The Cairo bulletin. [volume] (Cairo, Ill.) 1872-1878, 1877-10-19
" WILL CHICAGO DO 1T Z

EST. Louis Rejects the Brazil Trade-Now
| for Chica 20 Capital, Energy and Enter
prise Cairo the Future Buffalo OF the
Southern Route!'
The following article from the New
Orleans Tines OF the 10th inst. will read
with interest by the business men Of
Cairo:
"One Of the most encouraging features
Of the hour Is the disposition manifested
by some long-headeG houses at Chicago
TO consider what might be done by that
city towards a further and increasing
commercial union with the South. No
theory Is advanced, either by them or
US, that the stupendous grain
trade OF that city can or ought to be
turned upon the great southern route.
The bulk Of that business from the ex-
IRENE Northwestern States will probably
always flow along present channels to
the Atlantic seaboard; bat there is spe-
cilic Southern trade which Chicago is not
disposed to neglect and which she is
quite as well prepared 10
fulfill as any other Western city.
She possesses certain characteristics
to the exclusion Of all Western
competitors that are peculiarly favorable
to the commerce OF New Orleans. st.
Louis is a retail city; she affects the pack
age business. She would like very well
to sell her goods to New Orleans In ag>
gregates, but at the same time would run
down every crossroads store in the
south and sell to each retail and job lots
at the same price on long credits, and
then grumble because the surplus not re-
tailed In that way and cnnsiDred
TO this market was not reauly
distributed at an advance on her own
rates. Chicago is not such a market
She deals only in aggregates, and is never
competitor with her own customers
Ii in these characteristics ST. Louis were
Chicago the provision trade OF New Or
leans would not change, as it is now rap
idly doing, from st. Lonis to Chicago,
But our friends on the shore of Lake
Michigan do not take shadow view OF
the position. They are, rs usual, forecast
ing the future, and preparing themselves
for emergencies that are ripening. They
| look out tor trade wherever it may be
found and generally possess it by the time
other communities get fairly awake. The
Northern routes not unfrequently become
gorged and in the rapidly increasing vol.
ume of business there, southern outlet
to foreign and coastwise mark lets will be-
come more and more desirable. The fa'
ciltles are now in hand Tor transfers to
this market, and even grain can be sent
here as cheaply as It is now sent by rail
to New York.
Two important considerations ought,
and We are assured do, engage the at
tention OF some Of the entcrprIsIng mer.
chants OF Chicago.
]. The steadily increasing volume oil
production of the Northwest that pours
into that city
2. The frequent gorging of the freight
routes, even in the summer and iall'
and the total suspension OF water nayga-
ton In winter.
1t Is utterly impossible to estimate
when the limit of production Will be
reached. Certainly it must steadily in
crease, ana in short time will probably
be double what 1t now is, when the lakes
and canals and, the tour doublestracS
railroads that now give outlet to Chi
cago accumulations will be found
inadequate. In that emergency can
not Chicago use the Southern out
let to advantage, and under any state Of
the case can she not use itas advantage
ously as st. Louis? There is now o com-
plete rail communication between the
lakes and the gulf, all under one manage
mcnt-a Chicago interest--oycr which q
steady and large movement might be
kept up to supply the wants OF
this market in local, coast
wise and foreign trade. Except
in provisions, and in them only partially
Chicago has hitherto furnished none O.
our supplies. Hitherto we have beer
denendent OH precariOus, irregular ant
uneven support from other markets. IN
| the winter season this is particularly tho
case, and it Is in winter the
Northern routes are suspended In
one direction and overtaXed In
the other. Railroad management,
on lines running south Is far less difficult,
and considerably less expensive, during
the winter than on the lines connecting
the west with the east. II we lcaye out
of the question grain In bulk tor Euro
pean markets, there is still left a large
business to be done In supplying tho
local, coastwise and island demand. The
foreign shipment Of bulk corn last veal
reached 2,lG9,30O bushels, including
| 30,5l4 bushels to Mobile. But
Of corn In sacks our receipts reached
l,lOs,5G3 sacks or 2,77l .4Os bushels. o
which, exclusive Of l52.OA sacks OF
$3.50, 1855 bushels, sent to Europe, there
was q distribution ooastwise Of S37, sS'