The clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1883-1888, 1885-02-25
Vieksburg Harbor


Vieksburg Harbor.
: Con. Record, February l0l
\ Mr. Barksdsle. | move the follow
5 ing amendment. The Clerk read as fo,
lows:
t Improving Vicksburg Harbor unde
/ the direction of the Secretary of War
? $3.50, 900
Mr.. Barksdale A great statesman
: not resident Of the Mississippi Valley
, but of the ATLANTIC. coast, in advoeatin!
: the clsims of thep Mississippi River t
, protection by the General Government
| properly denominated it as an inland
r sea. Nicksburg Harbor is third in i'm
portauce to all others on the Mississippi
{ River between Cairo and its mouth Il
has a commerce of $1l 900. 900. 1t i.
situated at the base of the Iazo delta
embracing Il region of two hundred and
fifty miles in length and seventy five
miles in width, uuexampled for its fer
tility either in this country or any other
on the face of the globe. 1t lies on the
line of two great tranScontinental rail
ways, one most the direct route from the
Atlantic to the Pacific, and the other
extending from Newport News to San
| Francisco by way of Louisville, Mem
| phis, Vicksburg and New Orleans. 1t is
the entrepot, or the trade centre, of
| i large portion of the agricultural region
of the Northwest. Three millions of
! dollars worth of products are received
and distributed throughout the interior
Hence, MI. Chairman, it is not a local
Improvement | am asking an appropria-
| ton for; it is to promote commerce in
which not less than two thirds of the
States are directly interested.
Now, sir, | have no reproaches for the
| Committee on Rivers and Harbors. They
have performed their work faithfully.
| Within this short session it was literally
impossible for them to hear the argu-
menis of delegations from the several
States in advocacy of the various OBJ
jects proposed for improvement, but
they have been addressed in writing by
members and others who have felt it
their duty 20 be heard by the committee
An address signed by the Senators and
portion of the ReI Iresentatives from
Mississippi presenting the claims of
Vicksburg and other harbors of the
Mississippi River, within the limits of
the State, has been presented to the
committee, and while its recommenda
tions have not been accepted, there i.
reason to believe that it has been al
least respectfully considered. From
that portion of the address which re-
lates TO the harbor of Nicksburg | will
submit the following extract
The recommendation for Vicksburg
Harbor is so Insignificant in amo THAT
we conclude that as to that cessary.
even essential Improvement the com
mission is unwilling TO undertake it
without the direction of Congress. And
this surmiss receives support from the
published declarations of at least one
member of the commission. Certainly
the commission do not mean to say shat
only $50, 600 is needed to restore q safe
and convenient harbor for the city of
Nicksburg, As every one at all conver-
SAINT with the subject knows that the
sum recommended is wholly inadequate
for that purpose. We infer that the
commission means that they intend only
to preserve the present status of that
point by preventing further recession
OF the river from caving on the opposite
bank. This means TO abandon that i'm
portant city, and to turn over the i'm
menSe interests there to destruction
Against this we most solemnly protest
The amount needed to restore that har-
uor, though very considerable, is vet
much smaller than Congress has granted
to harbors in other States. And there is
nothing which can justify this discrimi
nation against NicksbuFg and the State
of Mississippi. The interests involved
are not too Insignificant 10 demand the |
favorable action of Congress OF of your
honorable body. These interests are
not merely local, but are of great inn |
p0rtance TO the State, and in fact to a |
large ction of the Union.
''Nicksburg is the most important point |
on the river Except Memphis and Nat |
chez between Saint Louis and New |
Cr e ms. 1t has a population of $4,000, |
VII ch would have been largely greater |
hut for the neglect of the national au- /
thorities in restoring this harbor The /
real estate in Nicksburg is now worth |
more than $4,000 600, and this is to be |
destroyed if thesharbor is not restored. |
There are situated there two large com
presses on which cotton Is pressed for /
shipment to New England and Europe. |
There sre several large wholesale houses.
as we'll a. a great number of retail es
Establishments. The largest cotton seed |
oil mill in the world il also there, and /
another of considerable size. There are
also three large foundries, an ice iac'ory, |
aud furniture and general woodenware
factory. Many large lumber mills with /
planning, turning and grooving mills,
and sash and blind factories attached |
There are also situated there the large |
workshops of the Nicksburg and Merid /
ian Railroad, which has its western ter
minus there. Vicksburg is also the /
commercial terminus of the Vicksburg. |
Shreveport and Pacific Railroad, which |
ends on the western bank of the river, |
opposite the city, and is connected /
Herewith by steam ferry. The largest |
national cemetery Except one) in the |
Union is situated thers. 1t is the coal |
ing station, as we'll as the depot for ice !
and other supplies, of all the steamers
that nly on the Mississippi River, every |
one of which use the harbor in passing |
up and down the river. The Louisville. |
New Orleans and Texas Railroad, which
connects New Orleans with Newport
News, Va. passes through the city, and
there connects with the other railroads
above mentioned. and with the Missis-
sippi River
1--WE have no specific statistics as to the
1Ht " e give SDi3e futst Oh
It's magnitude now and its immense pro-
portions 10 the near future. if Congress
will only discharge its plain duty by
restoring the harbor!
The city is situated at Gust below the
mouth of 1azoo river, which with its
tributaries, the Tallahatchie, Coldwater.
Yazpo Pass. 1aliobusha, Rolling Fork,
Sunllower, Deer Greek, Steele's Bayon.
Silver Creek, Bear Greek, all navigable
streams, traverse a country than which
there is no other on earth more fertile
or richer in natural resources. It i. the
entrance 40 the Yazoo Delta and the
doorway through which its productions.
now already immense, AID soon. with
the levees restored, 90 arise to enormous
proportions, go intoA the commerce OF
the world. Nicksburg is the home port
os large fleet of small steamers which
navigate these streams, traversing and
reaching every part of the great delta
Ii Is the northern terminus of a line OF
sseamers from New Orleans. the most
magnificent that ply on the Western
waters 1t is also the home of a large
nnmber OF steamers plying between
Natchez and that point. and the bends
above and below. and is the southern
terminus of a tri-weckly line of steam
ers running between that port and
ST.. Louis and all intervening points.
By rail it has direct connection with
New Orleans vith Mensr,his and ALI