Lexington weekly intelligencer. (Lexington, Mo.) 1871-1887, 1876-07-22

Ihe following article, from the Cln- |
cinnati Times of the 9th inst, should be |
carefully read by all interested in river
navigation. 1t is right article in the
right place.
at is presumed that among the ranks
of the steamboatmen there are not half
a dozen who, upon first thought. would
assert a belief in steamboating on west
ern waters being in its infancy? yet
such is the fact. The rank and file of
our Oldest steamboatmen are unit in
the opinion that traffic by river has seen
its best days and is fast being supplant-
ed by the railroad system. There never
was u greater error crept into the minds
Of people. Its ultimatum has not
been reached, nor has it even approach
ed the first relationship to prosperity.
Steamboating of to-day and tho results
nf the. war. which seriously affect the
present business and finances of the
country when compared to the prosper
GUS years preceding the war, show
favorable increase in exports and inn
ports, and no diminution of tonnage.
The tonnage OF to-day is not SO much
divided as previous to the war, there
being fewer boats, of greater tonnage,
now than then, but there is fully as
much freight, if not more. being trans
ported by river than there was prior to
1861. Rates for carrying merchandise
have not materially changed, the ex-
ception though may be noted in favor of
the past, with this exception, however,
the steamboating of the present period
exhibits an increase in tonnage, and an
advanced prosperity, Notwithstanding
the severity of the hard times which
steamboating, alike with other branches
of trade, have been oppressed. These
obstacles to the growth of prosperity
are only temporary, and ere long the
entire machinery of trade must and will
be moving, money will then be easy,
the laborer will find plenty to do, and
consume more, and consequently the
avenues Of transit will be live thorough
fares once more, and the demand for
tonnage on the river will be greater
than the supply. The full tide Of pros
perity in river traffic does not culminate
here, however, for, beyond the return
of commercial activity and easy none.
tary affairs, there is in reserve for the
promotion of western marine interests
a greater auxiliary to prosperity that
will more fully establish the permanency
and enlarge the scope OF transportation
by river. We refer to the Eads jetties
:. at the mouth of the Mississippi River
which are to form the link in an un-
broken chain between the west anC
foreign countries, opening an avenue
through which the products of the ives
, will find cheaper transportation t,
, Europe entirely by water and withou
breaking bulk. For, as the jetties al,
to maintain sufficient depth Of waite
to admit the passage OF the larges
draught steamers into and out of th'
, Mississippi river, which have heretofore
e been unable to get through the pass t.
| New Orleans without heavy expense
e the completion of the jetties will reduce
I the expense and attract the shippin!
both OF this and foreign countries t
New Orleans, where they will be rs
a sured cargoes of the native pro
8 ducts of the west and south, tina
e for want of an outlet to the sea ha
!, hitherto at great expense been trans
4 ported over the continent to the east an
6 thence by ocean to its destination. Al
i OF the immense products with which tn
o west abounds and for which there is
II demand abroad, will find their outlet b
q way of New Orleans and South Pass
Y When this era arrives, which, by th
e way, at the farthest will not excee
4 three years, then steamboating on wes
ern rivers will receive its impetus an
expand to magnitude to which tll
l. flush times of the war will pale in il
|, significance. AS we have heretOtOl
T. remarked. we now reiterate that steam
d boating on western waters is only
nj its infancy. the return of good times wi
W triple its business of the present, an
is increase its Importance ten-fold nor
c. when the Invaluable connection is mat
lr through Eads' jettics. Their ultima
success is guaranteed, and westel
marine interests will take a front raj
re in the river thoroughfares of the worl
st Mark it,