The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1891-05-10

production of the grain crop OF 1899
wheat, corn and oats from the five state.
as named, viz: Texas, Kansas, Nebraska
Dakota and Missouri, which constitute
only a portion of the vast territory trib
utary to this port, the present grain traiI
is less than LOO, 600 part of the grain
crop as above mentioned from the five
states. If we compare the benefit thai
the producer will derive by the establish
ment of a first class harbor at Galveston
as is contemplated by the United States
government. and figure saving OF
cents per 100 pounds on a haul to Gal
weston, as against the present long haul
to the ports of New York, Baltimore OF
| other Atlantic ports and taking only one
| third from the above mentioned crop OF
| five states as available for export, we
| find that the annual saving in this one
item alone to the producers amounts to
| over IS, 500, 900, and this as stated on a
saving of cents per hundred pounds in
freight, when it can be reasonably ex-
pected that the difference in freight will
on an average be more than cents Per
100 pounds.
Now a word as to the benegts that
will accrue TO Galveston when she be-
comes such port as is necessary to
handle and ship the immense surplus of
grain raised in the states and territories
tributary. Again taking only the above
mentioned crop Of the five states and
assuming one-third of it for shipment
abroad and estimating the cost of hand
ling, weighing, inspecting, transferring.
wharfage and all port charges at Il
cents per bushel, which in my estima-
ton, is taken very low (New York,
Baltimore and other ports the charges
are higher than this) the revenue derived
from this business would amount to 81,
800, 600 annually, and most of which
would be distributed among the work
ing people of the city, and this does not
include commissions or profits to
merchants or middlemen. Comparing
this, against the shipments through our
port of cotton, which has been and is
still the largest export commodity, and
which we must concede has given the
foundation to the prosperity of our COM
mercial interests, what figures can we
make against the above 81. 500, 900?
Taking our largest shipments Of cot
ton through our port. say 1000, 900 bales,
and estimating the cost of handling,
weighing, slowing, wharfage and other
port charges, at 81 per bale land one
half will not leave more than so cents in
the city,, makes 81 900, 900 as the revenue
for our city derived from this business
annually.
II fear very much that King Cotton
will have to make room on his throne TO
admit this stalwart competitor, Grain"
Mr.. Homer, the president of the Gal
weston Rope and Irvine factory, was
present and being called for said that the
of the amount of binder Irvine
required to harvest the present grain crop
was 10000 tons. While the company
which he represents was not prepared to
furnish it all they could turn out five
tons per day, and were now ready
to load these same eighteen cars
back to Kansas within twenty-four
hours with binder Irvine, giving them
all their full complement Of 20, 900 pounds
each.
This factory is on a direct line from
Yucatan, where the raw material is
raised, to Kansas, where the Irvine is
used, and the shortest road by thousands
of miles.
eve expect our Kansas neighbors will
not let their cars return empty.
why should Kansas buy Irvine of the
trust made IN New York rather than pat
ronize her neighbours"
This concluded the speech making, and
after some further interchange of COM
pliments between Mr.. Reymershofer
and his guests, the crowd dispersed.
In the afternoon the train was photo
yraphed, dismantled and unloaded.