The Daily state journal. [volume] (Alexandria, Va.) 1868-1874, 1873-05-16
FRIDAY EvEN'G, MAY 16. 1873.
our Great Highway to the Sea.

Our Great Highway TO the Sea.
We publish to-day, in another part of
our paper, the dispatch received yesterday
by Colonel Darlington from the Virginia
delegation in st. Louis, stating that the
convention now sitting there had adopted
resolutions in favor of the James River
and Kanawha canal as the best means of
connecting the waters of the Atlantic with
the great Mississippi Valley. The conven-
ton now assembled at st. Louis, like that
held last week in New York city, cries out
for cheap transportation. The demand Of
the great agricultural interests of the West
and Northwest everywhere second this cry,
and the attention of the national govern
ment is so loudly called to this subject that
it will be difficult for the representatives of
the people in the next Congress to give the
matter any longer the go-by. With such
clamor for the solution of this important
problem-that Of cheap transportation-the
members of Congress must be as blind as
beetles, if they do not give heed to the
question gifts solution.
1t is estimated that the value of the farm
products of the states west of the Allegha-
MES, and represented in the st. Louis con-
vention, amount to over one thousand
million dollars per annum, with an
enormous surplus seeking the seaboard
markets through means Of cheaper carriage
than can be reached except by river and
canal transportation. Grain moved from
Chicago to New York and other Atlantic
cities by the great northern water line, has
to be handled twice or three times in its
transit, while for four or five months
Of the year navigation is practi-
cally closed by the frosts, or such
high rates Of insurance (the navigation be-
ing deemed extra hazardous in the earlier
and later months Of the season on the Up
per Lakes as to make the cost of trans
portation exceed that of production. On
the other hand, the great Virginia water
line offers none Of these distractions, and
will require no extra handling of grain and
other freights from any of the states on the
waters of the Ohio, Mississippi, and thei
numerous navigable tributaries, Dor
dering on or running through the grea
agricultural section we have named
as represented in the st. Louis
convention. This is the chief desideratun
to be sought in cheap transportation, ant
will make the Cherished scheme of Wash
ington," Of connecting the West with thu
Atlantic seaboard by means Of the James
Knawha, and Ohio rivers, the one ultimate
ly commencing itself over all others.
We have already shown that the cost 0
completing our great water line, affording
constant and uninterrupted channel of com
merce between the West and the East
will be more than reimbursed il
saving to the agricultural ant
other producing interests of the grea
West, the first year it shall be opened ant
operated for the benefit of the public
What we mean by "saving" in this con
nection, is the difference in the cost 0
transportation, as heretofore estimated
between water carriage and carriage b
rail. 1t is estimated, on this basis of dii
ference, that the amount saved in transpor
tation will not be less than seventy-fv,
or one hundred million dollars year
But this is not the only saving. 1t is esti
mated that on certain products-such a
beef, flour, pork, lard, butter, etc. and graf
in bulk-there is loss Of not less tina
twenty per cent. occasioned by heat, in ship
ping these articles from st. Lonis and othe
western points by way of New Orlean
and the Gulf All this is saved by th
central route, and is to be taken into &C
count in estimating the advantages Of gu
great water line to the commerce of tn
country; while Richmond and Norlol
points as readily and more safely reaches
than New Orleans) are at least
thousand miles nearer the chic
available markets Of the world tina
the Crescent City. Besides, th
suspension of navigation on the Uppe
Lakes, for four or five months in the yea
to say nothing of the necessary rehandlin
ofgrain, makes the Virginia line one of III
surpassed advantages as compared wit
either of the other proposed routes.
We are glad to see that Governor Wa
kcr and other gentlemen of influence an
prominence in Virginia have walked up |
the Importance of moving efficiently in tn
matter. They have only one object
consider, and that is the completion of OF
great water line. on its own intrinsic me
its, as grand highway to the sea. Let
bemixed up with no other project, bl
presented, pure and simple, as the cherish
scheme of Washington and Virginia, and IL
grandest one in which the national Cover
ment can engage.
lT is said that the Agricultural Depar
ment will issue no report for the month
May. The June report will embrace the fir
notes OF special interest Of the grown
crops of 1879. The statistician nj