Sunbury American. [volume] (Sunbury, Pa.) 1848-1879, 1856-06-07

iS,os23s do packed beef
il,l2OOoo do. iron
And great variety Of miscellaneous pro.
ductions. The two latter trades ore yet in
their infancy.
Perhaps, after the Grain trade the most
important article Of commerce to Chicago is
Lumber. 1t is doubtful if a larger market
for this article exists in the United States
The receipts at this port in 1854 were 22S,
336, 7S3 feet
In 1858, 500, ,55? ACT feet besides
l5S. 10000 shingles and DC, ,4S7,55o lath.
vi these vast amounts, 95 per cent. in 1854.
and 81 per cent in 1858, reached Chicago by
the Lakes, the remainder by the Michigan
Southern and Central routes. The supplies
are drawn from almost every direction-Wis-
consin and Michigan, Canada and the ST.
Lawrence. and a considerable portion from
Pennsylvania, and the valley Of the Susque-
hanna. The demand comes mainly from the
vast prairie settlements south and west of
Chicago, and even from Iowa and the valley
Of the Mississippi. The Galena and Chicago
and Rock Island Railroads afford abundant
facilities for its transport on their return
trains. which have borne eastward the lead,
grain and produce of the west.
This vast commerce employs of nccessitya
large amount of shipping. The total steam
and sail tonnage arriving at Chicago in 1855
was l,60s ,e45 tons, against ,092 .644 in la4a,
an increase Of so per cent. in single year.
! The number of vessels employed, as nearly as
could be ascertained, was 6,olO, OF which
5,4l0 ale reported.
Hitherto the course Of this trade has been
mainly towards the city of Buffalo, the great
terminus Of the public improvements of New
York, both Railroads aud Canals, The im-
ports Of Buffalo in 1854 amounted to Sl49,-
| lS02l9, and its exports to Sl24, ,20I Cos, ma
king it by far the first inland commercial city
| Of the world.
But within year or two great change in
the course Of the Lake trade has been appa-
rent. The completion Of the Oswego and
Syracuse Railroad. and the action Of the Re.
ciprocity treaty with Canada, have tended TO
turn large share Of the Lake commerce to
Oswego. Even the grain and produce OF
Milwaukee and Chicago. passing up Lake
Michigan. down Lake Huron, through the
ST. Clair flats and along the whole length OF
Lake Eric, has avoided its old stopping place
at Buffalo aud sought, by the Welland Canal
and Lake Ontario, better market OF Os-
wego.
The reason for this is obvious. 1t IS we'll
known that it is the loading and unloading oi
q vessel, and not SO much few miles Of dis
tance, that constitute the great cost of heavy
freighting. 1t frequently happens that the
course OF trade will turn the scale of freightS
in foreign shipments very much in favor OF
more distant ports. When the schooner is
loaded at Chicago with grain or produce il
costs little more TO land it at Oswego than a,
Buffaio-by the present route. But once
landed at OSwego the produce is only thirty
five miles from Syracuse, while at Buffalo II /!
one hundred and tiity-the distances from
there to Albany or New York being Of course
the same in either case.
Such is the natural theory. Let US now
look at the facts of the case. We have be
fore US q table Of the receipts Of grain a
Buffalo and Osweeo during 1854 and 1866.
BUFFALO. o.wEcos.
1851. 1855. 1854. 1855
whea. 3,5iO792 s,O22I2o 2ls2 333 so5,7e
Corn lo,lO9e73 s,7Ii,250 263224 2,s6O, &c
Oats. 4,a4l739 1853, ,222 323296 22s,0o
Rye, l77,oeS 29s,S9l t3si6 2sl,o2
Peas, $40 5i,l6
Barley, 3l3se5 s2,30i lol,i56 i72,si
+ Total, is55a,455 l9.Sss47a 6,Soo4aa 9a59,A7
By this it will be seen that the receipt
of grain, at Buffalo. increased only about
{ per cent. from 1854 to lS55--while the re
ceipts at Oswego increased 20 per cent. il
Iact, the receipts Oi all gram NJ puHuIo, eA
cept wheat and rye, fell of largely, and thes
: latter were supplied in great measure irou
Canada.
: If such be the increase, with the odds @
water navigation against Oswego, what re
I suits may not be anticipated from the compile
: tion of the Georgian Bay and Lake ontari
D Ship Canal, now under survey, and which
IS believed will be steadily pursued to CON
e pletion. This magnificent enterprise, pre-
n jected mainly by British capitalists, is dessr
t ed to open the inner Lakes to the Atanti
y Ocean. for the largest class of vessels, and
i avoid the tedious navigation Of Lake Huro
e and Lake Erie, and the dangerous fats of S
n Clair.
G The Secretary Of the Toronto Board {
o Trade, IN an able report on this subject thu
g sets forth the saving of expense which wi
IS result to the commerce of the West. Lool
d ing at the western shore of Lake Michigan
pi commencing in the south with Chicago, on
II finishing in the north with Green Bay "
N have q series Of shipping ports, which mui
u be looked to as the starting points for Ii
% lake-borne produce Of the vast country lyin
al southwest, and north Of that coast, aud I
% the transport Of which all channels Of con
lInuissGon Of whatsoever kind, isRding u