The Coconino weekly sun. [volume] (Flagstaff, Ariz.) 1891-1896, 1895-09-12
DEEP WATERWAYS.
wealth to the Western Farmer 10 A.
sured by Its Completion.

Wealth to the Western Farmer 10 A.
sured by It's Completion.
For many years the work of creating
deep channels between Lakes Superior,
Huron, Michigan and Erie has been
going on. At length the work is done,
or under contract to complete, SO that
from all the lakes twenty-foot channels
may practically be said to exist. With
the completion of the inter-lalSe
channels, all the immense and rapidly
increasing navigation converges to the
common eastern terminus at Buffalo.
The existence of the great lakes has
made possible the so-called northwest,
since 1t has permitted the products OF
the northwest to reach markets at n
much lower figure than has been
possible by all rail. From Duluth to
Buffalo, eleven hundred miles, it costs
about one third as much us it costs to
transship and transport across New
York state. Increasing competi-
ton from those countries of
the world possessing cheap land
and cheap labor makes it
imperative on the producers, the farm
ers of the northwest, to search out, il
possible, some way of getting their
crops to the eastern markets at a lower
rate than they have been getting. To
every producer in the northwest it will
be OF interest TO know that on Septem-
Der 24-2G there will be a convention
held in the city of Cleveland for the
purpose of developing in large way
the facts relating to this deep water
navigation from Buffalo eastward
With view to decreasing the cost, it
is necessary to use the existing lakes
and river, with supplementary canals,
and to reduce the cost from Buffalo
east in some such ratio as has been Sc
cured in the upper lakes. An eminent
engineer, G.. N. Dutton, who has given
the matter great deal of study, has
prepared the following statements and
figures, which l beg to present, with.
out comment, simply asking that they
be read aud thought on:
sixteen great states. namely. Ohio, Indi-
ana, Illinois, Kentucky, Michigan. Wisconsin,
Minnesota. Iowa, Missouri, North Dakota,
Wyoming and Colorado, must ship their sur
plus agricultural products from the great
lakes to the seaooard. Dccp-water navigation
would effect an immediate reduction in freight
costs. and consequent increase in crop values
OF IN average Of Eve cents q bushel on grain
and potatoes, four dollars q ton on hay and
five dollars and upwards ton on straw
In tho sixteen states most benefited. tho
direct money gain, computed on the crop re-
ports OF 1905, will be as follows:
YEARLY GAIN.
CROP. Yield. bu Value per Su per bu
Corn TO 0lo s.99, 1000 coal Ss6OOO.O00
Wheat. 1886 0O0 900 Isl. lei AZ 10000
Ryo .... l50oOOOO 6634,OO0 Al $4,000
Potatoes 100000 aeasa,s7s IS $1,000
clay. :st sS g, slscsoseo "a nSs 80 co
Annual gain on agricultl products s4,7,76o,O0o
"Gain at "a ton tGain at IS q ton
DOMESTIC ANIMALS (MEAT).
Mich cows. sIS5,sl7 tIso. so5 2s4 ls see $50 6s4
Meat cattle IL 6s6,0A SOi 100 Csc IS 5i,s6S,3o7
Hogs .... .2s.Oos.s75 ls007l,5l5 Il .o.4ca,Sii
Gain in value OF meat animals 80. slI4,I74 99s
Yearly gain one-third OF above 3S0js, 1888
The sixteen states above referred to hare n
total area in improved farm lands OF l99, a26,S76
acres The increased value OF the productions
Of these lands will be Sio5 800 900 annually. an
increased annual earning OF s.. 33}S per acre II
tho market value OF land depends upon
It's earning power, and the ratio OF in
crease OF value be taken at four times the In
crease In yearly earnings, then the improved
farm lands Of these sixteen states will In
crease in value s9S3H per acre. or 81 500 900 0oO
as the Immediate result OF the opening OF the
Maritime canal OF North America.
Vast as this sum appears, 1t Is partia!
statement of the gain to the west resulting
from deep draft navigation to the seaboard.
because 1t Is based on the short crops OF 1894
and does not take account OF truck, fruits
small grains, dairy products, poultry. eggs
horses and mules. and wood. timber. bark. etc
neither does 1t take account of mine products
and manufactures, or the increase In values In
city and manufacturing p. opcrty."
This movement has received the in
dorsement of most of the United States
senators from the west.
Last winter the legislature of Mime
sofa memorialized congress in support
of this measure. Senator McCleary, Of
Mankato, is gathering data from Can
ada and the United States with view
to urging it in the northwest and in
congress.
The east has no transportation ques.
ton. Her manufactured goods, worth
perhaps thousands of dollars ton, arc
not perceptibly affected by slight diff.
erence in freight. The farming dis.
tricts of the west are vitality affected
when all profit in their crops is eaten
up by the carrying charges. AS ma
tional question it should be borne in
mind that the manufacturing east re.
ceives her raw products largely from
the west; also her cheap food supplies.
In turn she finds her best market in the
farming states of the west. 1t should
also be remembered that the enormous
cash balance annually required abroad
to settle the foreign exchange must be
provided in the main by the western
and southwestern farms or by gold
The pressure is urgent. The naviga
ton cannot be provided soon enough
il commenced now The convention at
Cleveland will be marked by the pres
ence of many specialists with specially
prepared papers covering a wide range
Of public matters. As chairman of the
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