New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1868-12-09
THE LAKE BORGNH SHIP CANAL AND THE
LUMBER TRADE OF NEW ORLEANS.

AOMohh 4hAuh VI NEW UhLEANS,
The Board of Public Works gave out
yesterday the contract for building Grand
Levee. The contract includes about a
million and half feet of lumber at forty
dollars per thousand. This price is by no
means extravagant. But were the ship
canal between the Mississippi aad Lake
a Borgne. ten miles,below New Orleans, CON-
pleted, this lumber could be delivered at
the Grand Levee, at a profit, for half the
above price, i. e. twenty dollars per thou
sand. The saving to. the State would be
$50,
We mention this as but a simple
instance of the direct interest of the State
of Louisiana in this important enterprise.
Cut the narrow isthmus which separates
the Mississippi and Lake Borgne by
naVigable canal, SO that barges, sailing
vessels and steamboats, could land at the
sawmills along the Mississippi sound, and
discharge their cargoes anywhere along
the banks of the Mississippi, and the price
of lumber from St. Louis to the Balize out
side of New Orleans, would at once decline
several dollars per thousand. It costs a
planter on the lower coast ten dollars per
thousand to transport lumber from New
Basin canal to bis plantation.
While Chicago, during the last year, re-
ceiVed.over 1000 300, coo feet oflumber, and
Albany nearly as much, New Orleans re-
ceiVed during the same time, from the vast
pineries bordering Aississipps Sound
barely 81 100000 feet Yet at our very
doors are by far the finest pine forests 10
the UajeH. The lumber which at Chicago,
Albany and St. Louis brings $50 can be
loaded alongside the mills at Pascagoula
at $40 per thousand. We're the Lake
Borgne Ship Canal completed all this
would be eh angea. The cost of trane-
Of humber at New Orleans is an
absolute Prehi bitioa to the trade.
One of the chief obstacles in the way of
the commerce Of New Orleans is the want
of return fire. ights for steamboats, and
barges running up the Mississippi, and for
outward beulAd ships. New Orleans re-
ceived last ear from the interior, with
other items, 1904 hogsheads and 3G,670
boxes tobacco, 15a,3O4 barrels potatoes,
976,691 sacks oats. 1,6I0,642 sacks corn,
$685. 900 barrels foNr. Over 100000
bushels Of wheat are now beirg started
down stream, il bnIk. New Orleans is
60, 80, - ,.a+ ,,.or., 4han IN o0n onn k..Lui 4
wheat during the next six months. These
products are both heavy and bulky. What
have we for return freights Coffee, sugar
and merchandise going up the river do net
require one-iOuIth Of the tonnage now en-
ployed in bringing down Western pro-
duce. To supply this deficiency, to make
barge transportation complete success,
We should have loads Of emigrants from
Europe, cattle from Texas. and especially
lumber from the inexhanstible pine forest
adjacent to New Orleans. ~
New Orleans imported from Brayil last
year only 1O7 $50 sacks Of coffee, con-
siderably less than one-tentb Of the total
amount received in the whole country. We
ought to import two-thirds Of it by way Of
New Orleans. We could do 50 were we in
! q position to furnish the return freights Of
lnmner, which Brazil now gets from Maine
and Norway. We need, and especially the
Wet needs, the fruits and other tropical
/ produeliona Of the West Indies, Mexico aud
Central American regions. Ia all those
regions our lumber is in constant demand.
There is scarcely limit 70 he demand for
oar squared pine umber in Great Britain,
Franco, Spain and I,aly. Cotton aud sugar
lufhl4u lfelButs jug - 11lIulil ulHnUHa VI
The year The same viii a measure. Be
| tfae Of gsain.. But lumber mpsrishStle
SD always % demand. Could -. aoatea
directly into ths Mississippi % " % BE-
loaded u20d bdfses Of ships, Who lah.e1.
ti1tats sh5 Qa4Ati4y lhAf would BE rs4 I'D
ieE me AIA4lsaIprl sSlley. iof the West n