Evening journal., 1896-02-22
COMMERCIAL SUCCESS
And How 1t May Be Secured
for the City of Wilmington.
RIuH IN NATURAL ADVANTAGES


which May Be cited as object Lessons.
Chapter for Business Men to Think
Over.
To commerce and manufacture. either
or both, the great cities OF this country
owe their prosperity, and the inclination
and ability to foster these important
factors has caused one city to forge
ahead Of another, seemingly more
favored az to location, and outrank It rs
great trade centre The pages OF the
worlds history are filed with the names
of great commercial centres, and 1t is
noticeable that by far the greater
majority OF them achieved their fame
and wealth by reason of their easy ac-
cess to the great water highways, added,
of course TO the disposition Of their
people to profit by the advantages given
them Tyre, Athens. Carthage, Venice,
Genoa, ale examples In ancient history,
while Glasgow, Liverpool, Manchester,
Hamburg, Boston, New York, Baltimore,
Philadelphia and hundred other equally
well'known seaport cities form modern
Instances.
First the River Then the Oity.
An observant but thoughtlsss spea ker
once remarked that 1t was strange that
there WAS always 8 river or other body of
water close to the largest cities. he did
not stop to think that the reverse OF his
proposition WAS the more accurate, and
that to the fact of the water being there
was due the presence and size of the
city. Had he 80 stopped and thought.
the problem would have ceased to be a
problem.
To this people of any city favored by
nature with possibilities OF commercial
greatness, no subject is of more import
ance than the development of tn ose
facilities It is both good citizenship
and good business Judgment to consider
how advances along this line can be
made; how the advantages possessed can
bs improved upon and how past errors,
either of omission or commission can
be corrected, and to attain the full
measure OF commercial greatness and
prosperity. depends largely upon the
activity and energy Of its business men,
Decadonce Of the Delaware.
Less than century ago the Delaware
river was the most important water
highway of this country. and on It's
bosom WAS carried larger proportion Of
the commerce Of the world than any
other avenue to a seaport city In the
United States. Wilmington was q port
of considerable Importance, and was q
formidable rival TO many city which to-
day far outranks It. From the shipyRrds
were sent out craft which were an
honor TO the place Of their building. and
which ploughed the waters ofs every
part of the globe. To-day Wilmington
has seen her lRurels added to other
crowns, has seen her ommerce dwindled
to meagre proportions, and no longer
longer holds the proud place In the /
1T L..4fl ~te H..
meroe Of the Delaware has dwindled, \
and the mighty craft which once flew i
the ensigns OF the nations Of the world \
on her bosom now seek entry at the /
ports Of Boston, New York or Baltimore. l
wIIminEton's Natural Advantages.
The first thing to be considered in the |
discussion Of any plan to improve the
commercial standing of q city is to look
at the advantages It possesses Tue
natural claims which can be offered, and
along this line Wilmington Is peculiarly
fortunate. Lying as 1t does at the
junction Of two deep water rivers. the
Delaware and Ohristisna, both nsvigable
and running outward to the sea, located
at practically the head of navigation, and
but few miles from Delaware bay with
two navigable streams the Brandy
wine and Christiana running through its
very centre, Wilmington possesses extra
ordinary advantages advantages possessed
by mother city in this world to any great
er degree To the south, mort and west
there stretches level country, offering
no bar TO growth, no matter how great
Other cities have expended vast sums of
money and tremendous effort to achieve
less than nature has given Wilmington
as free gift. Below the city the Della
ware river stretches, q mighty highway
to the ocean, and in truth 1t can be said,
the best-buoyed and best-lighted, with
one exception In the world.
An Extraordinary River Front.
The city has q total Of thirteen miles
Of actual water frontage. and twenty
I've miles which actually and practically
belongs to It and which can be made
available. The actual river frontage OF
Wilmington consists of two miles on the
Delaware from Edge Moor to the mouth
of the Christiana seven miles on the
ChrIstiana from its mouth to the W. & N.
R.R. bridge, and four miles on the
Brandywlne from It's mouth to Market
street bridge. Below the Chrlstiana on
the Delaware to Pigeon Point, where the
wharf of the w. & N r r. Is located is
another two miles Of water front owned
by private parties but not included In the
citys limits
The available Delaware river frontage,
which could be used by Wilmington,
reaches from Marcus Hook, which marks
the northern boundary OF the state and
New Castle, lying FIVE miles below the
mouth Of the Christiana. and comprises
90 me fourteen miles. or course the use
of his entire frontage is thing Of the
futule although the boom at Gordon
HeiqhLN and above may bring 1t sooner
than sv,Nn the most sanguine expect.
Philadslp Sis, with its population exceed
ing two millions has but little over
thirty. three .uiles Of frontage, less than
three times t6'at possessed by Whining
ton. with its population Of less than
10000.
Still Further ADVANTAGES.
In addition to the actusl water 'front.'
age OF thirteen miles, Wilmington also
- a ANAL atraam known aa the Shall