Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1881-05-31
THE COURSE OF coMMaRcE

The EADs jetties at the mouth OF the
Mississippi are doing more TO revolu.
tionize the course Of commerce than
was dreamed OF when that important
work vas in progress.
JAY GoULp, with characteristic energy
and perspicuity, has shown a quick APP
probation Of the advantages oil wafer
transportation afforded by the lstties'
and the great ports Of the East are re-
slizing that their occupation is slipping
away from them.
Commercial bodies in New iork anu
Philadelphia have begun to move with
a view Of arresting this great loss oil
trade. They appointed committees and
the New York committee recently went
to the Mississippi valley, examined into
the matter and made report.
The report showed in brief, that last
year Is, 752, sos bushels OF grain were
shipped by water to New Orleans, while
the railroads running eastward from st
Louis carried only s,734,59l bushels
Since January /, 2,29S, ls6 bushels went
southwark by river; and /, oSS. IA bush
els eastward by rail. From other
sources il is ascertained that the cost oil
carving q bushel OF grain. from st.
Louis to Liverpool via New Orleans IS
seventeen cents, while by rail, via New
York, the cost is 2sl cents. From st.
Paul to Liverpool via New Orleans, the
cost is twenty.ssven cents, while by
way of New York it is 42l cents. In
addition to this it appears that the Jet
ties at the Delta have brought abundant
ocean traffic 10 New Orleans, both
by steam and by rail. YES
sells are promptly loaded by
eight floating elevators, with capacity
of from 1000 to 5000 bushels per hour.
The Illinois Central Company is build
ing at Cairo the largest grain elevator in
the world TO facilitate the transporta'
ton OF grain, and offers to transport
grain at very low figures. New York
and Philadelphia shipping is more OF
less idle in consequence, and at the
former port vessels are leaving almost
daily for New Orleans in ballast, to OBJ
tain cargses. The rolling stock and
freight crews on the Western TRUNK
lines are, in consequence, not as actively
engaged. This change of traffic led to
temporary cutting Of rates byone or two
lines, and, in consequence, Mr.. WANDER
BILr, who found the market value OF hl'
stocks deprecisting, called a conference
Of the representatives OF the poolin'
lines, and advanced rates to protect hl'
stocks, regardless OF the interests oil thu
mercantile community.
The fact seems to be appreciated IN
the East that the commercial suprema
cy of New York and Philadelphia Is in
yolved in this matter. The leading
merchants OF the East are making a
fierce war on the policy OF the railroad
in making such charges for grain trans
portation as to make this diversion oI
trade natural and inevitable. The re-
ported cut in freight rates east, between
two OF the trunk lines, is probably slim
ulated by the close competition which
the water routes have brought about.
As another offset to this diversion OF
grain traffic, the commercial interests in
the East are moving for convention,
which we believe is to be held to.mor'
row at Davenport, through which it is
proposed to ask Congress to spend ten
or twelve millions in digging a canal
sixty-iye miles long to run from Rock
Island, on the Mississippi to Henepin,
by which continuous water transporta'
ii on can then be had with the Atlantic
coast. But better plan would be to
wait until the railroad companies have
concluded to carry freight as cheap as
the water routes rather than not to car
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