The New Orleans crescent. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1866-1869, 1868-11-01
The New Middle states.

The Atlantic Almanac, for 1863, contains an ar
tice on that part Of our republic drained by the
mississippi, which, on many accounts is worthy
OF attention, as connected with the future pros
poets ot increase and wealth of the whole country
Not very long after the settlement of Boston, per
sons employed 10 explore the country and lay out
the public roads reported that they had done so,
as far as they believed ever would be necessary
which was about seven miles west of the colleges
at Cambridge. This to them was the beginning OF
the great West. Settlements afterwards made in
the valley of the Connecticut removed the limit a
little further. The Indian wars and the Revolution
carried It to the Ohio, In our latitude, and to the
Mohawk further north then it soon advanced to
the Mississippi, and still further away beyond the
Missouri and the Mexican war, and the discovery
OF gold IN California removed the boundary of our
Great West to the Pacific Ocean. The States in
the valleys vstered by the Mississippi and its tri-
butaries may, therefore, now be Justly termed our
a. Middle States.n -
The Atlantic sesboard of the United States ex.
tends about 1900 miles, and the Mississippi and its
tributaries open up an inland navigation of 30 600
miles, upon the bosom of which is now floating an
amount Of commerce three times as great in value
as the whole foreign commerce of the country In
former times the trade with foreign ports was
looked upon as our most important interest. It il
now dwarfed by the transportation and handling
OF domestic produce for domestic markets.
I'D lsbO the entire product OF the United States
was 81 SOC, 000, 600. Its exports were less than
one.finh OF this amount, leaving four. ifths to be
II hes been said that at the present time not
more than one-ffteenth of the business of New
York city is based upon foreign commerce.
The mississippi drains LIS, 900 square miles,
which rs more than half the number of square
miles IL the whole United States and the surface
contains 76s COO 900 of acres of the finest land in
the world. IL has space for one hundred aud fifty
states the size Of Massachusetts,, and. were its
population IN the same proportion, IL would con-
tain more than five times the present population
nil cd his
more than one acre in five is under cultivation,
and the vast resources of coal and minerals have
hardly begun to he fairly developed. The four.
teen States which comprise this region claim
Though this Is without reason. that they pay
more than one. half the taxes, and that they work
more than bali the improved land. and have q
majority Of the population OF the United States.
The value Of the annual commerce of the Misss-
sppi u estimated at 81 900 900 600. ana the agri-
cuturSl bureau. bssing its calculations upon past
results estimates that in the year 1900 the cereal
products Of the West will amount TO more than
5000 COG, 900 bushels. "
The value of crops. as well as the productions
OF the mines and the forest, depend mainly on
facilities fer transportation, either natural arti
fetal. The Mississippi is but one Of the outlets
OF thejyast region through which ii passes. The
great lakes open wide belt of this country, and
canals and railroads bring every farm within easy
distance Of natural navigation. The estimated
cost Of conveying q ton Of merchandise mile on
the ocean Is from half o cent to one and half
cents on the lakes two cents, on the river two
oDd three,ioorth cents, on the canals two TO Eve
cents and on the railroads three cents to thirteen
and q half cents. OF the amount of grain re-
ce.veS at Chicago, seventy.fve per cent comes
by railway, but from that city only ten per cent. is
sent.by the lakes. The merchants, manufacturers
and consumers of the East have an interest 10 re.
duoipG the cost of transportation to the lowest
possible point, and this can most easily be effected
by IMPROVING the water communications. Cheap |
country and IL II IL secured the resources of the
vast aud fertile regions even further West. will |
De des eloped as surely as time endures, and more
EsPidT than we can ut present imagine.