, 1866-11-08
ILLINOIS AND MISSISSIPPI CA.
Necessity Of Water Communication ne.
tween Chicago and Rock Inland


tween Chicago and Rock 1'ianS
LnSalle. -
From tho Davenport Gazette
ls CHICAGO ASLEEP
a visit to Davenport, or even TO othe
cities or points in Iowa from which muc.
less produce is shipped than from here
will convince the uost firm believer In th
certainty TINT c1isago is dse5sed es sa, sst
Northwest, that unless some earnest an
successful effort Is made to turn. the curreu
OF commerce and trade, St. Louis Is destine
to entirely and forever outstrip Chicago Ii
competition tor the business OF the uppe
f1yer The most casual observer cannot fail.
notice that st. Louis Is already en}oyin. a.
most monopoly Of the shipping business
uuftnE The past two months. especially
nine,tenths of the produce shipped from III
Mlseiss'ppi Riser towns Of Iowa and 1llinol
feights over those Of The railroads morutha
compeusating for whatever advantayeLA 4
have been offered by the Chicago marke.
over those Of St. Louis.
Nor Is this state Of Affairs exceptional
arising from any extraordinary and tempor
r. causes. It Is eimply the natural result
causes long In Operation and annually /,
creasing In influence and power. TnEc
years nEo these influences, checked and
dc1ed almost uugalorY by the war;
nnew to exert control, and thefs po..
been greatly strengthened with each
entered into the forces, already eweepins ID
else Eastern.bound freights to st. Louis an
tue Gnsf. OF course We alludc to til
improvements about to be made u
the two rapids Of the 1lississip,
and at other points alung this riy
ma aiso The effort to make Rock riy.
nav1gable down TO its confluence With tn
Mississippi. For these much desired in,
prosemeafs the surveys are now being mad
by the National Government, aud Copxrcs
VIII most certainly see to it that the work
improvement IS prosecuted with all possibl,
slHor. Wath these rivers cleared OF obstruc
lions and rendered nayisable, as they mus
and will be, what can possibly secure Il,
Chicago single ton Of produces from III
mississippi cities and towns of iowa ant
Illinois: Not, certainly, raiIroad copmuni
cation, now the sole channel Of commercial
intercourse between Chicago and the Mis-is.
What then must be the resort Of Chicac,
II that city Is to secure the trade she desire;
The answer is to be found. and op1y 10 i,
found, In the direct canal communicating =.
tween the Mississippi and Lake Michisar
hrst advocated by the Gazette four yeas .iso
and continuously urged upon the a,tca;io1
OF the Chicago and the Northwest In on
columns. That this short, feasible route. :,
absolutely indispensable to the comtucrci,
supremacy Of Chicago has not yct iouut
earnest advocacy by the press Of that city u
among rs merchants Is Is inexplicab!c as i
IS surprising. And now that tic Ni.sissi
River is all astir with the efforts whirt
result IN drawing still more Of the ltsitu,u..
trade OF chicago to St. Louis, We eau bu: :.sE
is thicaso asleep, that It Is doing nothing t
secure direct trd1er communication with The
Mississippi; sIrpp't;,on ~. nn,n,n. 1*..,, '''A ut
1t Will be but Il year or two q. the or+s :,
before It will be decided whether Chica =, or
81. Louis Is TO be our permanent market. II
now looks rs though St. Louis will be nrc-
hrred. Every etlcrt Of Missouri and Iow. .
congressman will doubtless be made this
winter to have the Mississippi RariIs put in
condition 10 Ioat heavily loaue1 steamers
and bargcs at all stages Of navigation. Th.
project Is feasible aud easy Of accomplish.
ment. lfSt. Louis men will show 4 rea,o,1a.
olc actiFlty In the matter, and help this pur-
tlon ol Iowa out Of 1ts cFampcd condition.
our mel chants and shippers will gladly tr,r'
ter their gram, live stock and produces tor
dry.,goods, .grecertes aud manufactures. n
ST. Lonis. In this event, the monopoly VI
Chicago would be broken forever, anu vi.
would rejoice TO see it effected.
Ihe business men Of the Garden City mr5,
bear in mind that the rapids are crrjain IL
pc improved. We must have another mar.
ket. We care not whether It be st. Louis or
milwaukee, though We would prefer ACCESS
to both. Iowa. with her magnificent area .,t
tillable land, has no idea Of lying 4. the
mercy OF thfec or four railroads which arc
now Lotorionsly inadequate to carry the pro-
duets Of even one.third Of her friiittu! soil,
Like ripe plum, Iowa is ready tu Dir,
to any hand that will be opened Esptr
is It SO Of this portion Of che state,
single item Of the transfer business at this
point, takes many thousands of dollars from
The farmers west of us. The llIiuuis Cen
tfuI has moi Rrnu4h r.ira E,rt