The New Orleans crescent. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1866-1869, 1868-05-01

water route from Lake Michigan to New
York, and it offers them without the expendi-
ture of seventeen millions in gold, or even of
one million in paper, for making canals or for
charging canals and rivers This is not the
view, however of the writer whom we have
quoted. Being, as he states, Western
trader, doing business in Milwaukee, he is
naturally predisposed to look unfavorably on
route which, although cheapening trans
portation between the West and the East
tends to divert produce from Milwaukee as a
metropolis of the Western grain trade. 1t is
not surprising that, under such a predisposi-
ton, he should speak of that route as fol-
lows:
Efforts have been made and are now making to
export Western products via the Mississippi river
and New Orleans. barge system for grain has
been introduced, and agents are preparing to
grant through bills of lading from the Upper Mis-.
sissippi, ST. LOUIS, etc. The cost Of transport by
this route must be more expensive than the East
ern route. At New Orleans there is a limited de-
mand for the agricultural productions Of the
upper portion Of the rivers. The vessels from
New Orleans have large export cargoes Of the
productions OF the lower country, and a very
limited amount of return freight, and have an in
creased length of voyage to reach European
eastern Atlantic ports. The climate of tie lower
country injuriously affects most of the products
Of the Northwest and diminishes their value when
shipped by that route. The expense of trans
teTTiDg cargoes at New Orleans will, | think, be
greater than at the Northeast. All these circum
stances combine to the prejudice of this route,
and will probably coDhne the exports by il TO a
narrow belt along the Ohio, and along the Upper
Mississippi, between Cairo and Des MONIES Rapids.
Results of shipments of grain via New Or
leans, already made, under difficulties attend
ing first experiment, and which are quite
avoidable in future, leave no foundation of
fact for the assertion that "the cost of trans
port by this route must be more expensive
than the Eastern route" 1t is also a pure
piece of fancy to suppose that the Eastern
route has any advantage ON the score of re-
turn freight for vessels. There is Just as
much reason why the West should receive
Eastern and foreign merchandise through the
Mississippi river, as through the great lakes,
the St Lawrence River, Lake Champlain and
the Hudson river. The climatic objection to
the Mississippi belongs to the same fanciful
category Mere warm weather is not fatal to
grain. 1t is just as possible for grain to pass
in pure and wholesome condition through
the waters of the Mississippi river and the
Gulf of Mexico, as through the waters of the
Eastern route. As large proportion is ex-
posed to damage by moisture on the latter
route as on the former, and il this damaged
grain can be dried and restored on the one, it
can, with equal facility on the other. As for
the expense of transferring cargoes at New
Orleans, no objection in that regard-thanks
to the intelligence and enterprise of the West
ern men who are establishing in this city an
extensive elevator system-can any longer be
nationally urged 1t is well to consider, at
the same time, that system of transporta-
ton in propellers, without breaking bulk, is
not less practicable for the Southern than for
the Eastern route. This fact would always
be in reserve as a remedy against exorbitant
charges for transfer of cargoes.
1t is also necessary, in a fair comparison of
the two routes, to notice the fact that the
Northern one is closely locked up by ice for
nearly half the year, while the other remains
open winter and summer. The clear interest
of Western producers, therefore, demands
that they should promote all enterprises which
may tend to augment and improve the ship
ping facilities of the Southern route, and to
render them cheap and permanent