The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1867-12-05

navigation extends from 81. Paul In the north |
TO New Orleans in the South, and from OH City
in the East 20 Fort Benton in the West. Its
head waters in the East drain Western New
York and Pennsylvania; In the North, Mime
sofa and Wisconsin; and In the West, Montana
and British Columbia. Tue trip from PIttsburg
e. Fort Benton In Montana by steamboat Is not
only practicable but has reen an actual fact of
more than a single occurrence in the course Of
commerce.
The productions of this vast region embrace
nearly all varieties OF all ollmes, from the
cotton, rice, sugar Q. and oranges of the lower
Mississippi 10 he peu oieum, coal. and iron of
Pennsylvania, the wheat and lumber of Mime
sofa and Wisconsin,, the buiTdioes OF Kansas,
the furs OF British Columbia, aud the gold dust
OF Montana.
The Eastern division of this great river sys-
tenn, or the Ohio valley. has been pretty wei
developed. 1t has given us the splendid agrl
ltUre OF Southern Ohio. Indiana, and Illinois
and of Kentucky, and the mineral aud m anu
featuring interests OF which PiLtsourg and Gin
cinnau are thecbiet centres, which together can
hardly have less than half a million of popu-
lation within their limits or immediate de-
pendenoles.
The Central division, or the Mississippi val
ley proper, Is In progress of development, but
as yet los vast resources nave been but slightly
brought out. The agriculture of It's lower Sec
ton, including the production of cotton, rice,
and sugar.cane. is in very rude and primi-
tive condition. Itwas much prostrated by the
war, aud has not yet recovered even It's former
status LIS capabilities, however. are en- ,rmOus;
and whenever the political condition of the coun-
try shall have become permane tly settled, so
that capital can be safely used in those Sec
tions no portion of the country will advance
more rapidly in population aud wealth than
the Lower Mississippi valley. New Orleans
will then regain her former Importance as
commercial point, and Will advance with more
rapid strides than ever before.
1he regions of the upper Mississippi, includ-
ing those portions of Illinois, Missouri Iowa,
" Wisconsin, and Minnesota which are immedl-
ately tributary TO the river, are In the process
of rapid growth and development.
There are immense mineral resources of Ium-
ber, iron, lead, and coal ia these regions, that
are just beginning TO be turned TO account. and
that point to the future establishment of man
utaciuring interest at st, Louis which will pro
baby eclipse any hing of the kind in the ooun.
try, The agricultural resources of this part of
the valley are exhaustless Iowa, Mimi ,sota
and Wisconsin among the greatest wheat
growing States in the Union. Western Illinois
raises immense quantities of corn, stock of all
kinds. and is a country kindly adapted to the
peach and grape. 1t also abounds in coal The
pintrles ofthe Upper Mississippi are extensive
and valuable. The natural outlet for all this
country is by way OF the Mis-
sissippi river and If there were
| great city like New York or Philadelphia at
| its mouth, nothing could prevent the low of
commerce in that direction. But the great
commercial centres OF the country. regulating
our foreign trade, are situated on our Atlantic
seaboard, and have determined the way sys-
tenn of the country into an almost exclusively
east and west system, SO that there is constant
tendency to counteract the natural flow of the
trade of the West, as determined q priort by her
rivers, and TO carry 1t TO tho Eastern seaboard
The events of the past six years have weli-nigh
established tnis to some extent at least, artih-
cial direction of commerce in the United States
Its first great impetus. however, was given by
the genius of that far. seeing statesman, De witt
Clinton when he projected and established the
Erie Canal, connecting the great lakes with the
tide-waters of the Atlantic Had he lived a
quarter century earlier or later, New York and
New Orleans might perchance have exchanged
places. Such is the influence which o great
mind often exerts upon the destinies of coun-
| try. There are now nearly a score of railway
lines touching the Mississippi at various points
from ST. Louis up, and leading away to the
East These roads bring little or no commerce
| to the river, but, on the contrary, are so many
artificial channels by which its trade is carried
| away to the Atlantic seaboard, instead of find
| ing its natural course to the Gulf of Mexico
| Many of these lines cross the Mississippi and
| extend their iron arms around to the valley OF
the Missouri.
There is nothing more interesting to the
| thoughtful observer than this mighty east and
| west flow of commerce In the United States.
| 1t shows the power of man to compete with
the forces of nature on a great scale. Nothing
| seems more in accordance with the laws of
| nature than that the trade of the Mississippi
! valley and its tributaries should have concen-
trated at the mouth Of that river. 1t is as natu-
raj as that water should run down hill. Yet
the bulk of that mighty commerce is directed
| flOm Its natural channels, is carried away over
| rivers and mountains, and distributed to the
| world from a distant Sc aboard.
| have hardly left myself room to speak of
| what have denominated the Western, or Mis-
souri, valley, division of this great river SYSTEM
! yet, for the sake of presenting a connected
view OF the subject, will tax the readers atten
| tion a little further.
The Missouri river Is really the great parent
river, and the Mississippi is the true tributary
Above their junction at Alton the Missouri Is
the larger stream, has the greater number of
tributaries and more important ones, is the
| longest river by nearly thousand miles, and
| drains by far the wider extent of country. The
Missouri rises in the Rocky Mountains, as far
west as the longitude of salt Lake, aud about In
the latitude of Northern New York. It's frs
course is for long distance north ward, until
it almost reaches the British possessions, and
here, away at this nOrthernmost point, Ia a
higher latitude than that OF Quebec, IL becomes
q navigable stream for steam oOats of a large
, canacItV. IL maintains an easterlV course.