The Portland daily press., 1870-11-12
DAILY PRESS.
saturday Morning, Novembe, I2, 1870.
American COmm.,ce.

American COmm.rce
internal traihc during the last ten vears
has developed far more rapidly than our OK.
ternal trade. Carrying ships find little en-
ployment, while railroad transportation in
creases with geomet.ical progression. All
this is due to physical causes which are now
beginning to be better understood.
The striking feature in the physical geog-
raphy of North America, is the vastness Oi
the great interior basins of the continent
best fitted by nature of any portion of the
earth's surface for the production of food,
and the fact that the aflluents for its drainage,
taking their rise together in the interior of
the continent 1000 miles fiom the sea, reach
the ocean through two great rivers, almost as
widely separated from each other at their
mouth, as the breadth of the temperate zone,
one closed by ice with an arctic climate in the
winter months, the other impeded by circuit
ors navigation, and an unfiiendly climate,
subject at certain seasons to tropical diseases.
The products of these great basins find
their way out by artificial channels. Those
of the ST. Lawrence basin are compelled to
seek artificial outlets to the sea during FIVE
months of the year, and the outlets by rail-
way from the Mississippi valley to the sea-
board, afford better accommodations both in
speed of transit and the cost of moving
freight than the old route by the river.
The tapping of the St. Lawrence waters
by canal from the foot of Lake Erie to the
Hudson, navisable from thence to the sea,
planted a greater city at the mouth of
this inconsiderable river, greater than any one
yet found, upon the waters of the Mississippi
or the ST. Lawrence.
The cutting through OF the ridge that sep
arates the Atlantic slope from the interior
basins by canals, and the crossing of this di-
vide by numerous railroads, has shaped the
commercial history OF the country, and the
various Atlantic ports between Savannah at
the South and Portland at the North, have
sought to reach the basins OF the Mississippi
and the ST. Lawrence by numerous lines of
railroad already built; and the struggle is still
continued in numerous projects still incom-
plete to connect the Atlantic seaboard with
the West.
The more northern ports have the advan-
tage in their nearness to the markets OF Eu-
rope. From Philadelphia to Liverpool the
distance is $3.50 miles; from New York to
Liverpool is 3050 miles; from Boston to Liv-
erpool is 2930 miles; from Portland to Liver
pool is 2770 miles; from Halifax to Liverpool
is $500 miles, while from Quebec to Liverpool
is 1884 miles, and from Montreal to Liver
pool is 2S14.
The great hydrographical basin drained by
the st. Lawrence waters commonly known as
the Basin of the Lakes. has an area of 47O471
square miles, of which 1860 square miles
are included in the United States, the residue
359,722 square miles being under the domin-
ion of Canada. The bulk OF this territory
lies west of the lower end of Ontario, the
lowest of the great inland lakes which form
the Mediterranean sea of North America.
The United States hold 514 ,416 square
miles of territory upon the Atlantic slope, as
distinct from the Lake basin, s43,935 square
miles within the gulf region, PA, 900 miles
within the Mississippi valley and its tributa-
ries, and 1857 ,27S square miles west of the
Rocky mountains, including Alaska.
The Gulf States produce cotton and rice,
the seaboard States are more largely engaged
in manufactures and commerce, while the ten
Northwestern Atlantic States, with 6OO, ,2S7
square miles of territory, produce breadstuffs
sufficient to supply not only the wants of
their own population and that of other Sec
tions of the United States, but have large
surplus for export TO foreign countries.
There is large production of bread stuffs
in New York, Pennsylvania and other Allan
tic seaboard States, with but little surplus for
export, while several Of them rely almost ex-
clusively upon the Northwest for their supply
OF bread. New England consumes annually
more than 2O,oOO,OOO bushels of Western
wheat or its equivalent in -four, besides other
grains in proportion, and receives annually
from the West large supplies of food in the
form of pork, beef and other articles of ami
NAL food, of which, considerable quantities
are exported to foreign countries. But bread.
stufs form the principal article Of export
from the Western and Northwestern states
sent forward to the Atlantic seaboard for ex-
port, and for domestic consumption. The
movement of breadstuffs eastward in the year
1852, reached 1S7, ,667 $40 bushels, the highest
point ever reached, till 1869. The exporta-
tion of breadstuffs to foreign countries, for
the year ending Dec. 81, 1869, amounted in
value at the place Of export, to s73,S13, ,40S,
and the first seven months Of 1870, to the
amount of s30,7S6,1 ,101. Large as is the meas
ure Of these figures, the amount is ihsignii.
cant compared with the capabilities of the
grain growing West and Northwest to pro.
duce food. The most populous of the great
Western states is far from being fully cultiyat-
ed, and it is estimated that the State of Hi
nois, now the largest grain producing State Of
the Northwest, does not supply one-tenth the
quantity Of grain that her soil is capable o
annually producing; and it is confidently as
serted, that the interior Of the continent o.
North America is capable of producing eight
times the quantity Of food required for the
support of the human family; statement
which excites the enthusiastic hopes of the
half fed laboring millions of the old world.
1t is undoubtedly true that human foot
can be raised in the West and Northwest a
such rates as to largely supply the wants o
Europe.
A letter from the House of Messls. BARN:
Bros, submitted to the Oswego Transconti
mental Railway Convention in October 1860
asserted that 5O0,OO0,OOO bushels of Ameri
can wheat would annually find a market il
Europe, at the present cost of production, il
we could reduce TO its proper limits the cos
of transportation between the producer and
the consumer. Improved means of commu
nication upon the continent of North Ameri
ca will enable us to do this. 1t is this prob
lem that the people of the United States are
now seeking to solve.
The immense advantages OF the st. Law
renee outlet for western produce is just begin
ming to BE- realized by the improvement of its
river navigation, ship channel from Mon
treal harbor to the open sea, through which
large carrying steamers reach Montreal from
Liverpool. All idea of through steamers from
the upper lakes to Europe is now exploded
since the large steamers have come to Mon
treal. Produce flows down the St. Lawrenc
by water and by rail, so cheaply in the sum
mer months, as to give Montreal great adyau
tage over New York, while any surplus re
naming over at the close of navigation passe
by rail over the Grand Trunk line for shir
ment from Portland in the winter, and til