Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1882-03-09
RIVER TRANSPORTATION.

RIVER TRANSPORTATION.
Grain for European Ports Shipped
Down the Mississippi.
New York Tribune
The drop in the price of wheat
makes a stir in the export trade at
st. Louis, as well as in other centers of
the grain trade. Within the last few
DAYS more than $4,000 bushels have
been sold in that city for immediate
export by way of New Orleans. The
first shipment will go down the Mis-
sissippi river to-day, borne by fleet of
grain barges in tow of river steamer.
Other shipments are to follow. YES
sells have been engaged in New Orleans
to carry the grain to Liverpool direct;
and should the breadstuffs market re-
main in sound condition there is likely
to be strong demand for tonnage at
the wharves of New Orleans, which
will put many extra dollars into the
pockets of our ship-owners.
The February rise in the western
rivers occurs just in time to aid the
shipment of grain down the Mississip-
pi. Low water and ice obstruct the
navigation of that portion of the
river between st. Louis and Cairo
about two months of the year. But
in February occurs the great rise
which invariably converts two almost
deserted great streams all at once into
bustling and exciting thoroughfares of
commerce. An endless procession of
steamboats, dart down the Ohio with
fleets of coal-barges in tow. Hundreds
of great freight and passenger steam,
ers. which are laid up in the winter all
along the river owing to the low water
and dull trades, are brought out and
set to running on the river routes.
Barge and steamer transportation is
also resumed ON the Mississippi all the
way to st. Paul. The drop in the
price of wheat occurs this year in time
to give the tonnage of the rivers the
benefit of it at the opening of general
navigation. Assuming that the market
will continue to rule low enough to
maintain the export trade, the fall in
prices also occurs in good season to
give the barge lines on the Mississippi
an opportunity to show what they can
accomplish this year in the way of di-
verting grain from the railroads lead
ing to Atlantic ports.
Of all the seaports which ship grain
direct to Europe, New Orleans is the
first in 1882 to get the benefit of water
transportation from the interior. In
deed, this is the case every year. The
Mississippi is available for grain ship
ments from St. Louis eight and half
months every year, whereas the Erie
canal is not in operation more than
seven months. Below Cairo, to which
point grain is now sent by rail from
st. Louis in the winter season, the riv-
er is available for grain-barges nearly
every month of the year. The st. Louis
merchants have never lost faith in a
large river commerce and export trade
to Europe via New Orleans, and I'M
doubtedly they enjoy an important adj
vantage in the possession of a water
route open nearly the whole year round.
Should the capabilities of the river be
properly improved, there is no reason
at present to doubt that part of the
increase of western trade will be d.
verted by them to TIE Mississippi riv-
er. It is to be remarked, however,
that in pushing age like this natural
advantages are of less account than
enterprising men. The smart, wide
awake managers who have been build
ing railways all over the west have al
ready paralyzed the whole river COM
MERGE of that region. Steamboating
has been stationary now for ten years,
the enormous expansion OF trade hav-
ing all gone to the railways. The Mis-
souri, river has been permanently su-
perseded as water route already. On
the Ohio there is no increase in the
freighting business, except in the sim
gle item of coal, which goes south al
most entirely by river. On the Missis-
sippi the river tonnage is barely hold
ing its own, while rail transportation
marches with gigantic strides. The
commerce Of ST. Louis is fair illustra-
ton. The tons of freight received and
shipped at that city during the last ten
years, by rail and river, are as follows
-TOnS-
nv river Rv rail