Saint Paul weekly Minnesotian., 1859-12-03

ou,,ss BY R.,lfssd % L.k. |. superior.
10 a. Eastors D. ~ = Asnnssotsaa: \ q
q vss vesy glad to notice, in your leader
Of the 18th instant, Mr. Editer, that you ad.
vocate the building of a Railroad to connect
the headwaters Of the Mississippi with the
head of Lake Superior, as the first great re-
qurement Of our State IN the way Of Railroad
facilities.
There are many reasons why Railroad
connecting the two great avenues of water
communication incur country, is of vastly
more importance to the prosperity and growth
of this community than any other that can b
built. ..., -. '',' ''-,i. ''. '>'i'i'asE
Among those that first come to mind, is the
great fact that our people are almostaltogether
agriculturalists, and, therefore, desire as
speedy and cheap transit for their products to
the destined markets as possible. Now the
markets for our surplus products are not wes-
tern markets, for the whole west is producing
the same articles we are, and in larger guam
titles than they consume; therefore, all the
western States are our competitors in the bus
mess Of raising grains, cattle and sheep, for
such communities in our land as are consum-
ers and not producers of those articles. That
being the case, the State that has its products
the nearest to the consumer, or can get them
to the consumers market the cheapest, has
the advantage over other States more remote,
by just the cost of the difference in transpor-
tation, which difference is evident, not only
in the value of the products where produced,
but also in the value of the lands producing.
Minnesota is back of and beyond the
States of Wisconsin and Illinois, so onr farm
ers are obliged to sell their crops by as much
less than the Wisconsin and Illinois farmer,
as the cost of the transportation of those crops
until they reach point as near to the great
eastern markets as are the crops of the farm
ers in the States mentioned; consequently
the chief inducement for a farmer to pass
through Wisconsin aud Illinois to Minnesota,
is the lower price of the lands in Minnesota.
Owing to the want of proper facilities for
sending forward our surplus crops this year,
the difference in price between st. Paul and
Chicago this fall has averaged fully forty cents
bushel on wheat, so that farmer, living
within twenty miles of Chicago, has received
say ninety cents bushel for his wheat. while
farmer living within twenty miles of St
Paul has received but fifty cents bushel for
his wheat. Of course, land that will produce
wheat worth ninety cents bushel, is nearly
twice as valuable by the acre as land that
will only produce wheat worth fifty cents a
bushel, Notwithstanding the fact that the
wheat which sells for fifty cents bushel in
St Paul, ofMinnesota wheat taken to Chica.
20, sells for four cents bushel more than IL
linois wheat does in the same market.
1t must be patent, therefore, to every one
if we can in any way annihilate the cost o.
transportation of our crops to Chicago, they
will be worth just as much here as in Chica
go; and also the lands producing them as
much as if they were located in Illinois. But
Chicago is not the market our crops tend to
The markets that demand our surplus crops
are eastern markets, and our products need
not pass near Chicago in seeking those mar
kets. %. a'..-7. .
Let us then look for moment at what can
be done to give an additional value to ou'
crops as well as to our lands. We have al
ready seen that owing to the lack of proper
conveyance, our grains are worth only about
one half as much here as when they reach Chi
cago, and also, necessarily, the lands are
worth only in the same proportion. The cost
of transportation to Chicago, including all ex
penses, has been forty cents bushel this sea
son on wheat, that being the difference in
price between the two markets.
Supposing, then, that Railroad was al
ready completed to Lake Superior, from the
head of navigation on the Mississippi, and our
grains had found an outlet over that Railroad
let us see what would have been the result
this year.
An eminent engineer states, good rail
road can be built to Superior, starting at An
Okla, running up the Valley of Rum River
which will have length of one hundred and
twenty miles, or from st. Paul, a distance Of
one hundred and fifty miles, which we will
assume to be the length of the road. What
then will be the cost of transportation Of wheat
by railroad to Superior,a distance of one hun
dred and fifty miles. Flour is transported
from Albany to Boston, distance of two
hundred miles, for three dollars ton, or al
the rate of fifteen cents for one hundred
pounds, which rate gives, say twelve cents a
hundred pounds, for one hundred and fifty
miles or about seven cents bushel for wheat
making the cost seven cents bushel to
transport wheat by railroad, from St. Paul tc
Superior, had we road running between
these two points, to-day. When we get te
Superior we are just as near to New York, by
way Of the Laks, as we are when in Chicago
and the voyage can be made as easily, and al
no more expense. So wheat will be worth as
much in Superior, when road is built to
that place, as the same wheat would be if ia.
ken to Chicago. Our farmers have been
losing this year, then thirty y-three cents bush
el on wheat, and adding the four cents extra,
paid for Minnesota wheat, thirty-seven cents
bushel for not having railroad connecting
Mississippi with the Great Lake.
Our surplus crop of wheat alone, or what
has been raised more than was needed, for
our own use and consumption, is said to have
been one and half millions of bushels,
which, supposing the above calculation to be
correct, will make our receipts for the crop
OF wheat this year, about half million Of
dollars less than it would have been, had we
railroad facilities for sending it to market by
way of Lake Superior and we shall pay
that penalty, in an increased ratio until we