Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1872-06-21
THE GRAIN TRADE-NEW ORLEANS
vs.. NEW YORK.

Under the above heading the readers
Of the APPEAL will remember IN
teresting articles recently published,
which asserted that grain while IN
trdltsitu, Ella the river or New Orleans
route, would be damaged by heat. On
the other hand it was eontended that
heat had nothing to do with it, but that
other reasons existed why the grain and
other commercial wealth of the upper
valley, which properly belonged TO the
river route, is borne away to New York
and the East by railways and canals.
As proof Of these assertions so clearly
set forth by 'Refcrmer," we publish the
following interesting letter from Captain
George II. Ray, of st. Louis, President
of the Mississippi Valley Transportation
Company, 50 heavily engaged in the
transfer Of grain and other western pro-
ducts to the East and to Europe. 1t not
only settles the question of the Mum
chausen story of destructive heating,
but shows that with all present difficult
ties, Of small sailing ships and ocean.
steamers, with high-priced coal, the diff
iculties at the mouth of the Mississippi,
and the enormous port charges of New
Orleans, grain is now transported from
within one hundred miles Of the great
lakes-ria New Orleans-to New York,
Liverpool OF Continental Europe for
twenty-six cents a bushel, two cents
cheaper than by the northern route,
along whichit is admitted large amounts
of grain are damaged in canal boats.
What the commerce of the great valley
wants is a ship canal that vessels of the
largest class may pass from the Mis-
sissippi to the deep waters of the
Gulf without delay and at little
cost The Barratsria canal is most
practicable, and viii cost but a
triie when compared with the vast
results il will attain. Then, with Great
Easterns to meet u great iron steam
graineries and barge lines, with eleva-
tors 20 transfer grain at the least possible
expense and delay, it will be transport
ed from any port in the Northwest to
New York, the East, Liverpool, or the
Continent, for less than ten cents a BUSH
81, all of which viii be a clear saving to
the producer. This is not all. Every
article imported will be proportionauy
reduced in cost. This alone Fan give
commercial Independence TO this great
Western Central Empire. These are the
great sinews Of commercial power and
political supremacy. Why not grasp
them? Why can we not have grain ele-
vators here? Would not the Kansas
City railroad tap vast grain fields and
bring their products here, in cars. in
bulk, as at Chicago? With elevators to
transferit into barges, or into great steam
ships, Memphis may become an inland
seaport, as well as a great commercial
and manufacturing mart and railway
center of America. II stands at the
head of ship navigation, where neither
ice nor disease place an embargo upon
trade. In the heart of a country capa-
BILE of maintaining a population Of a
thousand million Of human beings, des-
tined at no distant day to be the most
wealthy and powerful empire that has
ever existed, there is no reason why this
may not become an imperial city. We
have the forests for ship timber, and all
kinds of lumber; we have iron and coal
fields Of Alabama and OF Arkansas
awaiting only the completion of two
railways for their development and util-
izatiOn, and now we must have the
great canal. The Kansas City road, the
elevators, the ships, mills and factories
will follow in quick succession.
Mr.. Rea says:
ST. LOUIS, Juneh
John coWdons ESD Memphis, Tennessee:
ER-Yours Of the, second Instant is at
hand, and In answer, viii say that all