New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1875-01-24
THE CHIEF GULF PORT
Which Shall 1t Be-NeW Orleans or
Galveston!
St. Louis and Galveston as Opposed tt
New Orleans and Chicago.
The Eads Jetty Plan and the Fort
st. Philip Canal.

political campaign of 1876, at the expense |
of their material interests, the merchants |
and business men of Galveston are vigo- |
rously pushing forward their harbor i'm |
provements and their railway connection |
with the North. The experimental work |
recently undertaken by the general govern |
ment for the improvement of Galve ston |
harbor and its entrance has met with |
greater success than was at first antici- |
pated. 1t is now estimated by the en- |
gineers in charge OF the work that it's com
pletion will give comparatively perma.
nent depth of eighteen feet on the bar at
the entrance to the harbor In order that
there may be, no failure in carrying out
these improvements, and for the pur-
pose of making themselves indepen-
dent by an appropriation by the gen
eral government, the business men
of Galveston have obtained the auth oriza-
ton of the State of Texas to negotiate
loan of $500 900, to be expended on this
work, if necessary. This will make Gal.
weston one of the best seaports on the gulf
coast, and give her great advantage over
New Orleans in this respest, that she is not
under the necessity of carrying her COM
merce up and down a stretch of river more
than 100 miles.
A large delegation of business men from
Kansas City, and from tire country north
and west of that city, recently visited Gal
weston, examined the experimental works
for harbor improvement, and returned,
expressing the opinion that, with present
and prospective railroad facilities from st,
Louis and westward, to Galveston, The lat,
ter city would become their gulf port.
This does not appear strange. The out
let of the Mississippi river has been the
foot ball of every quack engineer who has
had money or newspaper reputation enough
to push his pretensiOns, and perhaps will
be, until New Orleans business men have
sufficient vigor infused into them to push
such pretenders from their road to COM
mercial prosperity. St. Louis has good
railroad connection with Galveston. West
ern Kansas is well advanced in the same
direction from Kansas City and from juno
ton City. Denver City may look in the
same direction, and when the Southern
Pacific reaches from San Diego harbor, and
from Guaymas, and from the City Of
Mexico, Galveston with its enterprise may
be handler than New Orleans, no matter
how much capital the latter city may make
for the political campaign OF 1876.
St. Louis is perhaps not averse to making
Galveston the great gulf city. She is more
of railroad than of a river city. Witt
Galveston open, she can afford to let Cap
tain Eads experiment, at the ultimate ex
. penae of the government, with the entrance
r to the harbOr OF New Orleans 1t is no
certain but that S. Louis would prefer nav
r ing the opening of the mouth of the Missis
1 sippi indefinitely postponed; for were al
adequate and permanent outlet to thi
? port once. obtaiued, tina enterprising riva
. of st. Louis, Chicago. and those solid
B steady-gOing business communities Q
, Louisville and Cincinnati nigh lind way
of freighting to and from New Orlean
, cheaper than st. Louis could whereas
+ with Galveston open and New Orlean
+, closed, st. Louis would have undispute
), control of the gulf trade at least during tn
:. stages of low water in the Mississippi rive
while at the same time keeping on an equs
!. footing with her rivals as regards the A
/, lantic sesbOard trade. %
st. Louis has practically cut the Missii
: sippi river in two with her Eads bridg
? What remains but to close the port Of Ne
Orleans, open Galveston harbor, and thr
q measurably cut off her rivals from the gu
trade, which includes the prospective trad
= with Mexico and with the Central an
}, South American States.
Is New Orleans SO lacking in busine
y foresight and enterprise, SO in the tolls
e her White League politicians, that she ca
e. not shake off this st. Louis incubus, all
"a herself with her friends and make VigO
GUS move for something more than cent P,
is cent and cheap excitement
d The fate of New Orleans, so far as regart
u her position as chief city of the gulf, is
\ be decided within the next three year
p The gulf city which succeeds in securir
d the advantage during that time will tai
Al the place, and it will require very great
q ertiOn on the part of its rivals to force
re from the position. Natural advantage
a. in these days of engineering skill and pr
If gress GonOt count for much unless back(
" by business enterprise.
Is OF one thing we feel sure, aud that
- that Galveston will secure the gulf trade
Il that section Of country lying west Of q
re Mississippi river unless New Orleans maxi
~ an earnest effort in. that direction. The
Il terests of st. Louis, as opposed to those
Chicago, Cincinnati and louisville, Won
re be to build up Galveston at the expense
AZ New Orleans. If vessels drawing twent
~ five feet of water could be brought to Ne
Fe Orleans, it would give an additional outl
d, to the grain products of the West, az
70 would operate equally in favor Of all fOl
"a of the great cities But if New OrleaI
could not be made available for the gra
u trade. and Galveston could, that fact won
- operate especially to. the advantage of
rs Louis in consequence of the Increased d
in lance which the other cities would have
oil send their grain.
a. 1t is plain, therefore, that the natur
ma allies of New Orleans in the work Of gettil
ut an unobstrueted entrance to the Mississip
ie are the cities of Chicago, Cinernnsti al
AS Louisville, and not St. Louis. The latter
20 her hypOeritical ally, and would perhaps
IS, soon ruin New Orleans as not. If the prC
Vjerity of this city can be delayed for
70 few years while Mr.. Eads is experiments
~ ! with his jetties, ST. Louis will have built
b. her gulf trade at Galveston, while the 9th
| VUastarn cities will have no gulf trade.