The New Orleans bulletin. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1874-1876, 1875-06-06
TRADE WITH BRAZIL.
st. Louis Moving.
Letter from Capt. Eads to the st. Louis
Merchants Exchange.

The Board Of Directors of the Merchants
Exchange of st. Louis held special meeting
on Monday to consider the subject of opening
direct trade with Brazil, Hon. D. P. Rowland
presiding. The following letter from Capt.
Eads was read by the secretary:
OFFICE OF JAS. B. EADs, CIVIL ENGINEER,
St. Louis, April %, 1875.
Mr.. D. P. Rowland, President OF the Merchants
Exchange:
Dear Sir-In view of the early improvement
Of the mouth OF the Mississippi River by which
the productions of the Valley States will find their
cheapest possible route to foreign mai kets
through the Gulf of Mexico, the propriety
of e.tablis hing close commercial relations
between st. Louis and the Empire OF
Brazil seems a matter Of paramount i'm
portance. The first step towards accomplishing
this important measure will be the cooperation
Of our citizens in organizing and establishing up
on substantial sis, the Mississippi Valley
and Brazil Steamship Company" The opening OF
direct trade, through this means, with the Anna.
ION and Oronoco rivers and their vast tributaries,
and with the ports of Brazil, would prove of i'm
mense importance to the commercial, manufac-
turing and agricultural intert sits of st. Louis,
and indeed OF the entire region drained by the
Mississippi River.
The establishment of this line of steamers
would be pr, mptly followed by reciprocal inter-
change between the products Of the valley and
those of South America, which would prove vast
ly to our advantage, and the future magnitude OF
which will, no doubt, exceed the expectations OF
the most sanguine. 1t will open new outlet
and afford a new market for supplying the
wants of over twenty millions of people, now sup
piled by European and Eastern ports, which can
not compete with our low freights and prices by
shipments down the Mississippi River, while the
improvement of the rivers mouth must give us
complete command of this trade, which in a few
years may exceed that Of our commerce with Eu-
rope. This enterprise will doubtless be very
profitable, and promises to yield prompt return
for the investment of capital.
The people Of the valley WILL by the opening
of this trade, certainly realize tide Of prosper
ity, the prospective enjoyment Of which should
stimulate them to promptly aid in establishing a
line of steamers from the Mississippi River to the
South American ports
Very resp -ctfully. JAS. B. EADs.
After the reading of this and other letters
of the same tenor, the following resolutions
were reported by Hon. Web. M. Samuel, and
were unanimously adopted
Whereas, we regard the opening of direct
trade with the ports of Brazil by steam communi-
cation of paramount importance at this time to
the commercial, manufacturing and agricultural
interests of Missouri and the States of the Mis-
sissippi Valley, and which will afford new mar
ket and outlet for our produce and manufac-
lures, besides securing the mutual and incalcu-
liable benefits of an immense commerce by the
reciprocal exchange between the products Of this
valley and those of South America therefore
be it
Resolved That in order to promote and effect
this object, and secure the establishment of a
line Of ocean steamships from New Orleans to
Rio Janeiro and the intermediate ports of Brazil,
connecting with barge lines from st. Louis.
Louisville and Cincinnati. we do cordially recon-
mend this enterprise to the capitalists and the
commercial, agricultural and manufacturing
people of the Valley States
Resolred, That in anticipation of the early
improvement of the mouth of the Mississippi
River, by which the productions of the Valley
States will find the cheapest possible route to
foreign markets, we respectfully solicit the at
tention of the Chambers of Commerce and
Boards Of Trade of our sis er cities of the Val.
ley States to this great commercial undertaking,
aud we appeal to them to urge it's importance to
terial aid in their power, that its ends may be ac-
complshed.