The miners' express. (Dubuque, Iowa) 1849-1854, 1849-12-05

st. Louis, Il Market for Produce.

| SS' Aouis, 4 MARKET 1oT Produce.
To the Editor Of The Miners Express:
SIR-ln former letter l endeavored to give
you an idea of how the produce market is con.
Quoted in st. Louis-but more particularly at the
celebrated "AE1er's Exchange"
With your permission, l will take close view
OF the subject--one that seems to me to be en-
veloped with no small share eff mystery, and
may add, deception.
In the fist place, the quotations of the St.
Louis market are well calculated to mislead. if
not deceive You see wheat quoted at 93c. per
bushel, to all prices below that-say sac, leaving
a range of 49c. for the purchaser to run on. Ap-
parently, there is nothing unfair in this and
yet no lottery could devise a scheme better cal
culated to create favorable impression on slight
grounds. We often prize of a large amount
advertised in lottery scheme as a tempta-
ton to buy tickets, but how seldom do we
hear Of any body getting it. So it is with the
| top price of wheat in St. Louis; who gets it :
But it is important it should be quoted, to induce
the farmer to 'thrash,' and the merchant to
ship. This is what | call deception.
1t is not the quality of the article that guides
the purchaser, but how low he can Get it. This
is, to some extent, cxcusablc between two indi-
vlduals; but when an association, or community
conspire, as | am satisfied is done in St. Louis
for the purpose of getting an article at a certain
price, it becomes an injustice.
In the second placc-as relates to flour; and
px,hc how, i 81,
that there are two qualities of superior flour
iii1'i"t"et'-rad in st. Louis, and DESIGNATED LIST
and I'd quality, City Mills. I inns e,,->4 o1ol;t v
of city-mll flour, manufactured out of an article
OF wheat averaging Csc, or at most 7Oc
per bushel, is made the criterion by which the
very best country made -four is adjudeed--and
not only that, but the data. on which the highest
price paid for wheat is hypothccatcd! There is
certainly an injustice to country millcrs in
this, who, in most, if not all cases, buy the best
wheat in the country, whilst they are contcndine
against an article of flour manufactured from al
most the worst. Such is the monopoly ST. Louis
exercises in the west and such part of the
means employed in carrying it into operation
1t is no wonder, then, that her millers and her
merchants should become as princes, and her
property holders mllionarcs. 1t is done by the
sweat and toll of the farmers the drudgcry, in
dUstry and perseverance, of the merchandise the
| North West.
Again. ask, is there no remedy for this ?
Will the people Of the Upper Mississippi con-
tinuc to dig and delve, and sweat and toll, to
Egrandize purse proud and pampcrcd city? Or
will they rather try and effect communication
with the East, by means Of rail road? and
thereby have an outlet for their increasing
productions. There is nothing to hinder us, as
a people, from doing this, if we can only agree
upon it. The Chicago and Du Buque rail road
will afQFd the quickest means of communica-
tlon with the East; portion Of which is al
ready in operation. But there is no reason to
fear that it will be turned from Du Buque, it's in
intended termination. Any one who travels be-
You'd his own door, almost, will ascertain that
there is--wll learn that there are those whose
interests, IN this respect, are opposed to ours
and who are using their efforts to effect so desir-
able On object
ire OF vast and increasing trade, has no time to
lose. Her merchants, her men of property, and
her citizens, generally, must exhibit better pub
lie spirit, before they can accomplish any thing.
These things are not done by acHling or 1cishiug
them. We must meet and meet and meet, and
keep meeting, until we devise measures by
which we can accomplish our views. But be-
fore we grapple with the "Iron' steed, let us
take look at home. Let us begin with our har-
Dor, and make such one as would be an induce
ment tor rail road to terminate opposite to US,
or for boat to land at. What is the condition
of our harbor? Is it place, where any sensible
man would say after inspecting it, that it would
be desirable spot to make the termination Of a
rail road? We, who know Du Buque, think
and believe it great place. But that will not
do. We must convince others that it is SO, and
to do this, we must exhibit the marks Of
a great placc-one Of which is, an accessi-
bic and commodious landing. Travel up
and down this river, and there is not single
town with the exception of Du Buque, but
what you find improving, or have already i'm
proved, their landing. Keokuk, Burlington,
Bloomington and Rock Island, &c, even Belle
vue, has done more for practical landing than
Du Buque; aye, and so has the newest wood
yard on the Mississippi. To what is this to be
ascribed? | say positively, to want of that
unanlmity which is so characteristic of u.s. If
the City Council can't make this improvement
out of the islands, or under the power granted
in the present charter, let us have new one.
with power to levy a certain tax to construct
this harbor, and to do it when it best suits with
out reference to the interests of any, but of all.
More anon. IOWA
ScoTT's WEEKLY PAPER.-This excellent
literary and family newspaper is soon to be en-
larged, and beautified by an elegant suit of new
type. This paper is already one of the largest in
the country, and when improved as contemplated,
will rival, if not excel, the famed Model Cou-
rier itself. ... .-.m .,g .uu 4
It is published at Philadelphia, at two dollars
i