Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1882-05-01
Rnn Stnn corresnondent

~SSoAoy AOA SAOdtCI AhCtiiJy anu Cu6AD6r GT8uS-
portation gave rise to existing barge lines on
the Mississippi, we shall be able to present in
the magnitude Of future trade in the great val
ley, the general adoption of barge transporta-
ton as foregone conclusion.
If this deduction shall prove to be legitimate,
then barge transportation, in the valley or out
OF it, must be regarded as no longer an expert
ment to fall through and again leave the great
carrying trade Of the West m the hands OF
railway monopoIies, but an established fact,
that neither railway kirgs, or political dema-
gogues, can longer ignore or successfully
oppose.
1t has already been stated that an inexpen-
sive steamtug will carry fleet of barges bear
ing millions of bushels of grain, safely and ex-
peditiOusly from St. Louis to New Orleans, at
much less cost than the same can be transport
ed by rail to New York. and it Is now proper to
develop the full import of this statement by
the exhibition Of facts and figures as unmis-
taxable as they are significant.
Before us is a pamphlet entitled "a Memo
rial to Congress" " relating to the Improvement
of the Missouri river. signed by a numerous
Executive Committee representing the 'Mis-
souri, River Improvement Association, - which
association was called into existence by enthu-
s1astic conventions held in 1882, by the
citizens of Kansas, Nebraska. Missouri, Iowa
Montana and Dakota. In their argument the
HeMOFlatlSCS say Gna6, IN all the calculations
which follow, they leave out one-half OF Mis-
souri, of Iowa and Dakota. as tributary to the
Mississippi. though the left out halves, with
Wyoming, Colorado and New Mexico, would
be affected by whatever affects the territory
they represent, because of the close CONNER
ctal relations existing between them; and still
the memorialists appear before Congress rep
resenting 249 884.S S75 acres of land, 3400 400
population. 1851 272, 223 tax assessment on
lands, and total wealth of $1.246, ,216 643.
They paid revenue taxes TO the government in
1881 amounting to 81 727; 139, and the late cen
gus says they own 4345 $50 head of cattle. L.
249,OOO horses. 1888 900 hogs and 2O7l, $50
sheep. In 1879 Ia short crop year, they pro-
duced 61.116.297 bushels of wheat, 414,34 526
bushels OF corn, So SIC bushels of oats, l.
1873, 154 bushels Of rye, and 4,SO6.451 bushels of
barley.
We have produced these figures, first to show
the resp sctability of the memorialists ard the
emphasis their influence lends to their further
argumenti and second, for our own use hereaf-
ter when we come to ask the rule-of-three ques-
tion: II this small, sparsely settled half culti-
waited territory produces so enormously what
will the whole great valley of the Missis-
sippi and Missouri produce under full popula-
ton and cultivation?
The memorialists advance to their main
point with sturdiness and vigor of tread
tnat must prove effective. But to avoid all
danger OF misapprehension let them speak for
themselves.
They say: "When barges came to be en-
ployed on the Mississippi river, and es-
was SO improved by the government as
to admit the largest ocean steamers to the
port OF New Orleans, the people Of the Mis-
souri, valley conceived that the time had come
when this improvement, and these improved
methods, should be made available to them
ana they sought practical test of the FEAST
plllty OF barge navigation of the Missouri,
hoping therein to find relief from the enormous
burdens OF taxation imposed by the necessity
of Transporting their productions bu rail to
the Atlantic SeGboGrd (The italics ours)
Gtrn
The Mississippi Valley Transportation Com
pany OF st. Louis was induced to send fleet
OF three bargeS to Kansas City for q cargo of
gram; IL came to us empty, and was com
posed OF barges too large for our river 1t left
our port on the 9Th of July, taking away 83 $40
bushels of corn. The feet met with no mis-
hap, except a delay on account of bar for
about eight hours; and its success Induced the
Bebbage Transportation Company to follow
with fleet of three barges better adapted to
our river. This feet came to us three times
that season: and each time empty. 1t took
away July 9th 6203S bushels of corn, August
18th ~ 938 bushels of corn. and August 31st
44,19S bushels Of wheat. and met with no acci-
dent. 1t had to abandon business in August,
however, because of low water on the bars
'AJ the time these barges thus carried from
Kansas City to st. Louis 208 SAG bushels of corn
and "a, 90 bushels OF wheat the rail rate be-
tween the two cities was thirteen cents per
bushel on wheat and eight cents per bushel on
corn The rate at which the barges carried it
was fUe and q hGlfcents per bushel incltdino
insurance. saving of two and half cents per
bushel on the corn and seven and half cents
per bushel on the wheat, or S8 597 IS on the four
shipments But this is not all; the barges while
making such saving to the owners Of the
grain, and while running empty one way,
made, at the rate charged, a profit of one hun
dTed per cent"
The memorialists continuing say that if they
could have moved the whole Of their surplus
crop for that year at the above barge figures
they would have netted the enormous saving
of S14, ,942 243 on transportation between Kansas
City and st Louis alone. river distance of
only four hundred miles, and that could thev
employ barges for another crop like that OF
1879, between Sioux City and St Louis the saw
ing would be double that Of the above aggre-
gate-or four times the estimated cost of i'm.
