The Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1877-1885, 1878-03-19
table given below:
Mississippi River improvements.


The Mississippi River is a noted and
invaluable means of water communication,
not only to this city but to all other cities
and towns upon its banks, and its adYan-
tages to the States which border upon
or are contiguous to this inland sea can
scarcely be oYerestimated.
The following extracts from the remarks
of the Hon. Joseph Brown before the
Congressional Committee on Commerce
we place before our readers as items of
importance and interest in connection with
the desired improvements of the river for
the purpose of commerce and navigation.
''Up to the present time the fostering
care and protection of the commerce Of the
Mississippi, has either to a great extent
been ignored, as compared with the vast
ness of its interests, or has been awarded
a mere pittance 10 comparison with its
wants and necessities.
1t is true that some four and half mil
lions of dollars have.been spent land well
SPENT in the construction of a canal at the
Des Moines rapids, by which depth of
FIVE feet is secured to cross the rapids at
the lowest stage of water, and there has
been appropriated some FIVE and halt
millions of dollars for the deepening of the
channel at the mouth of the river, there
has also been annually expended from one
20 two hundred thousand dollars in the
removing OF distractions in the shape Of
snags and other impediments to naviga
ton, which amounts may seem very large
TO those not acquainted with the vastness
Of the country lying adjacent to the Mis-
sissippi and its tributaries; but when /
tell you that these embrace an area of
more than twelve hundred thousand miles
of territory and twenty thousand miles of
navigable water, much of which floats
steamers of equal capacity with those of
the ocean, and that the commerce of the
Mississippi river and tributaries is much
greater than all the other coasting trade
combined; and that there is situated OF
the banks of this great river, Exclusive Of
its tributaries or inland towns and cities
dependent upon it, ninety-SeUeR towns anC
cities, with from 1000 to 100000 inhabi
tants in each-and yet, in view of al
this, the eastern rivers and harbors, SOM
of them of the most Insignificant kind ,hav
been receiving large appropriations eve
since this has been government, and il
the aggregate to the extent of hundreds o
millions of dollars. Indeed, it seems t.
have been the policy of the government il
the past, rather to seek to create navigabl
highways out of impossibilities thai
to improve the great natural highways al
ready in existence.
The commerce of the world has hilbert
had no difficulty in getting into New Yorl
harbOr, and it is not claimed that the impro
vemeut at He'll Gate will afford any create
depth of water than by other passes, an
hos MI dr.
lions of dollars, and is expected to cost a
many more, but we do not object
Look at the Mississippi; The jetties, tn
outlet for eighteen states, have cost up t
the present time, one million of dollars
with contract for about four more, whe
thirty feet is attained, being four feet NOR
than there is to be found at the entranc
to New Y ork harbor.
But you may say New York is q grea
city and entertains the commerce of tn
world. and so it does, and we are proud O
1t as such; but New York cannot expec
to be the only sea- port for the Who'll
United States, and it should be the duty Q
congress to foster other and more con
venient sea. ports, and thereby advance tn
interest and progress of all sections of on
common country.
Let US look into this matter Take 70
example the average cost of transportation
Of bushel of wheat from St. Paul to Ney
York by railroad, lake and canal, and i
will run from forty to fifty cents, but whel
there is fair stage of water in the Missis
slppl from st. Paul to New Orleans, it cal
be placed there in barges at about one thir,
of that price. But the misfortune hu
been that when the crops of the north
western states, such as Iowa, Minnesota
Kansas, and Nebraska were ready to b.
moved there is not more than thtrtginche
on the bars, and the result is the farmer
aud merchants of those states are entirel,
at the mercy of the railroads during tn
fall season, aud even if the rail
roads were ever so well disposed they can
not compete with river transportation at
good stage OF water, tor experience ha!
shown that grain can be successfully anC
pr0htaby carried at one-ffth the cost o.
railroad; or, to be specific, grain can bt
carried in barges at profit at two mill,
per ton per mile, or less, while railroad,
cannot carry it a profit at less than ter
mllls-Or one cent-per ton per mile. sc
that 1t the navigation of the river wa,
improved so as to secure a depth of five
deet az low water, grain could be carried
from st. Paul to New Orleans for less thar
ten cents per bushel by barges, instead o.
forty cents, and often fifty cents, ne,
bushel as at present, by rail, during ia,
fall season, when the river is too low 10 h,
OF any practicable use.
The above figures are based upon tn,
information OF practical steamboat men
But. according TO official authority. tn
statement is an over-estimate of freiqh
charges by river.
The cost of transportation on the rive
is but one mill per ton per mile. or onl
about One-terath of the average cost of tn
tonnage movement on the railroads ives
Of the the Mississippi. and only one si;rt
OF the average cost of transportation on tn
Pennsylvania railroad.
The extent CT this possible saving i
frreiRhtage is impressively shown by th