The Big Stone Gap post. [volume] (Big Stone Gap, Wise County, Va.) 1892-1928, 1893-02-02
Trade Prospects via Nicaragua.
1.-THE Ago u9 Steel.

The Importance OF the proposed MICA
ragua Canal, both in political and COM
mercial sense, is making its impression
on public opinion aud interest. IT is,
perhaps, impossible to definitely outline
its potential influence, or to form more
than an approximate estimate OF its effect
on the foreign trade and prestige of the
United States. The situation, however,
| is self-assertive and furnishes its own
prophecies. In this sense it needs but
the engineer to complete the design OF
nature and link geography with COM
mercial destiny The Road Muster of the
planet has driven his stakes, and it is left
for man to utilize the highway. In the
shortening distance between the hives OF
industry and the marts Of trade, the great
and vital factor of rapid transportation is
increasingly essential, not only to the
prosperity of one nation, but The progress
Of others.
The economics in distance are thus
figured. The routes from New York to
San Francisco, via Cape Horn, is 1860
miles; via Nicaragua, 4,9O7 miles, the
distance saved being 1858 miles. New
York to Puget Sound, via Magellan. 1885
miles; via Nicaragua, $500 miles; distance
saved 9,27O miles. New York to Hong
Kong, via Cape Good Hope, 1880 miles;
via Nicaragua, 1865 miles, distance
saved, 3,O55 miles. New Orleans to San
Francisco, via Cape Horn, $4,000 miles;
via Nicaragua, 4,l47 miles, saving Of
II 1853 miles.
Southern sea ports will make gain of
about 10000 miles in trade with the
Pacific coast, being about $500 miles
nearer than competing ports of Great
Britain. The distance from Liverpool to
San Francisco, via Cape Horn, is 1880
miles, being forty miles less than the
nrcscnt distance of New York to San
Francisco, the Nicaragua waterway re-
versing the difference by bringing New
York nearly 5000 miles nearer to the
Pacific coast than the chief seaport OF
Great Britain This advantage in COM
pctitive sense, needs no comment. AS
stimulus to commerce, an all water route
between the Atlantic and Pacific cannot
fail to be an impulse that will radiate
directly and indirectly OH all States tribu1
tary to its nuviul feeders or connections,
not only embracing the Mississippi Val-
lev, but every Southern State in easy
access of navigable rivers and open sea
lines. This deployment will be in simple
response to the economic opportunities of
the situation. In the interchange of COM
moditics, the law of supply and demand
will, rs usual, lie sovereign and Mt the
points where the two conditions are III
vital relationship, the commercial impress
will lie tho most distinctly legible. In
this distinction the South must neces-
sarily largely share. Its coal and iron
industries, that as vet are but in forma
tive or embryonic condition, will find
permanent markets on the Pacific coast,
where from Puget Sound to Callno, iron
and coal are so far missing in the economy
of natural resources. England ut present
has the monopoly Of this trade, but with
the Southern sea ports $500 miles nearer
than England, the advantage i'll compe-
tition is conclusive rs TO the future COM
mand of the Pacific markets. The same
NAV be said of the cotton product. The
South has suffered from surplus or glut-
ted market reducing prices below those of
cost values. In this, the Nicaragua Canal,
will place China, Japan and other coun-
tries in the lower ATTITUDES in easy access.
AS it is, the Importance of American cot
ton in this direction is doing missionary
work for the future. In Japan, for in
stance, the slate shows that it's imports of
cotton from 1883 to 1891 have grown from
94.257 pounds to total in the latter year
of 1912, 562 pounds. The route of trans
portation at present is mostly from New
Orleans to New York, then by rail to the
Pacific coast, the closing chapter of tran
sit being by steamer. With New Orleans
$4,000 miles nearer the Orient, via the
Inter-oceanic Canal, the facilities of sup
ply will not fail to induce response in
demand and reinstate King Cotton once
again on his vacated throne. 1t is almost
needless to add that among the indus
tries receiving a stimulus from this de-
yelopment, that ship building and it's
cognate trades will have q prominent
place, while the uni6cation of natural in
terests by the closer relationship of its
commercial points will be a necessary re-
suit With all reasonable margin allowed
for delays, complications and the inter-
yention of distractions not previously in
sight, there can be no question as to the
logical outcome of completed inter-
oceanic waterway.
Our Exports for 1O1 Years.
The total value ofour exports from 1881
to 1891 was $,5Ol ,4G3,l02; during the de-
7C7