New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1874-01-06
CHICAGO AND NEW ORLEANS.

duce, recently visited New Orleans, and in
stltuted careful survey of our city with
reference to the wants of the grain trade of
the West. Before leaving tor his home on
the lakes he took occasion to expires to us,
and to several prominent business men di-
| rectly interested in the trade and commerce
OF the valley, the opinion that in the next
flve years New Orleans would handle as
| much grain as New York, and proportion
ately of all products of the West intended
Tor expectation to foreign countries. Colo
| Del II. ). McCoDb, commenting on an arti-
Gle which recently appeared in the Times in
reference to the direct and thorough COM
municatlon now opened between New Or
leans and the Northern lakes, says: Il
think that none OF us are yet educated up
to the point of the greatness and magni-
tude OF the interests involved in this rail
| road extension which has brought the lakes
and the gulf into direct communication;
nor will we realize its value, both to the
people and the roads, until we get cars and
have everything in running orierO'
The above article from the New Orleans
Times is fair sample OF ehe views enter
tanned and expressed by majority Of our
Southern papers wheH discussing the rail
roads and other proposed routes Of trans
portation between the different sections Of
our countrys ''The grain route Of the
West is the ''hue and cry" while home
matters Of much greater Importance 20
our Southern interests are entirely over
looked or almost wholly ignored. We be-
ieve that the future route fo: Western
gain intended for European markets is
in a southerly directions and that New
Orleans can, and will, with proper effort.
control a large percentage of this Western
traffic. but we believe equally well that
withouea thorough development Of our
homee and to us, more important indus
tries and resousces, we will never enjoy to
the fullest extent the material advantages
which we seem so loath to improve.
The development of each industry. how.
ever small it may seem, adds new feature
OF interest and attraction to the country,
and consequently new inducements to i'm.
migration, while this immigration. by
improving and diversifying agriculture,
building manufactures and establishing
proper commercial relations. proves the
way to wealth and prosperity. The FIRST
requisites to this condition of things is
suitable soil and climate Has Louisiana
these requisites, and to what extent? We
answer she has, and to an extent not ex-
celled by any State in Tie Union or by
any country on the globe Her orange
belt alone, if properly utilized. would at.
ford richer and more lasting source of
wealth than the diamond fields Of Africa
or the gold mines Of California. and had
she, like California, been fortunate enough
to show few glittering gems Of golden
ore, she to-day could successfully contend
for the mead OF progress with that
golden State. The excitemen: attend
ant DIP the finding o: gold secured
to California q dense population. and
this population. when once there and
unable to get away. found more profit
IN developing her agricultural interests
than IN digging her gold. That people
make lands valuable IS shown not only in
the example just given. but also in all our
Northern States, 70! while their profits
per acre are TO greater than on well man.
aged Southern farms, their lands are ten
times more valuable. They see as much
profit IN their fruits and vegetables as
they do IN their grain crops: their horti-
cultural and genealogical interests receive
large share Of attention, and thus give
active employment and valuable incomes
20 numerous class of citizens. The
salt marshes and pine barrens adjacent to
New York city were. few years ago. as
wild and Improbable as those in the
vicinity Of New Orleans to-day. The
waste places of the one have been
converted into beautiful gardens and
orchards; the same can, bya proper effort,
be accomplished with the other, and we
hope to see in few years beautiful orange
groves and gardens occupying the lands
now growing up in palmetto and marsh
grass in the suburbs of our Crescent City,
while farther to the north and east our
pine lands afford tho most favorable con-
ditions for the productfon.of the grape,
apple, pear, peach and other fruits. The
improvement Of these and all other pro-
ducts to which, our beautiful Southern
climate and generous soil are so well
suited. Is of far greater Importance to our
State than the future grain route of the
Wests Louisianass wealth Is IN her own
bosoms and although the grain trade will
be favorable adjunct, yet the market fa-
cilities for her own products are the main
advantages to be secured by' the compile.
ton of through lines Of railroads from the
gulf to the great Northern lakes. and we
believe this was the main idea intended TO
be conveyed by Colonel NcCo,sb il the
above paragraph.
OUR SISTER REPUBLIC.