The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1869-05-05
THE GRAIN TRADE.


Chicago is an enterprising, go.ahead city,
which has had rapid growth, and naturally
INDUCES in high-reaohiDg anticipatiOns. We
forget how soon she is according to those an
ticipatioDs, to surpass New York in business
and population nor is 1t essential to remember.
Suffice 1t that she is city OF generous promise
and very considerable fulflment, whose sha-
dow we trust, will never be less.
OF late the fact that good deal Of Western
grain ia passing down the Mississippi on its
Way, via ST. Louis and New Orleans, to the
Rsst and TO Europe has arrested the attention
of her publ cists. They do not seem to know
exactly what to make of 1t. Chicago, they in
sist is the emporium of the Western grain
trade; andsomething must be wrong when
Western grain seeks the seaboard otherwise
than through Chicago. So editorials are writ
ten, and conventions held, and reports pro-
mulgated, with intent to stop the transit of
grain down the Mississippi and turn it to COM
ing East via Chicago-as yet, we believe, with
little effect.
One of the schemes under consideration pro.
poses q magnificent canal-or rather river
whereby the water of the lakes shall be made
to flow southwark through the Straits of
Maokinac and the heart of Chicago into the
Illinois, and so into the lower Ohio and Mis-
sissippi, at a cost of only SS4 000, 900, or some
such trife. The objection that Cairo would be
swamped-perhaps we should say reswampsd
and much of the valley of the Lower Mis-
sssippi drowned out by this "new CUT" does
not seem to make much impression, being
dwarfed by the prospect of seeing Detroit
Toledo, Cleveland, and Buffalo high and dry,
and Niagara Falls assimilated to a rural mill
dam in a dry summer; but the problem, GLOW
is Chicago to be benefited by such river ?" is
grave enough. To our mind it is plain that,
il the new river should float much of the soil
of Illinois, including the foundations of Chi
oago itself, into the Gulf of Mexico, it would
impel the 'Queen of the Lakes" to ship her
Own grain via New Orleans, and thus aggra-
vate the calamity she is seeking to avert. BY
annexiDg herself to the great valley, Chicago
would be far more likely to accelerate than
impede the momentum whereby produce now
seeks the East by way of the South.
A far more hopeful project is that of enlsrg-
ing and deepening still further our Erie Canal,
and thus diminishing the cost of reaching the
seabOard via Buffalo and Albany. This looks
practical but who is to bell the cat 1t must
cost heavily; and though Chicago may care
nothing for such fea-bite as SS4 600, 900,
New York has been sobered by experience and
does not take kindly to the suggestion of new
outlays and new debts, especially when it is
intimated that she is expected to disdain any
pecuDiary return. The general drift of Chi
cago and even of Northwestern opinion seems
to require that our State should, first, double
the capacity of her great ,anaI; secondly, re-
duce the tolls so that they could not possibly
reimburse her outlay; thirdly, cut Cor have
the Federal Government cuO magnificent
shunpike around Niagara Falls, 30 as to de-
prive that canal of half its natural traffic. We
should have to send TO Chicago for inanciers
competent to demonstrate the advantage to
our Taxpayers of these dashing operations
Finally, the recent Convention of Boards oi
Trade at Chicago adopted the report of its
committee, concluding as follows-
''Thirdly, Your committee asks your consideration
of the project of organizing, during the ensuing sea
son, for the purpose of pressing upon Congress the
necessity OF aiding the state OF New YORK to open
United States for the transportation of produce free
of toll; and to hasten the building of the Niagara
Ship Canal by the General Government All OF
which is respectfully submitted"
This goes to the root of the matter. If Con
gress shall see fit to devote one or two hun.
dred millions or so OF our surplus revenue %
to the purchase of the Erie and Oswego Canals,
and to doubling their capacity, and to making
ship canal around the Falls of Niagara, Chi
cago can doubtless hold her present grain
trade, and probably increase it. But st. Louis,
and New Orleans, and Cincinnati, and Mem
phis, will hardly be "enthused" by the pros
pect; nor will Norfolk and Baltimore, Pitts
burg and Wheeling, be likely to see their
account in it. On the whole, we cannot realize
that this new-old scheme of "paying the taxes
out of the Treasury" has living chance OF
success. Our Pacific Railroad experience is
yet fresh and by no means assuring; and we
apprehend that Uncle Sam feels too poor ,C
buy or dig grand canals just at present 81
we submit that the proposed purchase Of the
Erie and 0swego Canals by the Union-muct
more, the construction of Niagara ship cana
with Federal funds-must stand over for fur
ther and very deliberate consideration.