The Pascagoula democrat-star. (Pascagoula, Miss.) 1878-1920, 1900-04-27
PASCAGOUlA HARB0R.
Chicago's Best Route to Asia

must be and Will be constructed Is as
certain as the great Valley OF the
mississippi, and just now people are
beginning to realize its possibilities.
The route to Asia and Africa from
the. heart Of North America is through
the Gulf Of Mexico.
The heart Of North America is the
great valley bounded on the west by
the Rocky Mountains, on the east BY
the Alleghany Mountains, north by
the Great Lakes and south by the
Gulf.
The export products of America,
corn, wheat. pork, beef, cotton, coal,
iron and produce are within the great
valley, and must move 10y the shortest
and cheapest lines OF transportation
to the markets of the world through
the Gulf, across the isthmus into and
over the Pacific. The importations
from those distant countries must find
the shortest route to the heart OF
America. That commerce is going to
find the shortest routes from the pro-
ducer to the consumer is as inevitable
as that the shipper will seek the cheap
est freight route by which he can
transfer his goods. AS we have desig-
mated the great Mississippi Valley as
the heart OF North America, we will
designate Chicago as the center Of
heart.
Chicago is 912 miles from New Or
leans and the same distance from
New York A train loaded with grain
or other field or forest products at
Chicago, destined for export to South
America, Asia or Africa has its choice
to 20 to New York or other Atlantic
ports or to find it's route across the
Gulf by way of New Orleans or other
Gulf ports
What inducement is offered in favor
Of one or the other routes? Distance
is equal to the point where the cargo
is changed from the railroad To the
ship, but distance is not all that the
railroad operator has to consider when
he makes his schedule of rates. He
must count the cost of operating his
trains, which is measured by the Obsta-
cles he has to overcome in his route tO
the sea. From Chicago to New York
by the shortest line, every pound of
freight, including the weight of cars
and locomotives, must be elevated
over the mountains, requiring an ele'
vation of many hundreds, if not thou
sands Of feet.
Again, train pulling out of Chicago
for New York with the temperature
at zero must not expect to find TEN.
pcrature more favorable than zero on
It's route, and coal must be provided to
overcome not only the steep grades
over the mountains, but the tempera'
ture incident to climate.
Again, where is the coal required tC
run the train from Chicago to New
York 90 be found? Along its route
No. it must be procured from distant
stations and stored along the route at
a cost of long hauls, over steep grade
in ice. clad cars.
Let us compare the route to New
Orleans. There is no mountain tt
climb. lis virtually a down-hill O
level haul, rising temperature will
coal fields along the route.
We need not 90 to the auditor o
railroad accounts to learn the differ
cnce in cost by the two routes. ASH
the fireman who shOvels the coal int
the furnace, he can tell you whicl
route he prefers.
We are wasting ink in comparing
the cost of operating 9l2 miles of rail
road north from Chicago with th'
same distance south.
We may, however, call attention Il
the fact that the train loaded will
products for export by way of Atlanti
ports, must first he transported from
forest fields and mines south and Yves
OF Chicago. while the train loads fo
Gulf ports are gathered from st. Loui
south and west of Chicago. reducin
the distance for train loads comin
south to an average OF half or two
thirds Of the ql2 miles.
What is the condition when Gul
ports are reached? The sailing distanc
, Is reduced to the shortest line. Ne'
/ Orleans was built before railroad
were a means of transportation. tn
Mississippi River and tributarie
!, afforded the only transportation lines
available for the commerce OF I'M
great valley. This was the reason '"l
cities locating on tho rivers. Whe1
, railroads began to be builtthey started
from cities and routed to cities for tht
two good reasons that commercial cen
ters afforded both the means and the
commerce required to build and main
tain the roads. At that stage Of pro
, grcss cities dominated lines OF road
and do 50 until this day.
Only a little over quarter OF cen
tury ago the Mississippi river hat
shoaled at It's mouth SO that n0tlln,
but light draught vessels could enter
commerce demanded deeper water an,
! the immortal Eads suggested the jc,
tles and procured the grant require
q ' 49,. nu t.t, H. 4 -