Des Moines courier. ([Ottumwa] Iowa) 1848-1854, 1853-05-26
The Des FTotnes valley, River
and Trade.

and Trade.
The experience of the present season
is sufficient. we imagine, to safety the
most skep,ical, if any such there have
been, Of NE amour, and value of the
trade of this Valley; & il furnishessa cri.
ierion from which TO estimate the Losses
we have sustained through distractions
to the navigation of the natural channel
of this River. Several Boats of consid-
erablecspacitys have found constant en-
ploy this Spring at very high rates
for freight. as high as 81 per hundred tc
Ft. Des Moines, and 40F cents 10 this
place, and the cry has been for more
The business has paid, we learn, hand.
somely, and that too with freigh, only
one way, the produce of the country,
particularly corn, Of which there 10 q
large supply, owing 70 the uncertainty
of having boats. no. being ready for
shipment. &C.
We are at this time particularly led TO
reflect upon the lopses we have sustain,
ed during the past five years or more by
ihisdaming up Of the River; losses which
have been ms really sax upon the in
custy of the country, az are those levi.
ed for State and county purposes. For
example, salt is now selling on the River
above this place for so cents per bushel,
and sugar for Z and "a cents per pound.
The old prices for these commodities
have uniformly been 80 TO 100 cents for
the former, and 10 TO IL cents for. ihe
latter. and ascending in the SCALE of
prices, as we have assembled the River.
Ii we add to this the benefits we should
have realized from steady and reliable
market for our produce at a triile less
than the ST. Louis market, WHICH the
navigation of even the natural channel
Of the River. wonld have insured TO lis,
no one can doubt but that we have been
injured to the extent oflinle short of so
per cent upon what we have bought and
sold. Besides, We can hardly over es-
timaie he.iniury to. our general grow,
and prosperity FROM mis- source. En-
terprise. trade, and capiial, which have
been pushing themselves with remarka-
BILE perseverance,, into every practicable
channel ofscommerce, have been BARRED
or damed ont of this Valley, and have
passed by us in search of 9th er channels
open and accessible; for il is 10 be OBJ
served that the streams in this Valley of
the Mississippi. archie arteries through
which have always flowed ,helifc blood
of her commerce. We have no doubt
but tina. the population, business and
wealth. of the 'Des Moines Valley would
have bsen THE day double what it is, 4
the River had been open since its settle
mens. five have prospered TO any exi
tent, as we freely admit and rejoice thai
we have. il has been owing to our su.
perior soil and our other numerous adj
.yantages and resources, and in spite of
the drawbacks and obstacles above al
luded to. In fact most of our popula-
lion were induced TO come here in er-
pectation of the navigation of the River,
and would not have come, thousands Of
them, but for the inducements which that
expectation held forth. 4
All this misfortune is the work of
man, in some way or shape. lin could
be attributed to natural causes alone. il
would be more tolerable. No one can
satisfy the public, that the natural chan
mel Of this river could not have been kept
opens and navigable from the ssart. So
lar as the improvement. 30 caIed, -
concerned, we have no hesitationin pro-
nouncing it, In it's practical operation IL
effects up to this time, magnificent
fraud and humbug; an igni,ls futus and
nuisance 10 thousands who have settled
and improved the country on the strength
of II, besides burning disgrace 10 the
Stase in whose management it has been.
Why,w would ask. in the name of COM
mon sense, would il not have been as
practicable and easy, to have done inthe
first place, what all admit TO be practical
BILE. lawful, and necessary now! Why
could they not, in the outset, instead of
stopping up the rivera daming out trade,
commerce, and prosperity. for six long
years, have adopted those plans which
public opinion is now about exsorsiDg
from their ,ar.y justice or common sense;
why could they not have built and CON-
plotted the locks first, the dams alter
wards. and appropriated few thousand
dollars of the half million dollars which