Daily Davenport Democrat. [volume] (Davenport, Iowa) 1864-1874, 1865-10-28


01vse Dewn.--Rrs1gAs ~.
4 ~ 80 = saagnstisa ~ eppeesss
yce.r ~ /, 80 {.
seasiy any ~ ssss 4 ~ hsn1rsd mse-
~hso;s and basinsss nss selected tsgsshss
10 talk the matter over. sod ehat y aboas ~
thae Uno or - msGnfng. Nebss IL rke
doinf snfthink; ia laes notAlpg <ulA Be
dons. 1Ikrs 70 na3nlsgin lsG3 a otsss-
tsons, end until q Spes5lend hsi3 BEE *.
ch1Aes ljo1sss - esttIs, Wlntn1 ! 6asas
'er . rsnswal Of intsscourss, little caa b.
d ne. A sudden advance In fright rotso b
alvsvs oaut untsstu"sse = ~ gsosssa drift
u business. and never fails 70 decrease the
volume Y. . Srseser 9 }e4 esp n 31s3y
srticse3sie shipped Sodtk. for Instance, On
which there 10 very small margin Of profit
FOR thu shipper aad ssas4gsss q ~ ~
Of freight. Sill the business 10 done. end
operssqrs ere sasi9sd With the small returns.
We frsIsD advance these ariicles are
ruled out u (he market, and Of course no
more caa b shipped until the increased de-
aeeA1sssesu8Yu1 shs ndvsncedpg 9cs jus=
tiiy rssumptioa Of The trsds Thie dam
ages 6uainess 70 tho et01 % q ~ ossiclepQ|
merchandise 20 Topped OF. They remain {
isad weight on the hands Of the holder, who
suffer mot only in decrease Of trade, bot
depreciation Of stock He cannot sell; and
he may not be able to raise means 70 buy
cryans Articles - pre1sss, and 6Usineaat -
ccobes aasnant With him 81 on aceDu& Of
AZ unexpscted advance ia freight mtse..
he interference With bulne2a lhus ac1hm
plished. 10 incalculable, and thus many ol
our merchants telt the burden Of change
for the worse yesterday.
Great hnctuation in freights has tenden.
cy 70 render business precsrious. a(xn tIfnel
In localities where such changes are likely o.
occur. The constantly varying changes o.
western rivers. and the present character o.
tonnage, places our commerce, 1t times, en-
tirely 1t ~ mWey q, the tidUys ,9na
In SONG yespsctgve hsvs & ayal' IL ca
cago, and Chicago is no adversary to be de
spised. Merchants Of that CITY have no dis
advantages parallel to ours TO contend viii
in fiuctuating rates Of tranlD6ft1I5on. TIL
railroads and lakes accommodate commerce,
sith some degree Of stability. When a.
alvance Is made in rates, the merchant
nave due poticp.Of the contemplated event
and pssnty Of tlhe 70 pfepskc Fotthe change
Thus bus ness is not subjected to such
+pasmodic interruptions o. We experience
anN tbss metchant 70 enabled 10 make hIi
calculations from more reliable data.
When freights advance in st. Louis, the
rnsreha4ts Of Chicago receive the benefit
and our business men record disaster in
thslr accounts. This can be prevented by
| \ proper enterprise. Our river rates must
be more uniform or the rivers cannot CON-
pete with rsilroads even in the transporta-
don OF merchandise. They can do more Of
Il ct certain or rather uncertain seasons
Of The year, bat stability and regularity are
most successful IN the end. We cannot
prevent the fiuctuation Of the rivers. but
&c can do much to shield our commerce
from the III effects Of these Contingencies
Congress should be memorialixed and i'm
p0rtuned speedily by our merchsNts in a
body to make such appropriations for the
Improvement # Western navigation as the
magnitude Of the work done requires, and
he interests of the whole country de
mand. r
The RAPIDS of the Mississippi constitute
n their present condition, an almost imsur
pountable barrier to the successful naviga
ton Of the Father Of Waters above st.
Louis. during the greater portion Of every
year. Every rock in the channel above
Keokuk IL stumbling block to the inter
ests Of the Mississippi, Valley, sud especial-
~ to st. Louis, the commercial centre, and
turns trade eastward whose Legitimate
Ichanpel il down the river
There ara now thousands upon thous-
ands OF sacks Of gram. and immense sta ks
of other produce, on the landing at Davrn-
port. Dubuque and other points on the Mis-
sissippi river, waiting in vain for shipmen.
to st. Louis The transportation cannot
be effected because Of the low stage Of wat
tonnage, Of the availablc-class, to take it ut
any price.
There the property st. Louis lies for
weeks expos ed ~ prey to interests an
tagonistic to ours. The ra,lroaes arc tap
ping these piles of produce every day. and
stealing our wealth away, and St Louis lies
below these rocky barriers, perfectly help
less. from hnnavigable rivers and inefficient,
tonnage. Ou- rivers fall, and freghts go
up. and our business is subject to ruinous
titS Of stagnation It would enhance the
interests Of all if system could be adopt
ed to confine rates Of freight to legitimate
standard, which our trade would slway $
bear, and which W, uld disarm all local com
petition. When the river becomes too low
for heavy tonnag rather than disturb frelgh,
It wonld be preferable to dispense with
large steamers for transportation, and in
troduce fleets Of small tugs and barges.-
st. Louie Republican.