Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1881-12-21

at this date kl0ol) the pOpuiatl0n
may be safely estimated at l0,0UO,OOO
in round numbers, and the value OF
the exportable products named at
$3.50, 00O, 1000.
The same year these States pro-
duced 1920, 236 bushels wheat. 49,
7O6,772 bushels corn, l5,75l,7l3
bushels oats.
These are cited simply to show the
adaptiveness of the soil and climate to
their production. The cultivation of
cotton, sugar, rice and tobacco being
more profitable than that of the &C.
reals, the cotton States are large i'm
porters of the grain and cured meats
Of the West.
Cincinnati's expenditure for the
Cincinnati Southern, great as 1t has
been, should, with the proper. effort on
the part of her merchants and manu-
facturers, be reimbursed to her in the
next decade from the profits OF new
business from this empire Of export
able products Of the worlds necessi-
ties.
Tie commerce of the United States
with the West Indies constitutes near
" eleven per cent Of THE entire for.
eicn commerce of the country, the
Greater portion with Cuba. The
commerce of the United States with
these islands for 1870 was,-imports,
ST., 62O, 106; exports, S35, 075, 59l. Total
S106, sos, 1874. These imports, consist.
ing Of coffee, sugar, spices, and tropl-
cal fruits. traverses the entire Eastern
United States coast line, from Cape
Sable, Florida, in fact sweeping
hundreds of miles south. southeast OF
the cape, to avoid the Bahama banks,
and thence paralleling the dangerous
Carolina coast to Baltimore, Philadel
phia and New York for distribution in
the Western and Northwestern States,
over seven hundred miles out of a
direct route as compared with the
Erlanger lines via Brunswick, Colum
bus and Chattanooga to Cincinnati.
The distance from Havana, Cuba, to
New York, by sea, is 1890 miles, and
from New York to Cincinnati IA
miles, or a total Of 1924 miles. From
Havana to Brunswick tits about 800
miles, and from Brunswick via the
Erlanger lines, to Cincinnati 726 miles,
or a total of 1926 miles, a saving dis
lance of 79S miles and six to ten days
in favor of the Erlanger lines and
Cincinnati. Havana to Chicago, via
New York, is 2l92 miles; Havana to
Chicago, via Brunswick, the Erlanger
system and Cincinnati is 1886, a dit-
ference Of 656 miles in favor ofBruns-
wick, the Erlanger system and Gin
cinnati. The saving in distance via
Brunswick and Cincinnati to Detroit
is 346 miles, to Cleveland 257, Mil
waukee TAI, st. Lsuis 77S, st. Paul
656, Kansas City 767, indianapolis
764.
The Erlanger system practically
moves the West India Islands, with
their rich commerce, 600 to ZOO miles
nearer Cincinnati, the Western and
Northwestern States, than via New
York.
That portion Of these imports which
the wants and necessities OF the West.
ern and Northwestern States demand
can be supplied by this route, because
it is shorter and cheaper, and Cincin-
natl made the s~torehouse, the distrib
uting point, and her merchants the
intermediate or third party, between
the producer aud consumer; and in
return, a vast trade in cured meats,
-four, hardware, boots and shoes, fur
%niture, agricultural implements, &C.,
of Cincinnati's manufacture. will ell
ter into this traffic.
The commerce Of the United States
with Mexico, Central America and
South America, was as follows:
Imports. ~ Ts9
Exports No'Oaa. ~
psllJfA
RgcAPiTuLATIoS.
Total commerce With the West
,5o,64
Total with MeVicO,
Central and south America ..... 81, l1s.2 99
Grand TCtaI.. si92 slI. a3
The commerce with New Mexico,
Central and South America, now ira
verses the same route as that Of the
West Indies for distribution 10 the
Western and Northwestern States,
over 1000 miles out Of the natural
channel. Cincinnati is the natural
market and distributing point for this
commerce. 1t remaius 10 be seen
whether she will avail herself of her
advantages.
By this new route, from the West
Indies via Cincinnati, the Western
and Northwestern States will be little
further frem Havana, either in dis
lance or time, than from New York,
and fully one-third of the time and
cost Of transportation between those
States and the West Indies will be
saved.
At tnis point Mr.. Hubert takes up
the question Of tropical fruits. aud
gives some astonishing figures, show
ing the saving that will be consequent
on the shortening Of the route. as at
forded by the Erlanger system. As a
single instance. he quotes that in 1872.
out of l7,8l6,73j oranges, $780, 59. or
about 80 per cent were lost by decay.
The coffee question is next entered
upon, and it is shown that much oft
is destined ultimately from the West
Indies, Brazil and Central America
for the Western and Northwestern
States. The writer says:
This large, rapidly sgrowing, aud
profitable traffic, travels from six hun
bred to seven hundred miles out Of a
direct route to Eastern ports, there 10
be reshipped with all the accumulated
charges incident to a transhipment to
the markets Of the West and North
west; a greater distance than from
Brunswick, via the EIlanger system,
TO Cincinnati. That is to say, Cincin
natl, with the advantage in distance OF
six hundred miles via Brunswick to
the West Indies, aud over one thou
sand miles via New Orleans to Central
America and Brazil, permits her East
ern Atlantic coast competitors Ia
monopolize this trade.
Mr.. Hubert next takes up the
trans. continental character of the sys.
tenn and shows that from Brunswick,
via Albany, Montgomery, Selma and
Y%ieksburg, to Shreveport and a con-
n%eetion With the Central Pacific, the