The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1848-01-14
From the Rcveille.
Western Commerce, It's Progress,

VVotCih NOHlWcTcesl us frOEfcSSs
The rapid growth of commerce in the
valley ofth Mississippi within the last five
years IS unprecedented in the history of the
world. From wilderness, comparatively
speaking, the broad west has been transfer
med into the seat of agriculture, arts, and
commerce, and now, population, industry
and wealth are to be found where but re-
Gently the VOLTS howl, or, at least, the rifle
or axe OF the pioneer, broke the deep silence
that pervaded the land. American enter
prise has brought this wonderful change.
and whoever has watched lis progress, or
regarded the mighty results it has already
effected, may, without unreasonable conf
dence, look forward TO the period when it
shall have made this, our favored home the
seat of empire of a nation which shall COM
mand the admiration, if not the awe Of the
peopled earth.
Indicative Of tho inherent wealth Of a
country is its internal commerce, for this
cannot exist without industry among the
people, the products Of labor furnishing the
means OF traffic. Agriculture and the arts
may exist and be cultivated to the extent of
peoples wants, but without a surplus of
the products of these, wealth cannot accu-
mulate. In the ratio Of this surplus does
commerce spring up, and by the extent of
that commerce have we the true criterion
by which 10 judge Of the rate of prosperity
which marks the progress Of a people,.
With view of giving an idea Of the
march OF commerce in this region, We have
been at some pains to compare the receipts
at this port, for the five years just termna-
ted, OF the principal products Of the country,
and it will lie perceived that in regard TO
nearly every one the increase has been far
greater than the most sanguine mind could
reasonably have imagined. A comparison
OF this kind is serviceablc, as showing the
relative importance of particular staples, as,
OF course, those articles which have increa-
sed in the greater ratio, have been those for
which the demand was greatest, the great
er being the demand, the greater the atten-
ton paid to their production.
The unrivalled capacity of the west for
the production of breadstuifs, has made it
the point 10 which many sections Of our
own country, as well as much of Europe,
look for supplies of this kind. 1t has been
but few years since ST. Louis, MS well as
many small towns above, on the Mississip-
pi and Missouri, looked to the Ohio river
for their supplies of flour. The writer well
rocollects the doubt with which an effort
was regarded, about dozen years ago, to
establishing Touring mill at a small town
on the Missouri, with view to supplying,
in, part, this market; and the forebodinC
that though the mill might be erected, the
grain would not be so readily forthcoming
to keepit in operation. That very mill Is
now one ofseveral hundreds, each Of which
runs on an average one hundred and forty
hours per week. apd ceaselessly during that
our bountiful prairies.
In 1913 the receipts of -four at this place,
all sources included. we've but 81 .4SO bbls.
We have no means ofdeterlnining the guam
tity of the same period ground at our city
mills, but we think the inference safe one,
that were the latter amount added to that
imported, the aggregate would be little
more than was required fer city tonshmp-
ton. Now, however, with city mill pro-
duction Of some 100000 bbls. per annum,
we have an aggregate Of receipt, per river
alone, Of 43i OF bbls., the latter being the
receipts Of 1897, which is more than five
times the amount received IN 1913.
In like manner have the receipts ofgrain
increased. Ofwheat there were received
in 1919 about 100000 bushen. The sum
totaii for 1877 is 3.34B, SA bushels. Receipts
of corn in lS43 were SLIGO: in 1877 they
amounted 10 1882 bushels.
Few articles Of western produce, offer
greater inducements to the agrcul,urast
than hemp. 1t IS true, there has been much
liuctuation in the price Of the staple within a
few years past, and this has exerted some
influence over the production of particular
years, but the heavy crop of last year, and
the Unprecedented high rates which ruled
notwithstanding the abundance, clearly in.
dictate that markets have opened for the ar
ticle which must give an impetus TO the
growth, greater than has heretofore been
known. The failure Of a process at water.
rotting, q few years ago, for time rcpress.
ed the effort ofthe Farmerin hemp growihg
but since the successful experiments of the
American Hemp Company of Illinois, who
prepare an article Of rotted hemp far better
in every respect than the best imported,
there can cXistno longer an objection to ma.
king this valuable staple one ofthe princi
pal products of the soil. Receipts of hemp
at this port in 1913 were 1888 bales; in
1917 they amounted to 81 ,525 bales. Dew.
rotted during the year has ranged from 500
to Sl20 pertcn, while for the preceding five
years it was frequently as low as $35 per
ton.
We find ourselves unable, in a single
number ofour paper to do full justice TO this
subject. We shall refer TO it in day or
two.
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