proving that much of the river eight hundred
miles) for safe barge transportation
But they have done better since 1879, and the
barge lines, instead of carrying grain between
Kansss City and st. Louis at So cents on corn
and ~ cents on wheat, offered to carry them
from Kansas City to New Orleans for fve cents
per bushel each. still greater saving to the
producer though more than treble the distance
TO be transported.
The highest rates charged during the season
Of 1881, between st. Louis and New Orleans
which paid large profit to barge owners, was
seven cents per bushel, which the memorialista
assuming to be as high as there will probably
ever be reason for charging, make the basis of
maximum barge cost to New Orleans and ad-
ding the five cents from Kansas City. show
total cost to New Orleans Of twelve cents per
bushel
Stating the ocean carriage from New Orleans
to Europe at three cents above that from New
York, they add the three cents to the twelve
and find total cost of fifteen cents per bushei
by barge transportation to place their produce
on even footing at New Orleans with New York
as regards expectation to Europe
Now mark their comparison of barge cost
with railway cost They say: During the past
season the trunk lines of railroads between the
East and the West have been engaged in a war
with each other, end in the indiscriminate emf
ting OF rates we have been able to secure
better rates to the Atlantic seaboard
than were ever known before-better rates
according to the statement Of Mr., Commits
sioper Fink, than the railroads can afford The
tariff rate was 55 cents per hundred pounds, or
30 cents per bushel. on wheat. and so cents per
hundred pounds, or 80 cents per bushel, on
corn, which is as favorable rate as we can
expect in ordinary times. Here we find diff
ference OF eighteen cents per bushel on wheat
and thirteen cents per bushel on coru This
difference on the grain crop Of 1879 in the
country for which we speak would have been
81, 600 951 as on wheat. and $53, ,691, ,279 33 on
corn, or $64, ,S65, ,229 81 on both.''
After such an exhibition of facts it would
seem that further argument must be wholly
unnecessary; and yet it must be remembered
that but little more than half the territory of
the States occupied by the memoriaists was
represented in these statements while other
vast settled regions looking to the same points
for transportation, were left wholly out of the
argument. Add these and it will be seen that
the above savings by barge TRANSFORMATION
west alone, will foot up near t10o hundred nstl-
lions on a single crop.
Throw or one-half of this and say the total
saving would be one hundred millions. and we
have from that section alone a saving from the
transportation of one crop, more than suffici-
ent to clean out the Missouri and Mississippi
from the Rocky Mountains to the Gulf of Next
CO, and to construct half a dozen such barge
canals as that demanded from the mouth of
the Mississippi river across the peninsula of
Florida to the Atlantic Ocean.
Will any one contend, after this showing for
railway over water transportation for moving
the great crops OF the West to the Atlanticf
To bury, If there be such, beyond the hope
once more: Alluding to the facts dis
closed by the experimental barge fleets
of 1873, and Captain Lowry's estimate of the
ability Of barge lines, with proper improve
ment or the river, to carry grain from Kansas
City TO New Orleans for seven cents per bushel
they add: "At that time the rail rates to the
Atlantic seaboard were 33 cents per bushel on
corn and 30 cents on wheat From New Or
leans to European markets the rate was 8
cents higher than from Atlantic ports which
excess added to Captain Lowry's estimate
would make 10 cents as against 33 and Sc cents
q difference in favor Of barges of 26 cents on
wheat and % cents on corn. The corn and
wheat crops of the Missouri valley Tor 1872 at
% and % cents per bushel respectively. make
the sum of Sill ,167, ,5S4, which sum at such
barge rates would have been added to the value
of this one years crop in the hands OF the pro-
ducers."
This sum. concludes the memorialists, looks
so enormous that 1t seems difficult to believe,
yet from the known cost Of barge carriage on
the rivers 1t is derived. They call attention to
the fact that the difference in cost above stated
Is based upon an estimate of harge transporta-
ton on the Missouri only from Kansas City to
the mouth, a distance Of about four hundred
miles, when In fact every other section of the
river of four hundred miles would rnaHa !.