New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1872-09-29
From s.. LouIs to the. sea-The Proposed


y year or more since the Democrat con
y tanned a series of articles in relation to
Z the proposition of Colonel p. H Rainford,
g of Texas, to open a continuous water path
e from New. Orleans eastward, through
= chain OF estuaries, bayODs, lakes Iagoons
= sounds and rivers, to the st. Johns or the ST.
}. Mays rivers to the Atlantic. 1t was
=. shown that our river vessels might follow
this water way clear through its entire
length, and communicate directly with
I large ocean vessels i'll the harbor OF St.
:, Johns, or such other harb0r as might be.
! fixed upon as the terminus Of the route,
i and IN addition to the large through trade
: nov done with Europe, st. Louis would
increase her Southern order trade i'm
menseIy were such an extensive and cheap
8 thoroughtare opened up to her. Although
= the Democrat has not had occasion to a}ude
i, TO this enterprise very recently, we state
. the matter has not been lost sight of nor
Y | abandoned
, Some gentleman travelling in England.
noticing, probably, that the London Times
was devoting some time and space to the
material interests of the Mississippi valley,
,, has addressed that journal a letter upon
the importance of this proposed new water
,, way. We lind it contained ip the Zines Of
August 22o as follows:
TO the Editor OF the Tmes9
SR-There is a project being discussed
among the people Of the cotton and food
producing States Of the American Union
which if carried Qut-and it is claimed to
be eminently praCticable-"will greatly alter
the centres, the usages and the routes Of
commerce between them and the countries
OF Europe, and will also put the cereals OF
America in successful competition with
those OF Central and Eastern Europe. and
especially so in England
The great maize, wheat and meat region |
OF this country lies west of the Mississippi
| river, and from which they are now carried. !
| according to q statement of Commodore !
,Maury, either round the SOrtu0us and dan.
gerous Florida passage Or over railroad !
| portage of 1900 to 1900 miles to New York |
and Baltimore, at a cost fully eGual to that I
| OF the production. To avoid these difficult !
| ties and greatly lessen the cost Of delivery
| at Atlantic ports, plan is proposed, which, |
| to the general reader, Will at first seem to
be q huge and impracticable undertaking.
| and yet, when investigated, is found NOT
only to be feasible and Of cheap accomplish.
ment, but one which promises the highest
| benefits, not only to the food producers of
| the Western States, but to European con.
sumers as well.
This plan is to create a new branch of the
Mississippi river, commercial pr0Iongation
OF that stream eastward, trayersing the
Gulf tier OF the States through q chain of
estua9es which fringes the Gulf from that
river to the head of the Florida peninsula
and then by rivers 1.-THE Suwannee and the
st. Nary which virtually bisect that PENN
sula pass out to two or more Of the best |
harbors on the Atlantic. The channel is to
be made sufficiently large to admit the
quick and easy passage of the huge fat {
bottomed freight carriers of the Mississippi
the largest of which, with cargoes Of a hun t
dred thousand bushels each, do not draw {
over six feet of water.
1t is estimated the entire work will cost C
less than $l2,000,000, and that bv such an L
outlet an immense saving can be made On p
the transportation to Atlantic ports of the \
heavy and bulky commodities Of the West. b
ern States, and that through this route c
wheat can be put in Liverpool from that i
section at half the cost now required to Il
take it to New York by rail and by the Il
Northern States,
At home or abroad there is no work now
in which the people of Western
Europe can take greater interest as it inc Ii
wolves the question Of cheaper food for
themselves and a more direct commerce ! =,
with the sections producing it, "+
am, sir, etc. ~. ~, "
we are glad TO Know that the affairs Of " "
The West are coming under discussion in -
he English papers, and are equally pleased ~ ~
hat Colonel Painford's proposition has not :,
1een abandoned by its friends. =; p
The city of Fernandina, Florida. seems 90 =. ="
De specially inclined to move forward in the L
OF procuring the opening Of this ~
lew water path. and her board Of trade ~ ~
AVE recently adopted g preamble and reso. n,
uti0n Teciting the great benefit which will -
ccrue to the West and South from the Ia 80"
Of this thOroughfare, and re. p
diving that it would be a wise aud proper e.;
ming tOE cities and towns most Interested i ;I'
0 select delegates e. attend contention ! -lS'
Iblch should lave the she consideration Of 49,
10 onI ra5It;, 49,, ,y, Us p ea.h' mi
nlar form, and directed to the various y; -.
cards OF trade. chambers Of commerce, ; 10
)uncllS and other authorities Of Che cities III
nj towns deemed to be 8italIy Interested "''
| the establishment OF the proposed new
)ute. We presume the board Of directors
our Merchants Exchange and Board of IL. :
rade have received copies of this circular. we we
ld we presume they will promptly com the
unicate 10 Mr.. T. Livingstone, president Ia
the Fernandina Board of Trade. their leg
to select delegates to the pro- o." %
)sed convention Cc'
st. Louis, and every other city situated jar,
Jon any Of the navigahle streams OF fine a az
basin. ought to be warmly in cial
vor OF every proposed new water path few
hich will extend the area of their nav;- al
bic waters, and give them new outlets to III
e yea. The proposed Coosa canal is a rn,
od thing and should have our aid. The daT,
orida ship canal is another important tb,.
terprise, and merits our support, The LaG,
,rt st. Philip canal, below New Orleans, ! Tia
so, bespeaks our active sympathies. Ti3
7
i43 CGt - o"not esI0ie, low nearly Will
l. oh91S me- ed99o lachlties 10 our sire
tronage, while this enterprise of Colonel i! I've
yinfOrd's strikes us as Offering superior
lde advantages over all the others. and
serves our earnest and constant support ! 49,
We think the plan of a convention at "
itch this grand enterprise shall come ex- Sum
siyely under discussion an admirable ,TacE
3 and suggest that it should be held in n,
s city as soon as proper arrangements ft
l be made. At all events let it be in 80 -, %
le to make up its influence felt upon the "a
ming Congress. st. Louis is rather the ~ a.
st central position ON this route is easy So flLG
lion hot+nr +on nll3 Jul its p
ere should be delegates from Mn Gu; ;,itr'
polls, st. Paul, Hastings, Winona, - -
Crosse, Dubuque, Burlington, Daven sdT,.
t, KeoIzuk and Quincy, on the o oIlLJ
yer Mississippi; from La Sale, Pc d d,,e'r
:, Pekin, Naples, Henry and Boards Of ~ -
n, on the Illinois river; Sioux City 49,,
aha, st. Joseph, Atchison, Leavenwerth ~,
Kansas City on the Missouri, as well X
veil as from all of the important points rac+
n the lower rivers. Thus it Will be seen roii 2
st. Louis is centrally situated III refer a.
e to the delegations likely to attend " ~ ,z ="
b a convention, and is undoubtedly the 80 80.
per place for holding it, We presume I I.1o4
trade organizations or municipal an oTSI
titles OF the above named towns have nil wat
lived one Of the circulars alluded to- Soinp
hope they viii attend to the request If
.ains at once. But lest some Of them
have mislaid their copy, we print the Aork
lmble and resolution. as follows: Tht