The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1900-11-13
GREAT LAKES COMMERCE.
VAST TRAFFIC CARRIED ON OVER
THE INLAND SEAS.
Not Confined to n Few Commodities,
but Embraces All Glasses of Mer-
NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS., the Greatest
Ore Receiving Point in World.
Special Dispatch to the acknowledgement

Special Dispatch 10 the Post-Intelligencer.
WASHINGTON. Nov 12.-The great
water transportation route which
stretches from Buffalo to Chicago and
Duluth is sharing in the prosperity and
activity which characterize every branch
of business in the United States today.
The monthly statement of lake COM
merce prepared by the bureau of stalls
tics shows that during September 5.s57
vessels entered the thirty-seven princi-
pal ports on the great lakes, and from
the opening of the navigation season up
to October the vessel entrances aggre-
gated S.o3s Chicago leads the list OF
ports. l.o2S vessels having entered her
harbor during September and 5,7sl during
the season. The ports of Buffalo, Cleve-
land and Milwaukee each. however. show
a record in excess of 2.0c0 vessels for the
season, and at the ports OF Detroit Du-
luth and Toledo the arrivals have ranged
from 1000 to 1890.
A considerable portion of the general
public seems to have gained the i'm
preston that the traffic of the great lakes
is confined to the transportation of a
few commodities, such as iron ore, COAL
breadstuffs and lumber. That this is
far from being the case could not be
more .conclusively proven than by citing
the fact that In September 395. 767 tons of
unclassified freight were moved, and the
total movement for the season thus far
aggregates 2,sss,sSs tons. Every promi-
nent port on the lakes is represented in
this total
That the strike in the anthracite coal
region has had its effect upon lake ship
ments would seem to be proved by
comparison of the figures for August and
September. During August there we're
transported via the inland waterway
5l6,763 tons OF anthracite COAL whereas
In September the shipments fell of to
257,7S7 tons In soft coal there Is a fall
ing off from esl. 1854 tons in August to
467. 457 tons In September For the sea-
son to October l the total movement was
l,sls.s79 tons of hard coal and 2.965S2S
tons Of soft coal.
The recent organization in the Great
Lake district of a new transportation
company. which has placed orders for
new boats designed especially TO carry
the products of the Calumet and Hecla
copper mine seems to call attention to
the volume of this traffic already taking
the water route. During September there
were shipped by boat II, 029 tons OF cop
per, and for the season TO October / the
total movement is 1855 tons. or the
latter amount s1.sS9 tons. or more than
two-thirds Of the total. was received at
Buffalo, whereas the heaviest shipping
record is that OF West Superior, which
during the season has sent out 81. 939 tons
The movement of breadstuffs Is not. Of
course, so interesting as 1t will prove
when compared with the movement by
rail, for which figures will be available
at the 'end of the calendar year; never
theless the statement of this phase of
the water-borne commerce Is significant
in many ways. The receipts OF bread
stuffs at the principal ports have been us
follows: