The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1876-07-15
Captain Eats' Jetties and the Commerce OF
the Mississippi valley.
IEro1n .he Lonion staalarl

We published some days ago q brief tele-
gram from New Orleans, which probably AT
tractcd the attention ofnot one reader out Of
a thousand. 1t stated simply that the works
executed by Captain Eads for the improve.
ment of the mouth OF the Mississippi had
been already So far successful thata ship
having a draught OF seventeen and half
feet had passed up TO the city ut low water;
and it added that the works will be cUntln-
ued until vessels OF twenty-five feet can pass
up. There Is every reason to expect that the
intention here announced will be carried out
and if so, the result VIII be that the cost Of
sending wheat frOm the Western States 10
England will be reduced one.hGlf, and that
the new corn-growing regions, which nov
are unable to export a bushel, will suddenly
find the market of Europe open TO them on
most advantageous terms. the construction
of the SueZ Canal furnishes most impress
i've illustration OF the farreaching influence
which the opening Of new route 10 com
mence exercises. Already ii has revolution
lied trade, transformed naval construction,
and altered the relations of nations with one
another. 1t is not probable that the effects
of the opening of the Mississippi to ships of
the heaviest burden Will be as immediate or
rs sensational. But ii is demonstrate that
they are lncalCulable, and il is not lmpossl.
bic that they may be as great. At present It
costs three bushels of corn to convey one
from Chicago to Liverpool. This enormous
cost is due to the immense distance which
the grain has to be sent by land TO New York
unfortunately the ST. Lawrence is frozen for
half the year, and consequently is able TO
carry on only an inefficient competition with
the railways. The Western farmers accuse
the railway companies of purposely agra
waiting the cost but all the attempts OF the
Changers 10 reduce it have failed. And thus
so long as New York remains the great port
of expectation the cost can not be apprcci-
ably diminished. But if Capt Eads is sue
cessful the cost, il Is estimated, will al once
be reduced 10 one.half. In other words,
whereas il now costs three bushels 10 carry
one from Chicago TO Liverpool, Il will then
cost no more than one and y half Or, TO put
the mater more intelligibly, double the guam
uty now imported via New York can then
be imported via New Orleans at precisely
the same cost of carriage. That estimate Is
based on the suppositiOn that use is made
only of the existing type of vessels, and con.
seouently that there is transEipment at
New Orleans But New Orleans merchants
assert that they are prepared TO build pecu.
liar type vessel which will not only cross the
Atlantic but go up the Mississippi. When
this is done, IL is estimated that the cost OF
carriage will be reduced to mere fraction
of what II is at present. No doubt new
tyne of vessel will be introduced in time, but
without taking that into account, il Is much
if the cost of carriage can be reduced one
half. There is no limit 10 the quantity ot
Grain which the Valley of the Mississippi
can grow, but the scarcity of labor and the
cost of transport. Even under existing con-
dltions the quantity raised immensely eX
ceeds the consuming powers oil the country
If then, without market the glut Is such
that when cattle and hogs have been PAM
percd, and waste has done lis utmost, there
stiIl remains much for the fire, il will easily
be understood what the product will be when
the market Is made attalnablc. Furthermore,
il is 10 be remembered that the Northwest
that is. the upper valley of the Nisslsslp-
m-bclng the nearest 10 Chicago, has the
advantage, al present. In future, on the con-
trary, the middle and lower valleys will have
the advantage, and consequently Will be
stimulated TO increase their productions enor-
mously. At present there is practically no OK
portation from these districts.
The effects upon the United States them
selves, AMI upon the great port of New Or.
leans are so manifest that we need not dwell
upon them. II might be worth while, indeed,
to speculate on the probable political conse
oucnccs of the new Importance the west and
south will thus attain; but just now we &C.
sire rather to call attention TO less evident re
suits in quarters which, at first sight, would
seem To be beyond the influence of public
works executed in the United States. The
first will be the great cneapening o: bread,
and 10 a manufacturing, trading aud naval
country like our own that Is an unmlxed
blessing. A second result will, of course, be
To increase the trade between the United
States. We shall purchase more ofthcir corn,
and pay for il with more OF our manuiac-
lures, or of the commodities which our ships
bring home from every part of the globe.
Lastly, we shall be able To give up more OF
our land to pas,ursge and the feeding OF cat
tie, an industry which for the presen, at least,
we cannot dispense with. And, in less de-
gree, the advantage 20 ell The west of Europe
will be similar. In isci. for the thIckly pop
ulatei part of the Old World, the effect will
be to render scarcity unknown, and 10 main
tain constantly a, very low level the price