Wichita eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1886-1890, 1888-12-19
a DEEP WATER HARBOR FOR
KANSAS

The Kansas Financier of this week
discusses the question of deep water
harbor on the Gulf coast Of Texas at
considerable length. After giving some
thing of the history Of the movement,
the efforts heretofore made in that
direction by the states and territories
| directly interested in the enterprise, the
t1nancier argues the advantages to be
derived from the success Of such an I'M
dertaking and presents some points not
heretofore touched upon in the public
discussion of the subject. 1t says:
The Importance of this deep water
| movement, cannot be realized, by any
| person, until he has considered on what
| vast territory this harbor would grant
the most natural and the cheapest out
let to the tide waters Of the world The
regions of which this harbor would be
the natural outlet. will be, within
the next few years, the richest
agricultural, and the most thickly
populated portions of America.
The establishment of such a harbor,
will successfully demonstrate, that COM
| merce can only be sustained by crossing
the parallels of latitude, instead of fol-
lowing such lines. In the United States,
the same latitude produces the same
products, consequently, the exchange of
commerce and products, by any carrier
system, along lines of latitude, will not
promise 50 well as along lines of longl-
tude, other than for export. Nature IN
tends that the products of the tropical
regions, should be unchanged for the
products of the temperate zone, and,
with deep water harbor on the Gulf
coast, the products of the richest regions
of America will be carried, in a natural
way, to the coast of Texas, and there
distributed to the world.
The DEVELOPMENT OF the natural re-
sources of the Rocky mountain region,
will receive an impetus by the establish
ment of such deep water harbor, which
Will enable it to pour forth It's untold
wealth of precious metals, the prairies
will furnish their vast acreage OF cereal
and live stock. and manufacturers will
be induced to establish their plants at
the base of ore, coal and supplies, with
the assurance of being able to compete
with the world
The wealth of all countries is largely
measured by its diversified industries,
and no country is more favored than the
Rocky mountain basin: the rich fields OF
Kansas and Texas would furnish abund-
ance of food. Colorado will furnish the
minerals of all varieties, and Of endless
quantity, and the tide waters of the Gulf
would distribute the goods cheaply to the
consumer. With all these advantages, this
region Will become the center of the
manufacturers of America, within an
other quarter of century. The coun-
try of Oklahoma will soon be opened to
the world, and before many years the
whole vast country, from British Amerl-
ca to the gulf, Will be teeming with a
population mighty in its strength. With
the completion of the Panama and Mic
aragua canal, the fast developing com
merce of the Pacific ocean will find its
way, naturally, into the United States
through the harbOrs on the coast of
Texas, and be distributed to all points,
from some central point in this state.
The existance of such a harbor on the
coast of Texas. will shorten the distance
to the export markets of Kansas, of six
or seven hundred miles. saving at least
five cents on every bushel of surplus
corn. This saving alone. on one years
crop in Kansas, would more than secure
and maintain harbor on the coast of
Texas.
If is favorite idea of James G.. Blaine
and other American statesmen, that the
commerce Of the South American Coun-
tries belongs to the United States by
natural laws, aside from any national
concern, and there is no reason why this
vast Mississippi basin should not have an
outlet through the Gulf of Mexico, and
thence to the South American countries.
Some day canal will connect the At
lantic and Pacific, and the Pacific slope
will find an easy carriage for her pro-
ducts to the east by return over the same
route through which this country will
ship their products. In view of all this,
the importance of this subject cannot be
too seriously considered by the people of
this state, and if Texas would unite On
some definite point, that point will be-
come the focus of the entire country
north.