The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1868-04-23

TxV0s
~. of The favorable and sncous ~ -
;ns.s .,mpsoms Of the present, :
.ornd growing and healthy prqsp - =
f.,nre, Is the increased attention. Z ssa e
making the Mississippi the hehv fos s. =. :.
,r.de Of the inland States. Tbs afguneiee
nom. We have stated it repeatedl Pc:
;r... men know how large connecfaoA -
TRANSPORTATION has with the growth Of ths
$50 ubnokfNs SEiiSdmsds, bat ssidssssi
III, thssupmess = making n impression
81 tho public mind, and that the rivsr trade
xiii nssaiiy aud ssorsVsuiy incfs1ss
that the peorlas4 xAst 10 kpew. AMI
because Of this, inssesd u IN sdisosial Of oul
own on the subject We taks this article from
the New York Bulletin, which shows that thu
attention of that metropolis is attracted q
this matter. That paper says:
The increasing tendency Of western 'raue
toward lbs. Ms1sAppi ,Hiyer 1eaie = s.
! IA m non FL mefe iSdAfin bnaanne. ~
.nt;ss ns1ueiir;on baa bse1 ipaugafated p
M nfIesns to attract . portion Of western
commerce. and, so far, il has met with
MARKED success. Heavy shipments OF grain
in hulk have been already made from Ch,ca'
20. Seventy thousand bushels recently ar-
rived ia New Orleans, and arrangements
have been made for regular delivery, and
a large elevator is now. in course OF COP
struction and will soon be finished to iacili.
tate this traffic. Measures are now IN pro-
press for the erection, opposite TO the eleva-
tor, of fine wharf i'll the upper part OF The
city. Parties from the upper rivers have
visited the city, with view TO the selection
Of that route for produce. The new trade in
cattle between Texas and the Northern States
ia relied upon 10 strengthen this trafic By
alfordipe retained freigtts Of live btcck to the
river transports. Business men IN New Or.
leans see in this opening trade 1 means los
returning prosperity, and are most sanguine
of the results.
The Western commission merchants seem
to favor this route, and the fact that chicago
dealers, with characteristic enterprise ad
vance funds on bills of lading directed TO
New Orleans, the same as TO northern ports.
is looked uptn at New Orleans as most ia
rorabe to the interests of that city. 1t is
claimed that freight by the river route Is
cheaper than BY railroad and canal transpor-
tation to the Northern Resboard. and II is 10
the interest of parties IN New Orleans to re-
dpee il 10 a. low q point as possible.
There seems to be little doubt that the
stream of river trade to New Orleans is .des-
tined to few ia An increasing volume. There
ia certainly marked disposition at Chicago
to encourage il n much a. poasikls "A few
DAYS ago resolutions were Adopted on Change
in that city to the effect that the heavy tolls
nponthe Erie Canal and The Snthern routes
OF railroad travel invested the Mississippi
river with economical features that rendered
Ii more attraetiseto shippers. The Illinois
Central Kairoad is slso disposed to co-ope
rate yith this mavement and has contracted
for the regular transportation of grain to the
South, either for the coas.ing or foreign
trade
II Is so much to the interest or the West to
encourage competing lines Of transportation
thas Il would naturally aid in the tesumption
Of the old direct trade with New Orleans. In
this movement there IS nothing necessarily
alarming or mimic al TO New York commerce.
But il is desirable that our business men and
capitalists should take notice of the aoeive
competition that Ii taking place fof the vala-
able trade Of The West, and take care that
no portion OF il shall be lost for want of en-
terprise and energy.
Il is signiacan. that the Northwest should
be looking out for increased facilities oftrans.
portaiion BY any and. every route, and il
should be remembered that We have BY no
means q monopoly Of the lake commerce.
New York has active and busy rivals, and all
thong there may be no reason TO doubt that
We shall not always be able to bold our own.
pet il should be remembered that this IL not
enough. We must not only keep down any
thing Ike monopoly OF canal OF railroad
charges. bat re should also increase our IA
cili,Ies TO SUIT the growing development Of
the West. The valley Of the Mississippi is
growing at q rate thar will for generations to
come overflow all the natural and artificial
routes to the sec board. Tbs great want OF
the West is Increased transportation for its
surplus produce to the ocean. Ii is just pos
sibIe that pride in our commercial superiority
may provoke union Of interests between the
South and the Northwest that may not only
divert a large portion Of Western commerce
TO other sources, but also cut off the trade
with the Pacific by Intervening it at Panama
Tor distribution via the Mississippi river.