS epnveged i
Il about twenty barges, carrying each abou
one hundred tons, and making but on
trip q year so that each navigation was
n those days, about equivalent ~ wlla
an East India or China voyage now Is
"a the upper Ohio, about 100 kaelh0ai
we're employed. each Of the bandenG o
about 80 tons, and making the trip Il
tand fro, Of Pi.tsbuFg and Louisville nbou
three times q year. The entirHs fOnag.
(of the boats moving in the Ohio and low
or Mississippi, was then about $500
tons. In 1924, the steam navigation O
the Mississippi had risen to $50 boats, and
q tonnage of S9, 900, while about 90, 0OC
persons were estimated to be employed
in the trade, either as crews, builders
woodcutters, or leaders Of the vessels. In
Is42, the navigation was as foHows I:
There were $50 steamers averaging
each 200 ions, and making an ag-
regate tonnage Of 30, COG so that il has
la good deal more than doubled in eight
years. Valued at $50 the ton, they cost
above o.. OO0, 900, and are navigatcd by
lEnesrly Il, 900 persons, at thirty five to
Eeach.--Bes,des these steamers, there are
about 1000 fat6oaIs, which cost each
SOS; are managed by hands apiece,
Tor 10000 persons,) and make an
annual expense Of 81 $3.50, 900, The es-
timated annual expense of the steam navi.
CATION, including Is per cent. for insur>
ance, and 20 per cent. for wear and tear,
is $l3,6ls, 900. If in 1884 they employ.
ed an aggregate Of 10000 persons, they
must now occupy at least 10000.
The boats ever in motion when the state
ofthe waters in which they ply permits,
probably average each some twenty trips
in the year. Those running from New
OIleans to the more distant points Of the
the river, make from eight to fifteen trips
in the year while those carrying the
great trade from Pittsburg, Cincinnati,
and Louisville TO ST. Louis, perform some
thirty annual trips. Others run between
voyages. But al twenty each, and carry
ing burdens far beyond their measure
ment Of tonnage, their collective annual
feght would be l 200, 900 tons; to which
if that eff 4, 900 flalboais leach rs tonsl be
added, we have a total freight, for the en-
tire annual navigation of The Mississippi,
of about 100000 of tons. The COM
merce which they convey tomitiing .4he |
great number of passengers whom they
wait in some 5000 trips) is Of two sorts /!
that Of the export trade 10 New Orleans, |
and that of supply of interchange between
the different regions lying on the Missis- |
sippi AMI its tributaries. The latter is |
well ascertained to be considerably grea. |
Ter, as naturally happens in the internal
rade of all wide and commercial coun-
.ries, whose dealings with foreign lands
never fail 10 fall far short Of their exchan.
yes with each other. The statistics col.
ected at the two main points where the
best means of information can be COM
handed (St' Louis and c iDcinnati,I est.
mated this internal traffic ofthe productions
,fthe country itself, at not less than SO,
DOC, 0OO annually while those commodi-
les shipped &c New Orleans for exporta-
ion, are found TO be fifty millions moro.
The downward trade may thus be stated
II $120,0OO,OOO the upward, or return
rade Of foreign goods, or of those brought
lp tho river from other parts Of the Union
5 reckoned atabout 81 1000, 1000. Thus
he entire amount of commodities con.
eyed upon the waters of the Mississippi
Ices not, upon the best estimates, fall
hort of 220,00O,0 900 annually: which is
'ut 5000, 900 less than the entire value
f The foreign trade OF the United States
Exports and imports in Is4l.
A committee Of the Senate ofthe Uai.
ed States, from whose report the foregU. {
ng statements are extracted estimate as
ecessary on the part of the National Z
an Original outlay Of mil
on of dollars to remove the fixed OBJ.
10 the safe navigation Of the |
and its principal tributaries, s
iter which, the annual expense of few a
will suffice to keep down the !
occidental impediments 10 the navigation,
nd Hender but occasionalthe losses which
re nov SO enormots. and so continual.
The committee have but space to touch
pom the importance Of those wide com.
lunications TO two other branches of the /;
ubIic suryice. The Post Ooffice Depart.
rent, to.-which Il aff1rds OYER great and
usy regions, the most rapid, The cheapest
nd The sufest mode ofconveyance Of the
iail !; and the military arm or the Gov
rnMent, to which, Ia case Of foreign war
must be- tho great reliance for the col
,cting and transportation of troops and ,
lunilions of war.--N. Y. Tribune.
Nrw METHOD or GRowrNG AsRARAEUs--It
he editor Of the Horticultural Magazine re- {
q trial OF the following method ofI