The Greenville times. [volume] (Greenville, Miss.) 1868-1917, 1891-06-20

I'm fHAutc. htFt no right 10
press this matter upon your attention.
unless | can demonstrate TO YOU that
what | contend for is not fiction. but
everlasting truth | will not burden
you by reading statistics, which while
valuable, might ON an occasion ike
this prove tedious and uninteresting.
Take 81. Louis as the point of shin
ment. In 1883, gentlemen of the con-
gress, Il cost from 20 to 20 cents A
bushel to take your wheat from 81
Louis to New York by rail. Ii cost at
the same time from II to 23 cents TO
take that bushel Of wheat by river TO
the Gulf of Mexico. There was thus
an average net gain of six cents per
bushel to the shippers by the Missis-
slppi River, In the year 1884, it cost
hv rail from st. Louis TO the seaboard
from 10 TO 20 cents; while by river il
cost only from l l to 90 cents. In 1885.
Il cost by railroad from ST. Louis TO
New York from II to 27 cents, and bv
river to New Orleans, only Is cents.
Let us now see how the charges are
at the present time. You will find
thar it costs II 40-100 cents to take a
bushel of wheat from st. Louis to New
York. Let Us deliver this wheat in
Liverpool and see what wo have paid
out in transporting 1t to that market.
II costs 3 cents per bushel from New
York to Liverpool, which with hand
ling charges at New York of one-half
cent, make the total from St. Louis
to Liverpool by way of New York,
70 9-lOO cents. Let us now see what
II would cost to ship by the Mississippi
River. The charges are III cents per
bushel from st. Louis to New Orleans.
insurance one-half cent, and from
New Orleans TO Liverpool. Z cents,
making total to Liverpool of Is l-2
cents. So we haye to-day net differ
ence to the seaboard in favor of the
river of 40-l00 cents, and to Liver
pool of ? 40-l00 cents. These figures,
for whose accuracy | vouch, show a
large saving to all who ship their
grain at this time TO Liverpool by way
Of the Gulf Of Mexico.
But the present rates do not afford
fair illustration of the advantages of
this route. The ocean rate from New
Orleans to Liverpool, Is Z cents as
against 3 cents from New York 10
Liverpool.
This greater cost from New Orleans
is because there are not the same
handling and transportation facilities
that are TO be found at New York.
But when il is understood that the
bulk of the products Of the great West
are to come down the river, instead OF
going East by rail, these facilities will
come, aud then your grain will 90
from New Orleans at cents bushel
as il now does from New York.
That would make a net gain of
about seven cents bushel to Liver
pool, over the New York route. With
such an enormous saving as this would
effect to the people of these great
grain-growing States, have very
strong suspicion that you would agree
with me, that important as are ques-
uons regarding the currency and tax.
alton, they do not touch you so nearly
and directly as does this concerning
the cost of placing the fruits of your
toll in the markets of the world.
have no sort Of doubt that a far
greater benefit than has ever been pre-.
dictod, would result from the improve
ment of our waterways. Take the
States upon the great Missouri river,
for example. was greatly impressed,
as | came from st. Louis to this city.
along its banks, by the fact that did
not see a single boat upon this mighty
river, and yet ii is large enough 10
float the naves of the world.
Why, you are suffering and starving
and burning your corn for fuel, be-
cause you cannot market your pro-
ducts AT living rates, with this majes-
tic river marching by with stately
trend, incapable of being overburden-
ed, if suitably controlled, and yet by
reason of neglect, in such savage and
untamed condition, that il is practi-
cally valueless.
The fact is, gentlemen of the con.
gress, railway building has been car
ried on so rapidly, aud new lines have
laid out In such quick succession, that
our energies have been wholly devot-
ed to the development of the new
regions by them made accessible 10
settlement.
BY the hustle and excitement and
novelty of our surroundings, our
thoughts have been almost wholly
diverted from the consideration Of
our natural highways. aud they have
been suffered to fall into State OF
deterioration which makes tho best
and largest of them practically unnav'
igable. In times past the utility OF
the Missouri river has been strikingly
exempliiied. In 1878, barges, laden
with grain, went from Kansas City tC
st. Louis, aud they carried It for IL
cents per bushel, and found the trans
action profitable, while at the samt
time the railways charged - cents Oh
wheat, and 8 cents on corn.
Why cannot that be done now I
The answer is that the Missour
river has been suffered TO fall into
such condition that lis navigation i
attended by innumerable dangers ant
difficulties. Similar difficulties, though
TO a much less extent, but for the SAINT
reason, are encountered upon the Mis-
sissippi river. II may seem o start
ling thing, but tell it TO you as FAC
that the greatest of all rivers, which
carries off to the sea, the surpln
waters of an empire, and whose vale!
is capable of supporting the popula
ton of the world, is Notwithstanding
this greatness, through the indifference
or parsimony of The American people
at certain of its stages, a fearful en-
gne of destruction, and at others, Il
given places, reduced to such atten
nation that It's navigation is seriousl
impaired, and at times absolutely in
terrupted.
While the Mississippi river alway
has a plenty of water, this plenty, lik
the wealth of the country, Is very ull
equally distributed.
If you should sound its channt
from st. Paul to New Orleans, yo
would find never ending succession
of deep and shallow places. Place
eighty feet in depth are followed b