Akron daily Democrat. [volume] (Akron, Ohio) 1892-1902, 1899-12-23
THE GREAT LAKES.
A Veritable Klondike Of Commerce
to This Country.
Onc-Third of the Population of the
united stntes Dependent Upon
Thcni-shipS on the De-
troIt River.

| The great lakes have become great
artery of our richest commercial blood.
One-third of the population Of the
United States is dependent on these
lakes for their export and import trade.
This waterway taps the richest and
most prosperous agricultural territory
on this continent of ours, together with
our most productive mines, and II is
worth while noting that within ra-
dius of 400 miles of Cleveland lies one
half the population Of the United
States. II is n well-esta blished fact that
deep-water transportation is. and nee
essarily must be, far below the cost
OF transportation by rail; indeed, IL
is computed that the cost of wafer
transportation by steam, VIXEN the voy-
age is of any considerable length, is
about one-quarter the average cost of
transportation by rail, while by sail
boat II Is only one-eighth OF the latter.
AS this question Of transportation de-
termines to great extent the existence
or the noneyistence of q possible in
dustry, and enhances or diminishes the
value OF every article of export in pro-
portion 10 its efficiency and economy,
the battle cry Of the west for "20 feet OF
water between Duluth and the sea"
is no great problem TO account for. In
the year 1898 there passed through the
Sault Ste. Marie canals no less than 21.-
234,664 tons OF Canadian freight. alone
having value of O0,OO0,OOo, while
American ships moved some 16s,O0O,O0
tons through the same waters for the
snme length Of time.
The total traffic through the locks
Of this $500" canal, for less than eight
months, is 1--WE times as great in num-
ber Of vessels and slightly less than
twice as much in actual tonnage as
passes through the Suez canal during
an entire year. Through this same
Suez canal. which boasts OF carrying
the commerce of the world, there
passed, during last year, s,5OO,OO0 tom
mage, while there hoated through the
locks of "Susnn Mary" tonnage of
16,5O0,ooo. The stupendous proportions
OF the traffic on our great lakes may
also be realized from the fact that more
ships sail the Detroit river than enter
either the port of London or Liverpool.
a grenter number of passengers, on
the other hand. pass through this same
river than do In ard out of the port of
New York. the great gateway OF the
new world. In fact, the total number
OF passengers carried annually by the
lake fleet falls very slightly short OF
2OO,OOo,00o. The city Of Buffalo. which
claims the largest grain elevator In the
world, does n business in the trans
shipment Of grain and -four which en-
ceeds that done by any other city in
existence. Cleveland. with the excep-
tion of the Clyde, Is the most extensive
shlpbuilding center of the present day.
The neither shores of the lower lakes
have been necklnccd with collection of
the busiest and most prosperous manu-
featuring ccnters in the United States,
and SO much so that to-day our coun-
try's commercial center of gravity will
be found 10 fall somewhere along the
northern portion of Ohio. Mill and
foundry and factory In all these cities
depend on the great iron freighters
that steam northward with coal and
bring southwark their cnrgocs of tim
her and grain and iron, and IL is in the
possibility Of such economic exchange
that turks the secret OF Uncle Sans
mercantile greatness.
1t Is in Just this, too, that lies the
secret of how the United States has
taken such n generous hand In the
feeding OF the world. II is an accepted
fact with shippers that Liverpool makes
the price of caah wheat, and that every
cent saved on the cost Of delivering
American grain Mt Liverpool means so
much money 70 be paid to the owner OF
this wheat ut the time II IL sold and
shipped. So Duluth, in commercial
sense, is placed by the great lakes 2,ooo
miles closer TO Europe than is, let us
ray, st. Louis. The Canadian govern.
n,ent has recently realized this fact,
and, although they have heretofore al.
lowed American vessels to carry 0G per
cent. Of the tranlc of the great lakes
they are now perfecting deep wnter'
way system from Port Arthur TO the
Gulf of the St Lawrence that prom
ises to threaten even the business OF
the port OF New York and the com.
parauvely diminutive Erie cnnal. The
last link of this enterprise OF the Can.
ndian government was forged by the
opening of the soulanges canal, and
by Its operation It II expected that the
cost OF transporting lake freights to
tide-water will be reduced TO such an
extent that there will he saving oi
from one To two cents a bushel on
whent. The Canadians have expended
over s6a,0oo,000 10 secure their IL feet
OF water between Port Arthur und
Montreal. and in comparison with thi.
the 4o,Ooo,ooo expended by the United
States seems relatively Insignificant
especially when one remembers the
surprising extent TO which our com
mcrcial interests are involved In such
deep waterway improvements. On,
greatest interests In this connection
| OF course, are In the iron and coal ex,
change, which takes place between
Ohio and Lake Superior ports.
II Is an unappreciated aud indisputa,
BILE fact that the great lakes lie at the
root OF Americas present supremacy
In the iron and steel market of the
world. 1t has been actually the reduc.
tion Of lake freight rates on these tive
essen tials OF life and commerce
brought about by improved facilitie,
for loading md discharging cnrgoes
the increased tonnage OF lake vessels
and the Improvement OF rivers and har
bors, that has allowed the American
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