The Democratic Whig. [volume] (Columbus, Miss.) 1842-1843, 1843-03-16
NAVIGATION OF TIE hIsSIs.
slPPI AND rrs TRInUTARIEs.

:.
/. ention, (which dates upon tbs wtiors 0
; tho Mississippi about 1917, The ipde o
the upper Mississippi and Mlson'l scar
esly existed, and he whole upward com
mefco Of New orleans was conveyed Il
about twenty barges, carrying oachabOu
one hundred tons, and making bu. one
trip year 80 hat each navigation was
: n those days, about equivalent y whal
an East India or a China voyage now Is,
% the upper Ohio, about $50 koelboais
were employed. each Of the burden Of
about so tans, and making DE TIP 10
and 70, Of PiltsbUrg and Louisville, about
three times year The cntire lonage
/ Of the boats moving in the Ohio and low.
or Mississippi, was then about $500
tons. In 1924, the steam navigation Of
the Mississippi had risen 10 ESQ boais, and
tonage Of $4,000, while about 10000
persons were estimated To Be employed
10 the trade, either as crews, builders,
woodcuners, or leaders OF the vessels. ~
1912, the navigation was as foHows /;
There were $50 steamers averaging
each 400 tons, and making an ag.
regale tonnage Of 10000 50 that i has
good deal more Than doubled 10 eight
years. Va!uedA $50 the ton, they cost
above $1,000, 600, and are navigOlcd BY
nesrly $4,000 persons, 1t Ihiuy.fve 10
each. --Besides these steamers, there are
about 1000 hatSoals, which cost each
Sos; are managed by 5 hands apiece,
Tor 10000 persons,) and make an
annual expense Of 81 100000, The es-
timated annual expense oflhe steam naH.
cation, including IS per cent. for insur,
0nce, and 30 per cent. for wear and tear,
is sI3,6ls,O 900. lin 1884 they employ.
ed an aggregate Of 00,O00 persons, they
must now occupy at least 10000.
The boats ever 10 motion Nhen lho state
Ofths waters in which they ply permits,
probably average each some twenty trips
in the year. Those running from New
0ileans to the more distant points Of the
the river, make from eight to fifteen trips
ia the year while those carrying the
great trade from Pitisburg, Cincinnati,
and Louisville TO ST. Louis, perform some
thirty annual trips. Others run between
still nearer ports, and make moro frequent
voyages. But al twenty each, and carry.
ing burdens fur beyond their measure
ment OF tonnage, their collective annual
f. ght would be l, 100000 tons; 10 which
flhat sf4, 900 faiboals leach rs ions) be
added, we have total freight, forthe en-.
tire annual navigation Of the Mississippi,
ofabout 100000 Of tons. The COM
merce which they convey (omiitng the
great number Of passengers whom they
Waft in some 5000 irips) is Of two sorts
that Of the export trade 70 New Orleans,
and that OF supply Of interchange between
the different regions lying on the Misss.
sippi AMI its tributaries. The latter is
well asceHained 10 DO considerably grea.
ter, as naturally happens in the internal
trade Of all wide and commercial coun.
tries, whose dealings with foreign lands
never fail 10 fall far short Of their exchan.
ges with each other. The statistics col.
lected at the two main points where the
best means Of information can DO COM
manded (St. Louis and c iDcianati,) esti. |
mated this internal traffic Of the productions
ofthe country itself, at not less than $40, !
100000 annually while those commodi- |
ties shipped to New Orleans for exporta-
ton, are found to be fifty millions more. |
The downward trade may thus DO stated |
at 9l20,O00,0OO the upward, or return |
trade Of foreign goods, Gr0f those brought |
up tho river from other parts Of iheUniOn
is Feckoned Of about 500, 900, 600. Thus
the entire amount Of commodities con.
veyed upon the waters Of the Mississippi |
does not, upoa the best estimates, fall |
short of22O,O0O,O0O annually which is
but 30,000,00 less than the entire value |
Of The foreign trade Of the United States
exports and imports IN 1871.
A committee Of the Senate orthe Uai. |
ted States, from whose report the foreg0-
ing statements are extracted estimate as
necessary on the part Of the National
Government an Original outlay Of a nil
lion Of dollars TO remove the fixed oh.
structions 10 the safe navigation of the
Mississippi and its principal tributaries,
after which, the anual expense Of a few
will suffice to keep down the
occidental impediments 10 the navigation,
aud render bot occasional the Losses which
are HoW 50 enormods, and so continual.
The committee have but space 10 touch
upon the importance Of those wide COM
municalions to two other branches Of the
public suryice. The Post Ooffice Depart. i
ment, lo'. (which i aff1rds over great and
busy regions, the most rapid, he cheapest
and The sufest mode ofconveyance Of the
mail and the military arm Of The Gov.
ernaent, to which, 10 case Of foreign war
]. must be the great reliance fOr the col
Letting and transportation Of troops and |
Of War.--N. Y. Tribune.
NEw METHOD OF GRowrrss AsPARAeus.-
The editor Of the Horticultural Magazine re-
eommendS a trial OF The following method Of
growing Asparagus which IS ptactsed Al /