The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1874-08-26
THE RAILROAD.
THE COST OF Low WATER CoNTRASTED
WITH 1T.

LII oaAl iooO VIC aAlouCS w VAS ~"
water and consequent interruption of
navigation on Red River, from now
until January, and may be till Febu-
ary or March. At that time we did
not anticipate, that the difficulties
would increase as fast, as the past
weeks events have demonstrated.
The Carrie A. Thorn, without any
cargo, laid in sight all day Saturday
stuck fast on the sand bar, and the
Fleta, very light draught boat, was
nearly "a hours coming six miles, be-
sides having to put off large part Of
her cargo and double tripit. Shreve
port freight and travel, from New
Orleans, already goes by way of Gal
weston on the Railroad, and yet this
is merely the beginning Of five or six
months of low water, and perhaps the
entire suspension of n ayigation.
What will such an impeachment to or
suspension of commerce cost? The
first and heaviest loss will be in the
price of cotton. With perhaps one
or two exceptions, the cotton market
before the war, and for the last six
years, has been from one to three
cents lower in December, January and
February, than it is in September,
October and November, and the plan
tiers dependent on Red River will, in
consequence Of the low water, not be
able to ship, before the middle of De-
cember, just in time to meet a glutted
market. What will be the loss? The
cotton crop of Rapides may be put
down at 5000 bales; a loss of one cent
per pound on this amount will be
100000, loss of two cents 100000
and of three cents 100000. Even
the lowest Of these estimates places
the cost of low water, this season,
above the cost to us of the Railroad.
Such a loss in twenty-five years
amounts to the frightful sum of
$75O,0O0. But even this enormous
cost of low water does not embrace
all the items. The interest on the
value of this cotton amounts to 49,
900 per month, and if we take two
months as the average time, for which
the entire crop will be held, we must
add $4,000 per annum more to the
cost of low water, and yet there is a
margin of loss still left out, the in
crease on the price of freight and
merchandise. But the loss sustained
by high freights and the price of
goods, are nothing when compared to
the loss sustained by the merchant,
whose business is suspended, stocks
unsold and carried over, out of sea-
son. collections defeated and his
credit embarrassed and perhaps ru-
ined. The laborer, the mechanic,
and every member of society suffers
from the same cause, and although
we have no data by which we can es-
innate the losses thus incurred, it is
not the less real, and perhaps not less
in amount than the loss from the de-
cline in cotton. At such times from
two to five per cent. interest per month
is paid for money, and any price for
freights or goods, as a less evil for
the want of money caused by low wa
ter. Does not every one, who thinks,
know that all this is true? At what
price shall we place the present low
water season? Not less than forty,
and perhaps as much as 100000.
Why will we prefer to pay even $40,
900, or even the half or the fourth of
it for low water, to paying $1,000 per
annum for q Railroad. Is it because
the cost Of low water comes, like the
pestilence, noiseless, unseen, and
wastes our substance, without arrest
ing our attention?
What we have depicted of Rapides
is equally true of Vernon, Natchito-
ches, Sabine, De Soto, Caddo and the
border Counties Of Texas, who are
dependent on Red River. AS great
as these evils are, the future threat
ems still greater increase. The
time cannot be distant, if it is not al
ready on US, when Red River will go
down the Atchafalaya and our connec-
ton with the Mississippi be severed
long before we reach what is now
termed low water. What will be the
annual price for such a blessing2
One hundred Thousand dollars, not
less! And shall we pay 100000 for
the blessings Of low water, rather
than pay $1,000 per anrum for
Railroad? such is the deception of it's
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