The Montgomery advertiser., 1904-05-16

| l One of the principal effects of the canal will be to divert large amount of traffic which is now exported by the way of the north Atlantic cities, to the of this business can be gained when the area of country adjacent to the mississippi river and its tributaries is taken Into consideration. The river and Its branches represent no less than lS,ooo miles of navigable waters. While large percentage of this is available only for small steamers, the majority of the streams entering the be deepened by dredging at a compara- tweiy small expense. The same IS that the Isthmus passage will greatly | increase shipments from St. Louis and other cities along the river and its low transportation tariff which can be made compared with railroad service. | The Mississippi valley includes ten of sne most important of the United less than twenty-two States and terri tories. which comprise one of the most populous as well as productive sections war, New % Orleans could be to eonsidered ans si the metropolis of this region on &C., count of the commerce which reached U py the inland waters of the valley. In 1880 1t ranked sixth among the American cities in population, but at present is only the twelfth city. Dur ing the war railroad building was sus- | and Southwest. and when it was re- stunned. nearly all of the most import ant lines were built in an east and west direction, causing the diversion of agricultural and indGstrial products 10 the Northern cities. and taking away large amount of the ocean commerce which would naturally find an outlet oy the way of New Orleans and the other seaports on, the Gulf of Mexico At present 1t Is connected with the states north of the Ohio river by sev- tending eastward are so numerous as to far more than offset the traffic wniGn to tha cones oa, from % the North Nor. and West eVer eV rhe Ns cty Despite this fact how other gulf seaports has progressed very rapidly during the last two or three years. especially In its commerce. In 1903 the value of the cargoes loaded at its wharyes was So per cent. greater than the total for 1883; the shipments or grain alone were so large that from New Orleans than from New York. The other gulf cities, however have increased their ocean trade much more in proportion: the value of Gal greater in 1903 than in 1883. and the business of Mobile 432 per cent greater. In the case of the latter city, how ever; a pa part Of this remarkable gain is terminus of an additional railroad line within the period named. Referring again to New Orleans. 1t may be said that 1t bids fair to exceed Boston in it's exports for 1904, judging by statistics thus far available.
 This remarkable expansion. as al- the railroad facilities of the gulf cities as to the westward industrial move ment The resources of the Mississip- pi valley have caused more and more hor vNln aA- .l industries to be located in the States adjacent to the Mississippi river Man ufacturers are taking advantage of the proximity of raw material with the re- sut that the increase in textile manu- featuring alone in the valley, has been very marked. In fact, there has been a very important shifting of industries which Is changing the gulf and South western States from an agricultural to manufacturing territory as we'll An examination of the articles of com shows that considerable proportion are manufacturers and that raw ma- terial represents but small percent age compared with past years.
 Further north in the valley, the con- struction of fiouring mills metal works. furnaces and other plants is also noticeable. In fact. the center westward. Already it has changed from Pennsylvania to the State of Ohio. while in spite of the great grain fields west of the Mississippi river, the present center of grain production of the United States Is still located in H. linois, but few miles from the Missis- sippi. Consequently, the river is in extensive agriculturai but industrial trial areas of North America, and with a navigable channel of proper dimen- ssions, s. 1t is believed its commerce will ton of the canal. This Is why bills are pending In Congress to enlarge the navigable channel of the Mississippi, ceed as far inland as St Louis and Cairo The object of making the lat ter city the terminus for steamships Is next few years-to complete a shin canal from Chicago to the Mississippi river at this point. At present a na- cities with the exception of a few miles, and estimates have been made which show that canal large enough ooteG 1o n0at o vessels S drawing twenty feet of thus connect the great lakes and the Mlssisslppi river. This project is of epeSt epf4 t5a 5signiftteanee; dttw fer it means not brought into direct communication by water with New Orleans, but that the commerce of the great lakes may be divided. part passing sOuthWard in- stead of eastward as at present. It would have an important bearing up- on the traffic which passes through the Sault canal connecting Lake Su- perior with the other inland seas, the greatest commerce carrier in the world. for through it last year passed no less than 35,OO0,000 tons of ore. lum- Der, grain and other freight, a large percentage of which would be avail able for export by way of the gulf
 The inland commerce which Is creat- ed In the Mississippi valley alone can De estimated by the traffic which year ly passes through the city of St Louis at present it's metropolis. In 1903 this amounted to nearly 30, ,00O. 900 tons. but of the entire quantity. only S5o.ooc tons were carried by water-which indicates to what extent the trade by way or the navigable rivers of the Mis- slsslppi valley has fallen away, Under these circumstances 1t is not strange that the canal project has aroused such a widespread interest in the question or Improving this chain of inland wa put the effect upon agriculture is an 0ther important factor in the situation. Ihe plans for improving the Mississip- pl may result in the drainage of swamp lands which contain between 20. 900 900 and 25,000, GOO acres.
 lhey are situated in one of the most adVantageous sections for growing cot tpn, and If devoted to the cultivation of thls staple 1t is GonservativeIy esti- mated would increase the annual crop 10 the extent of fully 10000, 900 bales, IT not more. much of which would find market either in it's raw or manufac- tured state by way of the cities on the gult coast-Day Allen Wiley in May 10 issue The Tradesman.
 
 Philadelphia, Pa. May l5-Because