Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1880-08-13

,bara flows commerce much larger and
more valuable than that which ever hoateo
on the Mississippi river. Commerce nows III
upon these trunk lines on subordinate ana
tributary lines from the north. from the south
and from the west. The tonnage OF mer-
caandise shipped east acr s. the MISSISSIPPI
river over railroad bridges north OF ST. Louis
i twoIve times as great as the tonnage
shipped down the river to that city. Al ST.
Louis the eastward movement OF commerce
now largely exceeds the southwark move
ment Twenty-Five years ago the commerce
of St Louis was carried on entirely by river.
but the record of the ST. Louis Merchants
Exchange shows that of the total tonnage OF
freights received and shipped during the
year 1879 there were 694S 194 tons moved
Inv rail and onl, 1866 ll5 tons by river.
A few wears ago railroad bridge was con-
structed across the Mississippi river at st.
Louis and today that bridge is far more
important avenue of commerce than Is the
river which flows beneath it. With its double
track it has a capacity for traffic ten times as
great as ever fioated upon the Mississippi. Dur
ing the year 1915 the tonnage to and from the
east at St Louis by rail amounted to 2,93o,
$50 tons. while the tonnage to and from the
Soutb bv river amounted to only 60. go tons.
During the same wear the southern move
ment by rail amounted to .s52 .09S tons.
Grain shipped from st. Louis to Liverpool
by anv one of the four Atlantic ports-Bos-
ton. New York. Philadelphia or Baltimore
or by wav of New Orleans, is about 800 miles
nearer to its destination when it reaches Bal
timore. and still nearer when it reaches Phil
adelphia. New York or Boston. and about
652 miles further from its destination when
it reaches New Orleans. Thus it happens
that Baltimore and New Orleans are to-day
sharp competitors for the trade of the great
Northwest.
CHANGE IN TIE COURSE OF TRADE.
In his eighteenth inquiry Mr.. Mcpherson
asks for Il brief statement as to the change in
the course of the commerce described on pag
es Sc to sc of my last report on the internal
commerce of the United States. In answer
to this question | submit the following: An
important change has within few years TAX
en- place in the course Of the commerce of
the States and parts of States situated south
of the Ohio river and south of the State of
Missouri, viz kentucky, Tennessee, west
ern Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi, Louis
lana, Texas and Arkansas. Twenty five
years ago the chief commercial entrepots
of the States mentioned were Mobile, New
Orleans and Galveston, but tO-day this trade
is dominated BY the cities of Cincinnati, Louis
vile and st. Louis. The commercial front
of those States has been changed from the
shores of the Gulf of Mexico to the shores
of this great interior cast and west current
of trade over railroads. The aggregate
population of the three interior cities is
nearly three times rs great as the aggre-
gate population of the three Gulf cities. Gin
cinnati, Louisville and st. Louis have Sc
cured almost all the trade of the States re-
ferred to with respect to the sale of bread
stutfs and provisions, dry goods. groceries.
hats, caps, clothing and manufactured
goods of description. In return there is
being shipped to those cities large proper
ton of the surplus products of the South.
During the present cotton year 1000 000
bales of cotton have been shipped overland
by rail. the greater part passing through
these cities. This is one of the direct re-
suits of the establishment of the great east
and west current of trade over the trunk
railroad lines north of the Ohio river, and OF
the fact that Cincinnati, Louisville and St
Louis now enjoy the advantages of a system
of railroads perrieating into all parts of the
southern States. st. Louis has already grasp
ed from New Orleans and Galveston the
trade of southern Missouri. of Arkansas, of
the Indian Territory. of northern Louisiana,
and q targe part of Texas. and the trade is
growing rapidly. am sir,
,losEPH NlMMo, JR.,
Chief of Bureau of Statistics.