Ottumwa weekly courier. (Ottumwa, Wapello County, Iowa) 1872-1899, 1878-12-25
DANCER TO THE PROSPERITY
OF ST. LOUIS.

uANOek ~ u0e pKOSpEHtIv
OF ST. LOUIS.
The citizens of st. Louis cannot af-
ford to iOiter while the world about
them is marching onward. TO do SO
IL to invite financial disaster ard COM
mercial decay. Action-persisten
constant actiOn---and 4 WALchfulness
that prevents all slumber are necessa-
~ ii this city shall ever realize the
fulfilment Of the promises other past.
For years it appears st. Louis has rest
ed securely In u supposedly impregna-
BILE commercial position, while other
aspirants for supremacy in directing
the course Of trade Ia W been actively
ut work, not only to fortify their own
atoms of our commercial prosperity.
1t is not the custom of the Repu6tican
to Indulge in gloomy forebodings Of
impending evils. But we say, In all
sincerity, that our observation of the
course vi events touching our future
progress leads US to utter warnings
which should be needed. Let no fan.
cied security arising from our confess
sedly superior natural advantages OF
situation prevent immediate aud en-
ergetic action to maintain our vantage
ground and extend the lines of inffu-
ence at least to the borders Of the tel :
ritury which is naturally tributary to
this market.
If through supineness the business
community allow the immediate de.
pendent territory Of this market to
Oe invaded by lines of transportation
the commercial arteries of other
cities-withOut an effort to counterfeit
the effect, it is reasonable to anticipate
a season of depression and ultimate
decay of our commerce. And the
evils which will fall upon the city
will not be confined to any particular
class but all will be more or less seri.
ously afflicted. The owner of houses
can secure no tenants when there il
no work for the people; the capitalist
can find no customers for his money
when all business is stagnant; the
merchant will become lonesome when
customers seek other marts: the Ia.
borer will find no one to employ him
when there Is no work to BIO perform.
ed.
We admit the picture Is darkly
shaded, but are the colors too sombre:
Let us see. st. Louis has remained al
a stand-still for some years. Not an
additional mile has been added to hel
incomplete railway systems. True
there IL the great Mississippi river
and that has been improved and it,
capacity utilized perhaps to q greater
extent than ever before. ButSt. Louis
has always enjoyed this splendid sys
lem Of water transportation. 1t Il
important, but cannot perform all the
functions required in holding com
mercial relations with q vast regior
of country much of which Is far from
lines of water carriage.
But let us take another look. GU
commercial rivals have not been inac
tive. In the interest of Chicago mile
and miles of railway have been lait
down In distant regions. In Iowa, il
Nebraska, in Minnesota, In Dakota
and We must confess, in Missouri
thereby bringing these regions int
immediate connection with the mar
kets of that place. What conquest
has st. Louis made? We know q
none, while even Louisville, slow
moving and conservative as 1t ma,
appear, has influenced the completion
Of certain connections which have en-
abled her merchants to tap our south
eastern connections, and outbid GU
dealers for the trade oflarge and pros
porous districts of country. Cincin
natl, too, since st. Louis has cease,
to build, has expended many million
Of dollars in pushing a great trunI
line of railway down through Ken
tuckey, across the mountain passes
and into the fruitful valleys of Eas
Tennessee, making connection wit
the very complete system of railroad
in Georgia. Thisgleat work will 500
be contaminated.
All these extensions of lines Q
transportation are more or less detri
mental to the commercial interests O
st. Louis.
But, q more immediate and ia
more formidable danger to the inter
ests of the citizens Of st. Louis, Ia u
her own door. Crossing the line Q
st. Louis, Kansas City & Northern
railway, at Mexico, distance of 10
miles northwest from st. Louis,
railroad, connected directly with Chi
.ngo, and, of course, destined to b.
operated In the interests of that city
cuts right through some of the rich
est counties of the state of Missouri
counties once deemed irrevocably at
tached as tributary territory to tn,
st. Louis markets.
Is 1t to be supposed that tho rail
way company whose chief interest
are situated In Chicago would build
line of tracks, furnish rolling stool
and operate road from Louisiana
on the banks Of tho Mississippi, thro
the populous and wealthy counties O
Pike, Audrain, Galloway, Boone
Howard, Saline, Lafayette and Jack
son, to Kansas City, on the extrem,
western border, without expecting Il
control a large proportion OF the car
rying business? The idea is too pre-
pOsterous and absurd to be entertain
ed for moment.
And yet this invasion Of the trade
of st. Louis has not even awakened
the attention of the complaisant and
confident, business men of this city.
Is the trade of Howard and Saline
and Lafayette and a large portion o,
Jackson county too insignificant to
look after? When too late, then our
serene business men may learn its
value.
1t Is evident to the least acute OBJ
server that the people of st. Low
can no longer trust to the advaAt,
Of her admirable situation. r. Ag'
thy of the past must DO shs' cap,
and at once. The trade b, ken OF
Louis have been invs' .nits of 8
capacity Of fertile reg ied-the va!
ed to e0rich the tr ..ons Is now ia,
formidable consv .ff1c of her mo-
say, Ia all car Lercial rival. w
prosperity o. dor, that the futul
jeopardize' st. Louis Il seriousl
apathett =. Will her citizens RENAL
the ree :? 1t Is not too late to retire,
tune .ults-we may say the misfo
b. drought about by past neglec
Il there IL no time to be lost. A
zion, immediate and energetic, Is d
manded. st. Louis must 60 into Il
J. Northwest.-S. Louis Republican.
i. THE Cincinnati Gazette, referring
= resumption in the United States, cal
8 uD the result of the same thing