The Portland daily press., 1867-07-25

|
The Osweso board of Trade.
Some weeks ago this board appointed
committee to examine the subject of Lake
Shore railroad between Oswego and Niagara
| River. That committee have made a long
ani elaborate report. They say this projected
railway has been heretofore the subject of
much and careful consideration, not only by
| those locally interested in its success, but by
both Eastern and Western trade.
All are aware, who have given this question
any study, that the volume of this trade is
constantly and rapidly increasing. Its pro-
| spective is even beyond the present computa-
| ton. The construction of the Pacific rail
way has an immediate bearing upon this pro-
posed Lake Ontario Shore road, and gives to
it great Importance But this is not ALL
Emigration has much to with it. And al
though this committee did not allude to that
| in their report, yet we are satisfied that emf.
grafton especially of the German population
will constantly and immensely add to the
products Of the West which must seek more
cts Of the world. The total immigration of
this year from Europe will probably exceed
two hundred and fifty thousand. The New
York Times says:
All but fraction of the emigrants that
reach New York embark at the seven ports of
| Liverpool, Bremen, Glasgow, Hamburg,
| Havre, London and Antwerp. Considerably
less than half the number may set down as
Germans, ,sBremen alone having sent us during
| the first six months of the year nearly thirty
| thousand, Hamburg about fifteen tho usand,
Antwerp three thousand three hundred and
| sixty-eight.
The great migratory races in our time are
the Germans and the Irish. But vastly more
| Germans than Irish go West and settle down
| to farming. The Times thinks without count
ing the growth of our population, it is prob
able that we are now increasing at the rate of
one million every three years, and this added
to the natural increase, viii give US, at least
seventy-fve millions Of population before we
enter on the last decade of the century. The
Columbus (Ohio) Journal says we are not
aware how large an'mber of Germans have
come to this country since the accession of
Austrian territory by Prussia. Another i'm
portant fact is noticed; that large portion of
the emisrants for the past six months has
been young men who seek homes in the West.
When the above facts are taken into consider
alton, we can readily see the importance and
even necessity Of more avenues from the
West to the Atlantic coast and to European
markets Such facts are easily understood;
their bearings upon railways may be readily
comprehended.
This Oswego Committee say other Atlantic
ports besides New York are preparing to make
a vigorous struggle for the Western trade
The Day State is boring the Hoosac noun
tains in order to lower the grade between the
Hudson and the "Hub." This tunnel, the
committee think, is second in extent only
to that now being cut through Mount Gents
in Italy, and likely to equal that work in cost.
This Hoosac tunnel, four miles and half in
length, viii probably cost sum sufficient, in
the opinion Of this committee, to construct at
least three railroads such as the one proposed
trom Oswego to Niagara. The cost of con-
structihg railway up the valley of the Saco
and through the gorge of the White Noun
tains is small when compared with the enor
| nous expense Of boring the Hoosac noun
tains In the one case nature, in her primev-
| al upheavings, has opened the way as if she
anticipated this age of railroads, while in the
other, she seems TO have thrown up barrier
as warning togo some other way. In their
report the committee says: :"The city of Port
land, also, in view OF her excellent CONNER
cial position and pnequalled harbor, demands
her share of the western trade, and is NOV
| ing actively to secure it. There is now in op-
Grafton connected chain of railroads from
| Oswego direct to Montpelier, vt. They also
| allude to the delegation from this city and
the assurance the members Of it gave to the
| Oswego Board of Trade that railroad should
be constructed from Portland through the
| Notch to connect with the Vermont Central
thereby furnishing an all-rail communication
| to Oswego. -a+F
The history of the internal commerce of
| the country during the last fifteen years show
that railroads are to do the great bulk of the
carrying trade. The committee say: "Among
the great canals constructed for the transpor-
tation of produce, the Erie Canal is the only
| one which has not already proved failure"
The railroads have virtually superseded them
all. The tendency of trade has been, and is,
| towards greater rapidity in its transit between
| the West and Eastern markets. Long canals
are a '.slow coach, too slow to meet the wish
es of those who live in this fast age. Moth
| ing short of railroads and telegraphs will now
satisfy the merchant or the traveller. Celeri-
ty .of movement is the great desideratum,
AMI especially in matters of business and
trade. We repeat. The West is growing
more rapidly than we dream of; her products
are increasing with amazing rapidity. The
demand for new avenues to the Atlantic
grows louder every day, and it must and will
be met. The waters Of Portland harbor are
waiting to bear up the noble ships, freighted
with the products of the West. And. the mil
lions of Europe must yet be made glad with
the streams that pour through the Notch of
the White Mountains.