Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1878-04-03
CHEAP TRANSPORTATION.
From st. Paul to New York by Water.
New York Public.

From st. Paul to New York by Water.
New York Public.
Put q single into the Mississippi
river at St. Paul, and, if it follows the
natural current of the waters without
fpropelling power, it will be found within
forty days lying off the harbor of New
York. Why should not a barge loaded
with with wheat take the same course
Nature supplies al the. needed power.
The river sweeps it downward by New
Orleans, and thence to the gulf stream,
and the gulf stream brings it within 100
miles of New York Artificial power
is needed only to keep the loaded barge
in the current. BY that route the load
ed grain is far on the way to Liverpool,
and has only to follow the same stream
and in due time it will be landed with
out human aid on British soil New
York is in the great track of nature,
and yet would furrow the continent in
order to make better. And there are
men who think it folly to say that grain
can never be moved economically from
St. Paul to New York by way of New
)Orleans. So there are men who, four
years ago, when a writer declared that
grain could be regularly moved from
st. Louis to New Orleans at cost of
less than five cents per bushel, laughed
at his wild enthusiasm. Yet at this
very time, as a st. Louis paper states,
the. ordinary charge for shipm ent, of
grain from St. Louis to New Orleans is.
only five cents per bushel. When the
same writer asserted that, after fair de-
velopm ent of that route, the work could
be done with profit at three cents per
bushel, many thought the statement
absurd. But now it is claimed by the
officers Of the most important trans
portation companies on the Mississippi.
that the bushel of grain can be moved
at a charge of not more than three cents
per bushel, with ample cargoes, and a
fair stage of water or an improved
channel.
From ST. Paul to New York, by way
of New Orleans, is about $500 miles.
But nature furnishes the track and the
motive power for the whole distance.
Art and commerce have only TO put the
wheat into something that will float and
keep it dry. Only few years ago it
was thought wild to talk Of moving grain
in bulk down the Mississippi river by
barge, but the enormous receipts at
New Orleans this year show that it is
done, and with profit. Years later it
was thought insane to attempt the
movement of grain over the lakes bv
barges, but the thing is done, with profit
and safety, a: the railroads have learned
to their cost. How long will it be be-
fore the great highway of nature, from
the chief wheat fields of the west to the
chief markets and greatest consuming
cities of the east, will be utilized?
New York may be assured that it
will not be very long. If this city in
sists upon handling no grain for export
that does not come by canal or railroad,
there is so much the more room for
New Orleans to export grain Already
the movement has become so large as
to attract attention. The shipments
from that port have greatly increased
since the jetties gave free ingress and
egress to vessels Of such tonnage as to
provide economical transportation. Cot
ton can pay almost any freight. Wheat
and corn are worth less than one-sixth
as much per ton, and must seek eco
nomical routes. The beginning has
been made. The barges move down
the river, taking at times from 5000 to
10000 tons of grain with only single
tug boat to give direction; and New
Orleans suddenly takes rank as a port
of the first magnitude for the export of
grain. The lowest rate granted by any
railway from St. Paul to New York and
thence to Liverpool is high compared
with rates now made from St. Paul to
New Orleans and thence to Liverpool.
Yet the grain on the route from New
Orleans passes within few hours sail
Of this harbor. Is this not an oppor-
tunity for the capital ard enterprise of
this city, and is it disloyal to the Erie
canal to suggest that grain from Mime
sofa, Iowa, Nebraska, Kansas and Mis-
souri,, if moved by the river, pays no
tax to Chicago railways or Chicago eIe-
vators?
Westward the star of grain-growing
takes its way. Already more than half
of the wheat that is sent to the market
comes from regions beyond the Missis-
sippi. The river is a highway, and the
cheapest on the earth, and it leads
from the greatest grain fields directly
to the chief consuming regions Of the
Atlantic coast and to the chief markets
of Europe. Is it entirely clear to wise
New Workers that they can afford to
ignore these facts? By somebody,
sooner Or later, these same facts are
sure to be turned to account. De
+ The Vampire Bat.