Muscatine weekly journal. [volume] (Muscatine, Iowa) 185?-1890, 1857-09-05
For the Journal,
EDITOR OF Tie JOURNAL:

EDITOR OF TIE JOURNAL:
Dear Sir: 'Citizen," in his article
in Saturdays paper, calls upon us to answer
several questions. To answer them all
would require more time and labor than we
propose to devote to the subject. We will,
however, in this, answer one Of his questions
in briet manner, and endeavor hereafter to
answer some of the others. lie asks Us to
prove that the disadvantages of railroad
communication have been rather all advan-
tage than otherwise" We will not, Ill this
article, present the statistics to prove our
position, but will appeal to the judgment o|
the whole community, in view of the argyll
ments, to decide.
Before we had any railroad colnmunica.
ton with the East, Muscatine depended en-
tirely upon the riverto carry off her surplus
of articles bought here, and St. Louis was
about the only market we had. During the
winter months we could neither ship pro-
duce, nor receive goods except by teams,
the consequence WAS that those who bought
produce were compelled to keep it in store
until navigation opened, pay storage, sub
ject to whatever freight the boats might
charge them, and run the risk of but one
market. Further, but few of our business
men could afford to pay cash for produce,
and lay out their money until the produce
could be got to market and they get re-
turns, especially money was worth as
much as it has been in this country. That
being the case, farmers were compelled to
sell their wheat and pork on credit, or ex-
change them for goods, and as natural con-
sequence the purchaser must figure wide
margin when lie had to take SO great and
lengthy risk for market. Again, when
the river was low, which occurred for two
or three months almost every season, the
same state OF things measurably would ex-
ist. The consequences of such state of
things was comparatively low prices for our
produce, and rot always cash at that.
Let US look at the condition of things
since we have had RAILROAD communi"a-
tion" with the East. First with railroads we
might be allowed to say navigation never
closes; we always have now choice of mar.
kets Southern or Northern. We are
certain at ali seasons of the year, if we buy
thousand bushels of wheat, or any quan.
tity of pork, or produce of any kind, that
we can send it to market and get returns
in very few days, and oil produce dealers
in this place know well how to appreciate
this state of things. They have choice in
markets, which is q great thing. A small
amount of money will do a large amount OF
business now, compared to times when pro-
duce necessarily layed on hand several
months. Farmers can now get cash at all
times Of the year for all they have to sell,
which was not the case before we had a
railroad. 1t is true that individuals do not
get so great margin for handling produce
as they might at times before, but they can
make that up by turning their money over
oftener, and not running 50 great risk as
formerly.
"Citizen" says, che can entertain but lit
tie respect for the correctness Of our judg.
ment" We do not wonder at that. If he
makes his the standard, we would not be
ambitious to merit his respect for ours.
Nrooot;po AnO 21st 1897