Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1890-01-08

mercial city in return for flour sent out
These sales commencing at intervals OF
from four to six weeks. began to be an
nounced oftener. The interior merchants
attended reguaIly and bought their coffee.
The fleets continued to increase, the eX-
ports of flour continued to grow, and the
arrivals of coffee were announced every
few days. The GALES increased, and from
the slow beginnings reached in some
seasons as many as two per week. 1t was
SO, too, with the attendance of buyers in
the Richmond coffee-market, for not only
were our interior merchants present, but IN
1859 and 1860 they were there in good
numbers from Baltimore, and occasionally
from Philadelphia and New York. The
reader can well imagine something of the
splendid trade the wheat produced in parts
only of Eastern Virginia, principally in the
James River Valley, was building up. We
could, and not appropriately, introduce
here other interests which were increasing
through the -four and coffee-trade, but
must pass on to the conclusion.
Let us suppose there had been no war to
break up this trade-to throw these ships
out of commerce and to transfer the
Brazilian demand for -four to Trieste, in
Austria, which retains the greater portion
of it to-day, and that our charging trans
portation lines across Virginia to the West
in the advanced state in which MIR. Ingalls,
is SO efficiently sustaining and enlarging
them. Not only at Richmond, but all
along the Chesapeake and Ohio line, the
mills would have multiplied and Richmond
have become the chief port of the CONT
nent in exporting -four aud importing cof-
fee. Chicago, and, of course, all the in
terror cities of the West between that great
mart and the Atlantic Coast-shipping are
nearer to it at Richmond and Hampton
Roads than at any other point-especiaily
is this true in reference to the trade with
Central and South America, and at Rich
mond and at our ports around Hampton
Roads they would to day be buying, or
through them importing their coffee
What was done on comparatively small
scale to that Of which it is susceptible,
may be done again by assisting the Rich
mond millers and merchants in their effort
not only to restore this commerce which
has partially succeeded, but to conduct it
to it's full position. Once they had a
growing line Of chips, bat now the ships
frogn away up in cold Norway are the
principal reliance for the Richmond -four to
reach the Southlands of the continent
They take away, but bring nothing in re-
turn They take On cargoes of coffee, it is
true, but they head for Amsterdam aud
Havre, aud in these countries take on the
cargoes of boots and shoes and clothing
and other supplies reeded in their country.
Thus the round is made with only one,
whereas there might be two, if not more,
sources of profit to US, if We had our own
merchant marine.
! We thank Mr.. Ingalls, for his timoly ad
monition, which sbogld prove profitable moi
only to the interests Of the James River
Valley, but to the entire State. 1t will be
o grand schievt ment to maize car com-
merce 81 That it should be. We once bad
it on the high road to great destiny. Our
opportunity for complete restoration ia not
wholly lost. LIST us realizs that there Is
virtue in effort, and that prosperous agri-
culture, the beauty aud glory Of our land.
is'the foundation which sustaips rich AID
profitable AID stable commerce.