The Kansas herald of freedom., 1856-05-03
The eonnefeiai Question.

Steamers between Alton and Kansas
The following article from Mr.. BRowN,
we clip from the columns of the Chica-
90 Democratic Press, of the 18th inst
1t shows that he is busy in pushing for
ward the work our citizens have under.
taken with so much unanimity:
CHICAGO, ILL.,, April Is, 1856.
Editors of the Democratic Press
observed leading editorial in your
Daily few days ago, in which you
seemed to discourage the movement OF
the people of Kansas to establish pub
lie communication direct between that
Territory and the Free States. You
claim that such line, if established from
Alton to Kansas City, Mo-, or Leaven-
worth, in Kansas, would be subject to
petty annoyance along the river. and that
more actual injury would result from
such movement than benefit.
am satisfied that you could not have
given full consideration to the subject, or
you may not have fully understood the
project. 1t is not expected that line
wholly independent shall be established.
The most we desire is to induce steamers
Kansas bound to touch at Alton, both
on their upward and downward tr. ps, and
to receive on board and discharge at this
point passengers and freight.
Alton is but three miles from the
mouth of the Missouri River, while st.
Louis is about twenty miles below.
Every passenger and every pound of
freight making its way to Kansas from
the Northern States, which passes up the
Missouri River, now passes down to St.
Louis, directly off from the direct line of
travel, to the great sacrifice of time and
money. IF boats would get in ha-
bit of calling at Alton, or if a few boats
would do SO, the time would be bat brief
when every steamer on the Missouri riv-
er would do so, unless it was fully laden
at st. Louis.
Commerce goes where it can do the
best; and persons engaged in the carry
ing trade-observan of this law-pass
from one river to another, as inducements
are held out for money making. If bet
ter rates are paid on the Missouri river
for ffeights than on the Ohio, and the
prospects are favorable for making more
money in given time, we find transfer
of steamers from the Ohio or MiSsissip-
pi to the Missouri, and Uice vers0. The
steamers on the Missouri are capable OF
carrying from three hundred to seven
hundred tons of goods each trip. There
are thirty steamers plying regularly on
the Missouri. These make one trip each
two weeks, or about seventeen trips pei
year. Allowing they average FIVE hun,
dred tons a trip, then there is 255,OO0
tons of goods annually shipped up the
Missouri. In consequence of the heavy
Western emigration for the last two years,
during which it is estimated 10000 per-
sons have passed up that river to Wes-
tern Iowa, Nebraska and Kansas, and the
very large amount of goods passing thro'
the same channel, the price of freight has
been greatly increased. In many in-
stances it has equaled 80 per hundred
pounds; and seldom, or never, has been
below fifty cents per hundred pounds
Taking 81 as the average cost per hun
dred, and 81 as the average cost oi
passengers, then We find the receipts to
the thirty Missouri steamers during the
last two years. to equal s10,970,O00, a
little more than one-third of a million of
dollars to each steamer.
When we take into account the very
heavy immigration during the last two
years from the Northern States to Kansas,
tis but reasonable to suppose that two
thirds of the entire amount has been
drawn from the pockets of Northern
| men.
This enormouns patronage ought to
have secured to our people and their
property immunity from injury while on
shipboard. Instead of this being the
case, the facts show innpmerable outraees
both to passengers and goods, while on
the Missouri, and these cases continue to
increase in number and enormity. until
it is Telt there is no security to persons
and property on that river.
We. of Kansas, have considered the
project OF an overland emigration thro'
Iowa; but we fnd it wholly impracticable
for the vast amount of emigration now
setting Kansasward; and this must be the
case until the capital and energy of Chi
cago shall push on her lines of railroads
and bind the people of Kansas to those
of your State by connecting links of
iron.
Our inquiry, then, is, how can we best
secure free and uninterrupted transit
up the Missouri Is it not by only pa
tronizing the steamers on that river which
shall give US protection while on the pas
sage, and viii secure our goods s'from
unjust searches and seizurese" This
agreed to, and with the heavy amount
OF business now being done with the
North, is it asking too much that those
steamers should visit Alton to receive US
and our freight on board?
The idea Of annoyance along the river
may seem probable at first; but when We
rememberthatthe Missouri is the proper
| ty of the nation, and that the Fedora
Government is bound to protect vessels
in its free navigation. think We have
nothing TO apprehend. Besides this. il
IS designed that regular St. Louis steam.
ers shall be employed. and that they shall