The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1899-06-03

but every bale OF cotton passing over tnem
pays a toll OF as much as cents, and
other freight in proportion. More than
that, the six or so additional miles OF pos
sible land front. like that where the
wharvss have been built. are sbs0lutely
and irretrievably without depth sufficient
to meet the demands of the swelling tide
OF commerce. in terminal facilities OF rail-
road trackage, stock yards, warehouses,
grain elevators, congresses and the mani
fold similar incidents OF the demands or
traffic at a deep water port The rail-
road engineers and investors understood
this situation in descending in close net
work upon Houston instead OF Galveston;
and the wisdom OF their course is today
both illustrated and Yindiea.si, ,hen IL
is considered that only two railroads Rave
trackage alongside the Galveston wharves.
yet the cars of the one frequently stand
i, enforced dleness waiting Tor track
clearage from blockade by cars OF the
other.
There is no necessary conflict however,
in respect OF the two ports. The govern
ment. In expending the six million two
hundred thousand dollars by which 1t
secured at Galveston. not twel.y hvs feet
only. but twenty eight to thirty feet of
water. with an entrance, rs declared BIZ
the board the finest south of Norfolk, az
complished not only triumph in engineer
ing but conferred benefcent blessing snd
lasting benefit on the agri nj urel. naval
and commercial interests OF our pecn!c.
But in order to the proper utiliza .cn aad
complete realization OF the blessing AK
benefit thence to flow, deep water at Hous-
ton is a necessity obvious, and not man
within sound of my voice, II he hat from
Transmississippi territory, who should not
exert his best efforts to the acc jmplish"
ment OF that end This thought found ut
terance In the report of the corps Of en-
t.fAl b4a.r hoo 10
These distinguished officers there say:
THE rapid development Of the re-
sources OF Texas. Oklahoma, Kansas,
Colorado and New Mexico has for
many years made the establishment OF
a frst-class harbor on the gulf c1ast
west of New Orleans manifest neces-
sity.
This necessity has been rec gn2ed
by congress- and liberal apprGpra-
tions have been made for number
OF years. which have finally resulted in
the successful opening Of a channel Of
magnificent proportions across the bar
at Galveston, giving access TO an eT-
celent harbor In Galveston bay. This
result has cost the country many mU-
lions Of dollars, and has introduced =
new factor in the problem Of it's pros
perity, the full value OF which can uLi.
be realized by turning to account most
actively and in the most comprcnep-
siye manner the new resoui Ccs which
1t offers TO commerce.
Buffalo bayou is an important fac
tor in the utilization Of this improved
entrance to Galveston bay The city
of Houston, at the head 0f navigation,
is an important railroad center. where
fifteen roads converge, and through
II passes annually vast commerce..
seeking the seaboard TO reach the mar
kets OF the world Much Of this trade,
1fr,cy fnrr 10 hr Ia a,rtF
passes through Houston to sohs moss
distant port of shipment, but much
OF it leaves the railroad at ibis potuL
and is shipped BY barge through Buff
falo bayou to Galveston bay where It
Is transferred to 0cean-going vessels in
the open bay More than 100000 bales
Of cotton have recently been shipped
by this route in a single year"
Let 1t be borne In mind that, as a iunda
mental law of transportation, traffic wi
not, because In self-defense Il can nj
leave land for ocean az point whore
must suffer the hardship of special CO,
or delay. II WILL Of this recognized necei
sty, seek other outlets, though longer !
distance and time, and though less proll
able but for the hampering influence Tn
is but an application Of the immutab
principle of self-preservation, as trda
commerce as in liberty and lie Nhe
1t is reflected. then, as indlsputable stdti,
tics disclose, that the grain, cotton az
lumber products, aside from the vlrol
other interests, Of only the seven S,ait
Of Texas, Arkansas Missouri. kAnsa
Nebraska and the two Dak0tas even no
demand Of necessity a deep water rol
at Houston. what may be expected II IN
enlarged commerce Of these and sist,
States and Territories in the near fuNIr
based upon the marvellous annual IL
crease OF the recent past. unless a. au
efficient ports Of gulf outlet ar crea, d
These States alone, according 20 authsl &
facts, produced Of grain In corn, ,a;s m
wheat in a recent year GS96l. * sed'n
billion bushels. Figure j. out at II
conservative estimate Of w3n.y FIVE tttLi
and pounds to a car. and >llculltiorl %
show that TO move this rr1p s~a.l alCr
would require over two Mills u cars. c,
ceeding seventy-siX thousand trains
thinty cars each and that, extended {
trackage. they would cover nearly fiftec
thousand miles OF rail. Take the reuulr
ments OF cotton. The Texas crop Of /
self for the season last past, aildNr
forty bales to the car. would require 4
transit nearly seventy-seven thousa
cars, and more than forty-foIr thousar
fer the part received by Houston Gu
slider too, the Immense lumber interest
reaching almost to the gates OF H0ust0
and listen to their wall before the chat
man of the committee OF rivers and ha
hors of the house Of representatives, .: q
Fifty-fifth congress, where pointing
their annual output OF ,hrae buudIcd al
ninety four millions feet ot lumber, tn
declare:
We san not reach any OF the pres
sent deep water ports with our ium-
Der on competing rates OF export.
and are consequently shut uus from
the growing demand for Texaa lum-
Der in foreign markets; but on close
connection with Houston will enahie
US 10 reach that city with our pro-
ducts, so as to take advantage OF deem
water In Buffalo bayou
Who doubts, under the suggestive
fuence OF these potent facts, that the
will be, in the fast approaching yea
commerce enough descending for gulf OIL
let, after exhausting the utm ~ laplc
OF Galveston, not only to render deep wa
at Houston indispensable % o., lndus, r.
prosperity, but to make It's por. one OF
busiest points of export on the tides
the sea? No one has pet.ar proclaim
this conception. neighbors of Kansas. ia
your own distinguished United States st
ator. Luclen Baker. Heark N to mis-
tersnce, after the closest stuay OF the 81
ject: Tho Northwest" said he, "a
only commenced shipping South as !
When the great tide ~ commerce Is n
turned that way as II will surely he