Centre Democrat. [volume] (Bellefonte, Pa.) 1848-1989, 1881-11-17
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The enormous and wonderfully
rapid increase in our grain crops is
attributable to several causes. Pri-
marily we have the invention and
improvement Of agricultural machin-
cry, by which the cultivation of tue
great West has been made possible.
( Next We have the vast extension and
/ Improvement of our railway and
water lines, making possible the prof
] table transportation of the large
surplus to Eastern and foreign mark
cts. With this extension of means
has come an important lowering of
f freight charges, which has made il
I possible TO place American grain in
the markets of Europe at prices at
which it can compete successfully
with European grain, especially that
from Russia, Hungary, Austria, and
Germany.
or course the vast immigration of
/ farmers who have swarmed into the
Northwest, n full regiment day for
every day in the year, is an element
Of the problem OF no mean signifi-
canoe; but their labor has been
largely invited and made profitable
by the cheapening Of the transporta-
ton Of their crops 10 the East and
10 Europe.
/ Ten years ago it was the belief of
railroad men that grain could not be
carried from Chicago TO New York
for less than % cents a bushel. The
rate has since been lowered to 90
cents, and for special rates, It is said,
on good authority, TO half that sum.
The nominal rate at this time is II
cents. During the same period the
cost of water carriage has been cor
respondingly reduced. The lowest
estimate that we have seen of the
actual cost Of bringing wheat from
Chicago to Buffalo by steam barge Is
s2.s5 a hundred bushels from BuE
falo to New York by canal and river,
$50; making the cost from Chicago
to New York by water (all charges
included), s-55 cents q bushel.
Ten years ago it cost nearly as
much TO get a bushel of grain from
Buffalo TO New York as it now does
to carry il from Chicago 10 Liver
pool. The influence of reduction
of cent bushel in transportation
charges would be incredible If we
did not know how narrow is the mar
gin oil profit in the handling of great
staples. The reduction of one cent
in the Erie Canal tolls was followed
by an increase in grain carriage from
2g. 900, 900 bushels To 69,000,000 of
bushels. In n recent Legislative in-
quiry a prominent grain merchant
expressed the belief that the aboli-
ton of the remaining one cent toll
would increase the flow of grain
through the canal TO 10000, 900
bushels a year.
Something over balf Of the entire
export grain trade OF the country Is
done at this port, where the elevators
and great warehouses have storing
capacity of nearly twenty-five mil.
lion bushels. A very large part Of
the grain passing through the city,
however, is loaded directly from the
canal boats into the ocean steamers,
rs shown In our illustration. Com.
monty The loading and unloading 60
on together, floating elevator haul
ing alongside and pouring In The
grain as fast IS the outgoing freight
Is removed. Usually the canal boats
carry from five 10 aeven thousand
bushels or more. four OF them sulilo.
ing TO load . grain ship, and eight TO
ten large steamer. The largest
cargo ever brought through the ca.
nal was recently reported it was
! $500 bushels. The largest grain