The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1871-07-13
RichmOnd.s Future.

JULY H. 1911.
Editors Dispatch In my last letter, a;
published in The Dispatch, say the whea'
crop of 1853 in Minnesota and Wisconsin
was forty three millions bushels OF wheat
Il should have been 1869. In 1854 the
| writer travelled UP the Mississippi river te
i st. Paul in q steamboat loaded WITH nour
| bacon, corn, and whiskcy Tor The cmlgrant;
| who were then settling that beautiful coun'
| try. Fifteen years afterwards, III 1901 Ini'
| Young eisnt, Minnesota, made j crop 0
| twenty millions bushels Of wheat.
; In our last we endoavored to show thal
| Richmond. located at the nearest tldu
| point to the great Valley Of the West,
| would be able, through her great water
power, to control and manufacture the I'M
meuse winter wheat crop of this American
egyDt. Richmond's location with regard
to The tobacco crop is equally advantageous,
We see that the crop OF 1870 is estimated
at thirty-two millions dollars. Much the
largest part Of this is grown in Virginia,
Kentucky. and Missouri. The two latter
States will find the ChcSlDeake and Ohio
road their best outlet for their tobacco, rs
it has been proved to be for theiv wheat and
their meat. Richmond, located in the midst
Of the best tobacco region, must soon again
become the most extensive tobacco manu-
featuring city in the world, as she was be-
fore the war. This must create a large de-
mand for the we'd, aud will make Rlch-
mond Il most important tobacco market.
No place can ever become u great CONNER
cial Underwater city unless she IS aOle al ell
times To furnish & mixed cargo to trading
vessels. Ships seldom desire TO load with
either cotton, flour, tobacco, or metal alone;
q very large majority seek m assorted cargo.
the heavier articles enabling them to fill up
with those that are lighter and more bulky.
4 ship can be more probably loaded with
a portion Of either -four, provisions, or to-
blcco and cotton, than shc can with cotton
alone. Hence vessels always prefer enter
iny the ports OF New York or New Or
leans for freight. knowing that at all times
they can be loaded without delay.
We have shown how Richmond may
always have this assorted cargo, except
cotton. Take Memphis rs a cotton-centre
land she is very soon to become Il great
onc). Cotton can be brought by steamers
from Memphis to Huntington, thence by
the Chesapeake and Ohio road to Rich
monG, at less cost h 1t can reach tide
by any inland route that now exists. When
l. reaches Richmond, where can he found
4 superior point for its manufacture aud
distribution? The great trouble heretofore
with Richmond has been the want of out
lets to the markets of the West and South.
Although she possessed Il w~ater-power I'M
surpassed, what did it avail her without
railroads to distribute her manufactured
products? That great obstruction to Rich
mond's prosperity is soon to cease. The
Chesapeake and / hio to the West, and the
PENNSYLVANIA railroad to the South, will
open ma! kets that will absorb all that
Richmond can ever make.
We are often reminded Of the great SINH
larity Richmond bears to Glasgow, on the
Clyde, in Scotland. Both cities remote
from the sea, located on comparatively
small streams-the Clyde the smallest-each
requiring artificial dredging and scraping
to render their channels wide and Geep
enough to admit largc-siZed vessels. Gla>-
COW has persevered and overcome all the
formidable obstacles that blocked up her
channel-eXictly as Richmond is now
dong. Glasgow has no great waterfall like
Richmond. She has no rich trade fields
like Richmond. Situated close to the coal
field Of Scotland, close to the great Carts
heme and other iron.producing furnaces,
she has through the energy and enterprise
of the indomitable Scotch character, en-
larged her harbor, cleaned out and Widened
her channel for large steamers to approach
the town. She has established the most
extensive iron manufactures, chief amongst
which is the building iron ships and iron
steamers. To-day Glasgow is certainly the
third, we believe the second, city IN the
British Empire-second only to London IN
population and wealth. When she entered
on her career Of prosperity she had not
more wealth or population than Rich.
mond---not half her natural advantages.
We hope she did not have more enter
prise. Why cannot Richmond follow her
Successful example? Where is there u bet
ter location for building iron steamers than
Richmond? Why not inaugurate this
great and profitable branch OF manufacture
in Virginia at once? 1t must soon be done
somewhere. Why not in Richmond? The
wooden ship and steamer will sOon be
counted, like the old stage coach, as one OF
the things Of the past.
The commercial marine Of the United
States was destroyed during the war. 1t
has all to be again rebuilt. The improved
iron steamer must supplant the old one OF
| wood. Cannot Richmond take the lead in
this magnificent enterprise OF: building up
| again the commercial marine Of America /
| She is now building successfully an iron
propeller. Why cannot she build ONT
| hundred or one thousand, rs they
| may be wanted. No branch OF manufacture
| pays as well. a huge fortune awaits the
| successful pioneer in this business. Com.
merce works wonders in building up cities
| Manufactures much greater wonders. Ten
men would probably be able to do the busi.
| ness OF q wholesale mercantile establish
| ment, selling u million u year. OF this mil.
lion $500, 000 would 20 out Of the State to
pay tor the goods bought. 70 produce Il
million by manufactures would probably
require one thousand men. Neurly the en-.
tire million would be LETT in the State to pay
for material, wages, rents, DC, TO say moth
ing of the population made by the one thou.
sand over the. ten.. Count the men EN-
ploycd in and about the Tredegar Works,
and calculate. what o. hundred such mills
would do for Richmond. How much they
would add TO both her population and her
wealth. You would then learn what III i'll
crease OF prosperity would spring from
Duliaihg iron steamers. The foundation OF
success must be her manufac-
lures. her commercial superstructure must
arise from this foundation. There cannot
be found on the York or lower James a To-
cGtlon Tor Il city to be compared with Nor.
idik. She has had for several wears in
successful operation an all-railroau line TO
Memphis, the very heart of the great Mis-
sissippi valley. What has it done for Nor.
folk! Has IL made her the great commer.
cial emporium every true Virginian antici-
patedI Far from it. Norfolk to-day is but
a waY-station between New York and Nom
Dhis-lha trade fraisfnrred from, r,Ji -