Rutland weekly herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1859-1877, 1869-09-23
THE RUTLAND HERALD
WEDNESDAY, SEPT. %. 1869.
A New Great National Work.

A NexU Great National Work.
A new work of national importance 10
proposed, which, if carried out, will excel
the Pacific Railways now constructed OF
to be constructed, but of which they are
the necessary complement. Ii, as some
in Europe and America maintain, that
the trade of the world is to abandon old
routes on both continents and cross the
very heart of this country from the mouth
of the Chesapeake by water, to Omaha, or
northwardly to the base of the Rocky
Mountains, the United States will event.
ually absorb the India trade of all ma
tons far greater than railway transporta-
sion, the whole distance between the
oceans.
The new proposition is to open q way
across the Virginia mountains, broad and
deep enough to drain of produce, the Mis-
sisssippi valley. due eastward, into the
Chesapeake. The old James river, and
Kanawha Canal ,-already finished half
the distance,-was intended to connect
the waters of the James river, with those
OF the Kanawha, a tributary of the Ohio
river; but the proposed new canal is to
be of a capacity, equal at least to the
Erie Canal. Such a Canal, by supplying
400 miles of this route, would open the
way for transportation, without tram
shipment, between the Ocean and 1900
miles of already navigable inland waters.
This project is to be presented to Con-
gress at its next session. Great conside.
rations of national defence are said by
military men to justify it, but the great
commercial advantage that is to be gained
is the manner in which it would effect
the grain interests of the west. 1t ap-
pears by the official reports of the United
States Engineers charged with surveys
etc, of the proposed national canals in
the north west, that the dangers of Lake
navigation, the numerous transhipments
the necessity of much Railroad carriage
and the close of navigation fve-twelfths
OF the year, besides the heavy tolls the
Erie Canal, all make the cost of carrying
Western grain to the seaboard enormous
by existing routes. 1t is reported that
from Dubuque te New York, the
freight and charges amount to sixty.
eight cents per bushel. The effect Of
this is that before the producer ettso
market he has spent the bulk of the grain
in paying the way. The eastern purcha.
of Nh En- nd 70 rph <au
price the demand imposes upon an article
already enhanced in value, by such,heavy
way charges.
1t is claimed, upon very careful analo.
gjes and other data, that the sixty-eigh
cents might be reduced half or even three
quarters, if this great Atlantic canal were
opened 80 that Western grain could reach
Now York, Boston and other sections O.
the East through the port of Norfolk, Vir
giIia. The far West must now pay al
muck to get grain to Chicago as they
would then pay to get it to the sea board
The reduction of carrying cost would
naturally divide itself equally between
. the consumer and producer, so that while
the people of New York would get thei,
broad cheaper, the farmer of Ohio would
sell his wheat higher. The great product
ioliin corn, now unknown in many for
cign countries as breadstuff, could Their
be eheaply sent abroad, to make it an ar
t'ele of consumption for the poor of al
Christendom, and would have the effec,
of bringing into existence new Ameri
can export that might rival cotton in time
a a source of national wealth.
There are other projects of similar oh ar
sc.er proposed all of which appear chin
srioal to the present generation, as many
81 the improvements now perfected die
t. those who preceded US. However grea,
MY seem thisproposed undertaking, ye
vho shall say the present generation may
not ee it fully realized?
DISEASE AMONG ENGLISH CATTLE
A letter dated August % has been re
Ceivci from Thom4s II Dudley ESQ