Fergus County argus. [volume] (Lewistown, Mont.) 1886-1946, 1900-05-16
THE GREAT LAKES.
A Veritable Klondike of Commerce
to This Country.
One-Third of the Population OF the
United states Dependent Upon
Them-ships on the De-
troit River,

troit River.
The great lakes have become a 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
Il most productive mines, n IL is
worth while noting that within a ra-
dius of 400 miles OF Cleveland lies one
half the population OF the United
States. II is a well-established fact that
deep-water transportation is, and nee
essarily must be, far below the cost
of transportation by rail; indeed. ii
is computed that the cost Of waite;
transportation by steam, when the v"T-
g is of any considerable length IS
about one-quarter the average c. 6 OF
transportation by rail, while b sail
boat ii is only one-eighth OF tb 4. iatter.
AS this question OF transport" ion de-
termines TO a great extent the 'stence
or the nonexistence OF a pc Hble In
dustry, and enhances or Gin~'n.L-hss the
value OF every article OF ei .n.lsa pro-
portion 10 it's efficiency a. -','1my,
the battle cry Of the west Z 49, ret OF
water between Duluth -Hi nc sea
Is no great problem 10 az 'nr' ''r. In
the year 1895 there pass jrrl!h the
Sault Ste. Marie canals l." "astiin 2l,-
234,664 IONS Of CanAdia' AT, alone
having n value Of S2r rgl NJ. while
American ships moved r"n iSt,U0o.oOO
tons through the SANE 'sGIS for the
same length of time.
The total traffic through the locks
OF this $500" canal, for less than eight
months, is five times as great in num-
Der Of vessels and slightly less than
twice as much in actual tonnage rs
passes through the Suez canal during
an entire year. Through this same
Suez canal. which boasts Ct carrying
the Of the world. there
passed, during last year. Sj0o.n00 tom
mage, while there loaied through the
locks OF 'Susan Mary" a tonnage If
l6.5oO,0Oo. The stupcuGous proportions
Of the traffic on our great lakes may
also he realized from llc rlrt that more
ships sail the Detroit river jhau enter
either the port If London or Liverpool.
\ greater number Of passengers, on
the other hand, pass through this same
river than do in and out of the port Of
New York. the great gateway ~ the
new world. In fact. the iuil. number
of passengers carried annually by the
lake fleet falls very slightly short OF
2~00.O0O.O00. The city 81 EuiTa)o. which
claims the largest grain elevator in the
world, docs a business In the trans.
shipment Of grain and -four which ex.
ceeds that done by any other city in
existence. Cleveland. with the excep.
ton OF the Clyde. is the most extensive
s~hipbuilding center Of the present day
The neither shores OF the lower lakes
have been necklaced with n collection OF
the busiest and most prosperous manu-.
featuring centers in The United States,
and so much so that to-day our coun-
try's commercial center OF gravity viii
be found 10 fall somewhere along the
northern portion Of Ohio. Mill md
foundry and factory in all these cite.
depend on the great iron freighters
that steam northward with coal and
bring southwark their cargoes OF tim.
Der 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 a generous hand in the
feeding OF the world. II is an accepted
fact with shippers that Liverpool make.
the price Of cash wheat. and that every
cent saved on the cost Of delivering
American grain at Liverpool means sc
much money 10 be paid 10 the owner o.
this wheat at the time II is sold nm,
shipped. So Duluth. IN n rummrrrin
sense. is placed by the great lakes 200
miles closer TO Europe Ihau Is. lri ",
say. 81, Louis. The Canadian goycru
ment has recently realized This fact
and. although they have heretofore al
lowed American vessels ~ carry ~ 10
cent. OF the traffic 81 NE great lakes
they are now pcrfrciiur n o., rp Nntrr
way system from PORT irthur 10 w,
Gulf of the 81. Lawrence hat prom
Uses 10 threaten even the business u
the port 81 New York aud the com
paraiisely diminuiiye Erie cnuul. III,
last link Of this enterprise Of the Can
adian government was forged hy III.
opening OF the Soulnngrs canal. an,
by its operation il is expected that Nh
cost Of Transporting lake frrirhrs u
tide-water will be reduced 10 snch a.
extent that there will be a saving o
from one "a two cents a huShrl o.
wheat. The Canadians have rxrrnde,
over S62. 100000 TO secure their "a fee
OF wafer between Port Arthur an,
Montreal, and 10 comparison with Ihi
the $4,000, 900 expended by the Unite,
States seems relatively iusignifcan,
especially when one remembers III
surprising extent TO which our rom
mercial interests are involved in sucI
deep waterway Improvements. On
greatest interests in this connection
OF course, are in the iron and coal ex
change. which takes place between
Ohio aud Lake Superior ports.
II Is an unarpreciatcd and indisputa
bic fact thar the great lakes lie NJ IN
root o. Americas present suprsmnc.
In the iron and sIPel marker OF III
world. II has been actually The reduc
ton OF lake freight rates on these Nv