The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1893-05-02
THE VALUE OF .WATERWt

Before 1915 or 1850. all produce raised in
the Mississippi Valley and in the region
dependent on Chieago and Toledo was
carried to market BY water. There were no
railroads. After the railroad system, was
developed tremendous efforts were made by
its owners 10 get share of this business.
Then was made Of the argument that
time is money and that merchandise could
afford to pay an extra price go the swiftest
carrier Many of the Western producers
were Interested in the railroads. and tabored
TO. divert traffic from the waterways 10 the
landways. In this way, at the lime the
WAY broke ont, The railroads had succeeded
in Wrestling share If not the lions share of
the: trans BertatiGn from the productive
west to the sea board out of the hands OF the
rivers aud canals, II was evident TO every
one who was. familiar With the principles
of traDspo ion that the apparent victory
Of the land.ways was in violation of NATURAL
laws, and that NO form of land carriage can
compete with water carriage. But for
the time the railroads trumphed. They
were assisted by the fact that the usual trend
of produce at that time was eastward,
while the course of the. great rivers was
south ward and they were also helped by
The IMPOVERISHED condition of the South
after the war. which took away from the
gulf Seaports their former. standing as dis
tributfDg markets. -.
:. Thus it, came about that in the decade
1S65-fS75 there came to be practically no
traffic on the Mississippi. the Missouri and
+ the Ohio. All The stuff. that was moved
from the country drained by these rivers
went east by rail instead of going south b.
boat Within the past twenty years the
/. people of the river valleys have been sus-
pec&ing that this arrangement did them In
| Justice. They have .heen eHdeavoFing IN a
tentative way to divert traffic from tire
E:r0ads to the rivers, and though they have
not succeeded in enfIYeping the Missouri OF
| the Kansas they have made a start toward
| respTrectng tile trade of the Mtssssippi
ard. tne;Qhio. 1t is sl9wwork. The mum
! Der OF steamers on the Mississippi in the
/ census year was only 1114 and on the OHIO
537.: But. the freight barges on the Mlssis-
j sit{pifn lSs9,siiGmbered $3.50. having nearly
1 doubled in ten years, and. the barGes on the
!: ohio, had Increased at a: still mere rapid
1. ratio. These vessels carry: wheat, corn
E:caal.: IRON ore and lumGeE. To deyelop,i>:
1:trade Tolls full. possibility the port.of NeM
#Of feisias must become more: active and it,
::fntere6ur;e with Eprope< must be more
frequent; ! but tnat will come. The new
| 10. COTTON. freight steamers will: make {
I change: :: ::
J.. =. Tie increase Of the traflfe ON the grea
! lakes points the same moral. There:are foul
great trunk railroads which carry whea
i from Chicagoto~ the seaboard-1000 miles
for.s5 a ton. Yet 27737 lake and canal Graf
find occupation in the same business, ant
in 1889 they moved 5i,263. 1C6 tons Of coal
iron ore, lumber. corn and wheat. Nothing
but She competition of these boats keep
freight rates down on the roads. 20,
/ Unless all signs fail thegreat bulk of thu
products of the river valleys-whsat, corn
provisions and beef-will, in a given nun
Der of years, follow the natural Quite
which Pro violence created and seek mar
ket by way Of the rivers, leaving the rail
roads to carry passengers: ana lighter anC
perishable classes of merchandise. At tn,
time fire West was settled the notion that i
would depend on New York for an cutie
was entertained by no one: So when tht
early settlers Of Stanisaus, MERGED. Fresno
Kern and Tulare. in this State. broke tht
sod they counle ed on the San Joaquin Rive
| and not the Southern Pacific Railroad a
! their natural highway to the center o