The Daily Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Or.) 1876-1883, 1881-05-21

. 49, .-A~ '--i ~ ~.--~''
the stream by the Eads ietty sys-
TEN, supplemented by an effective
system of dredging, has lifted New
Orleans out OF the mire Of COM
mercial inactivity in which she had
been sitting for twenty years, and
promises to give her shipping rank
second only to New York, at least
as an exporter. What the Cres-
cent city gains in this respect,
Chicago must chiefly lose. The
best customers Of The river rOate
are Missouri, Kansas, Nebraska,
Iowa, Minnesota and Illinois.
These six states produce nearly
one-half of the wheat and corn,
pork and provisions, that are ex-
ported yearly from the country
east OF the rocky mountains; and
the great city at the southern ex-
tremity Of lake Michigan has so far
enjoyed the next thing to a mo-
nOpoly of this trade. 1t has been
her bonanza. 1t is the secret of
her unequaled growth; for, al
though her manufactures are large
and increasing, in the main they
depend on her inland shipping, and
are of a kind into which grain,
pork, beef and feed enter extern
sively as the raw material. The
Chronicle aptly says:
Take away from Chicago half Of
this vast inland trade, and third
or a fourth of the means of her
future prosperity will disappear
and center in New Orleans. If
ships and ocean steamers of twen-
ty-six feet draft can come and 90
through the mouth of the Mis-is-
sippi without impeachment, it is cer-
tain that grain elevators, cattle
yards, packing houses and all the
essentials Of quick and cheap mod
ern methods of transportation will
be called into existence at the
southern commercial emporium.
and every new growth there will
subtract something from the i'm
portance OF the emporium on the
lake. Moreover, it viii also cut in
upon the trade OF New York and
the railway system that connects
her with these six great western
states, for the operations of a sim
gle year have demonstrated that
the river route Is the cheapest and
that railways cannot successfully
compete with it in the transporta
tion of grain and breadstuffs.
Inspired by this threatening
situation, the business men OF
Chicago and New York have
called a northwestern convention
to meet at Davenport, Iowa, OF
the 25th of this month, for the
purpose Of devisin gmeans for tn,
cutting Of a canal from a point OF
the Mississippi, near Rock island,
to Hennepin, on the Illinois river
where it is to connect with 4
canal already in operation, giving
a continuous water route flon
Hennepin to Chicago, and when
the new canal IL made, from Rocl
island to Chicago. This, to quot,
from an editorial in the New Yorl
Tribune:
Would practically extend thr
great northern line of water transi
between New York and the west
formed by the Hudson river, tn,
Erie canal and the lakes 50 that /
would reach St. Paul.
There is already a water rout,
from Rock-island to Chicago, bu
it goes roundabout way, whicl
makes it six times as long as tn
route across the state of Illinoi
by rail, and therefore not as cheal
as the railway route. The pro
posed route for the new canal ha
been carefully surveyed, AM
is shorter thar the shortest line o
railway. The cost OF the work j
varieusly estimated. One estimat
is as high as 4,50O,OOO, and thel
as low as $3,9OO,OOO. This is 70
a canal six feet deep, sixty fee
wide at the top, with locks 15
feet long, which the Tribune say
will allow the use of boats a
large as the largest size employee
on the Erie canal. The total dis
tance by this all-water route fror
the upper Mississippi to Chicago
stated at $50 miles, but the ner
canal required will be only sixty
five miles. The New York pape
expects Of it that it will bring a
the towns on the Mississippi i
direct all-water communicate
with New York, and that wi
check the tendency CT the pre-
ducts of Iowa, Illinois, Minnesot
and western Wisconsin to Ne,
Orleans by the river route. PEI
haps it may. 1t will do somethin,
Il