The Dallas daily herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1887, 1880-11-05
THE MISSISSIPPI AND THE VALLEY
THEREOF

IhhRhUF,
On the 18th and tho 10th instants thore
will DO convention Of representative COM
mercial men, from all portions Of tho Msss-
sipi valley, held in New Orleans. The object
of the convention Is to discuss and mature
plans for the Improvement Of the navigation
of tho Mississippi river and the development
of the latent agricultural and commorcisl
resources Of the Mississippi valley. This
convention, in our opinion, is ore Of tho
most if not the most, important of all the
assemblages ever held in tlosoutt. The com
merce and the prosperity OF all the
southern states TO n greater or less cxtont de-
ponds upon the navigation of tho Mississippi
river and its tributaries. From 81, Louis to
theGult of Mexico this broad father of Wa
ters with the innumerablc streams that emp.
yinto it, drains Il country immense in extent
of territory, wonderful in the quantity, quail
t. and variety of its productions and para
disc in the geniaity of its climate Multi
piled millions of timbered and prairie
lands, upland and alluvial in their virgin
richness, await the retaining industry of
population that they may yield up of their
fatness to increase tho contents Of the great
store houses of the world and to strengthen
the broadening, deepening current of Amer
lean commerce tina! is yearly growing greater.
The little rill that trickles down the noun
tain side may in itself, aside from the music
Otis ripping, and its sparkle in the sun
light, be insignificant, but as it flows onward
and is joined by other rills that swell it into
brooklet, and by other brooklets that make
of 1t creek, and by other creeks that broaden
1t into u river and by other rivers that create
of 1t mighty stream to bear upon its bosom
the vessels of every cline, and by its magic
power to build up great cities along
its banks, it becomes a grand
actor in tho economy of Il
country's enlightenment, and tof its COM
mercal power and importance. Sois it with
the efforts of people in their own behalf.
I We, of thu south, have all that heart could
desire, so far as soil and climate and the
\ value in the marts of the world of its products
iis concerned, aud we have mighty river,
with its hundreds of lesser rivers flowing into
[ it, that rolls in silent majesty and solemn
( grandeur to the sea, munflcent beyond
comparison, in It's bountos if we will only
avail ourselves of tdem, and offering to us,
possibilities beyond tho conception of
4human ken. The great northwest, with its
waving fields of wheat and corn, must have
an outlet for its grain, and nature has
Furnished it in the Mississippi
\ river. The south, with its
white acres of cotton its broad plantations
of sugar cane and rics, must have m outlet
for its aeecy staple, its sugar and molasses
aud rice, and within sight of its gin houses,
4 Its sugar mills, its RIGA hullers the Mississip-
u pi and its tributaries, and even It's brooklets
that dance to the music Of their own rip
'fpling laughter, pour their waters outward.
Let the navigation of these rich -bordered
streams be improved; let the carrying trade
8of these willing waters be fostered, encour-
aged, aided. Already New Orleans and st.
Eouis, and the other cities along tho Mssis.
sippi, are complaining that the tonnage is it,
sufficient for the demand. Let us by way of
comparison, look at the Hudson river. Be.
side the Mississippi it is insignificant and Il q
country tributary in its products is but as tn,
island to the ocean that laves its shores, Il
but as cape TO continent 10 the country sub
sidiary to the Mississippi, yet ono of tn
grandess spectacles of the world is the com
n merce of the Hudson river We have nc
I data by us to give the exact comparative fig
ures Of the tonnage of these two rivers, "