The herald., 1893-09-17
SUDDEN COMMERCIAL CHANGES,
Some "reminiscences of Old
Time Conditions.
When Pork and Corn Congested the
Avenues of Traffic.
Features OF the Markets just Before the
War-Hog Products Stacked
up Like Cord
wood.

The Misaissippi river was always the
main artery for traffic between the west,
northwest and south, and in early days
a vast commerce foated down the great
river, principally to New Orleans, max
ing that southern city one Of the most
important shipping ports in the foreign
trade. By far the heaviest tonnage went
down the river, consisting chiefly of
coal, corn, wheat, mess pork and beef,
to supply the cotton states Of the lower
river country and a foreign demand.
Previous to 1860 the waterways of the
country were considered the cheaper
mode OF transportation for the heavy
and bulky products, such as mentioned
above, the railroads not being so univer-
sal as now, and not being a competitor
to serious extent, handling this class
of freight principally in the winter
months when the water courses were
closed by ice. Indeed, it may be added
incidentally, that very great passenger
business was also done by steamers over
ell the internal waterways and the chain
OF western lakes.
After 1860 all this changed. The ns-
ton began to be in the throes OF an inn
| pending international STRIFE, and eec
| tional differences arose which overturned
every business system ard broke down
every shipping and transportation line; /;
commercial intercourse ceased between
! the south and the north when the war
came, and following tnat was established
an entirely reorganiaed system of busi-
ness relations and all things assumed q
| classified standard. New routea Of trans
portation were opened, other cities in
the eastern states began to handle the
| products of the west and the railroads
| became almost the exclusive factor in
! transportation considerations. The inn
portance OF New Orleans as a shipping
point of western products disappeared
with other changes as a result OF the
war.
The facility with which business af-
fairs adapt themselves TO any condition
which may be confronted, is only cir
cumscribed by the energy and genius of
the men concerned, and generally speak
ing sudden overthrow is but a tempo
rary paralysis.
This was somewhat the situation when
the exigencies of war required the naval
blockade of the Mississippi river in 1861.
hD LllG CdAAl tl4fCQEA 1tdM OtA btato
had long been great artery for the trans
portation of grain from the bursting
granneries of the west and a multitude
OF boats on the canal and sailing crafts
on the lakes were engaged in the trade.
Freights were principally eastward,
and boat returning light to Buffalo
would take freight at almost any rate if
it were hurried on board. By this means
salt from the extensive works at Monte
zuma and Syracuse, New York, and
brick from any place on the line of the
canal were transported at moderate coat.
Return freight on the lakes being light
also, grain vessels gladly took thiH salt
and bricks for Cleveland, Detroit, Mil
waukee, Chicago, and every other port
| as well, aa ballast. Those who con-
sumed these articles found manifest
advantage in this for long time, and
salt cold from 81 to $l.25 barrel in
Michigan and Illinois.
Salt being a cheap and abundant
commodity, pork ard beef were packed
in enormous quantities and shipped all
over the world, great proportion of
the shipments goir- down the Miesis-
sippi; the war closed this route. Own
ers and masters of vessels experienced
change Of methods, and instead OF
transporting salt free as ballast placed a
| freight tariff on it equal to the former
price of the article by the barrel at port
of delivery. Failing in getting their
| price vessels would lay for days aasl
weeks in the harbor at Buffalo end Atis
awaiting cargo. This brought about a
| sudden congestion in pork and pork
products aad pa.alyzed everything. The
amount of swine raised throug ghout the
entire west in 1851 had never before
been known; and ae the chances of
getting rid OF it disappeared, it went
down, down, down to almost nothing.
The amount of pork required to I'll a
standard barrel was worth something
| less than the salt necessary to pickle it,
| Packing houses were deuged with pork
and unable to handle it. The hog raiser
was not prepared to care for more than
sufficient for his own or local uaes.
| 81 The slaughtering season was on and
thousands of porkeTs yielded up their
hog lives every day, thus adding un-
numbered carcasses to the vast number
gone before. An attempt was made to
| ship the carcasses in frozen state to
| the packers in the east during the win
ter months of 1851 81, and thousands of
loads were hauled to all the railway
stations throughout the west. crowding
the warehouses, and were piled up like
cord-wood as high az could be resched,
often six and eight ranks deep, extend
ing the whole length OF the railway
yards and outside sidings, completely
overwhelming the railways far beyond
their ability TO move it, though often
numerous special trains day would go
out loaded with pork alone.
To such an extent did pork accumu-
late that the companies gave orders to
receive no more until the accumulation
could be removed, leat thaw should in
tervene and cause disaster. Mich OF
this pork was delivered at the station
in the carcass at 2lla cents per POUND,
making the average prime porker worth
less than ~ each.
Happily this state of things did not
last long, and the few who were able to
handle this tremendous product accu-
Inulated immense wealth in a brief pc
rod. The demand to supply the needs
of Che army and navy very soon placed
the market on high plane and Was the
baas of many prncely fortunes.
During the same period, when slaugh-
tered pork was being hurried to a fear
fully glutted market, caused very largely
by sudden stoppage in salt shipments,
thousands OF loads of live hogs were be-
ing transported to the east to supply the
usual demand, large at all times. On
Sundays there was no local traffic on the
weetern roads, and all the trunk lines