Omaha daily bee., 1906-06-17
RAILWAYS AND GREAT LAKES
Factors in the Great Development Of the
Northwest Commerce.
OUTLETS FOR AN IMMENSE GRAIN REGION
Plans Now Being Developed Include
transportation for Products
of an Empire Fertile
and Productive.

DULUTH. Mimi. June 16-(Special) -Mr.
James ]. Hin recently made the startling
statement that, in his opinion, by 1910 only
four years from now, the population OF
the United States will be 10o.0O0,0OO, and
that when that time comes this country
will consume all the wheat raised within
its borders. The man who makes this pre-
diction belongs to the modern race OF dis
coverers, the railroad builders. Once 1t
was the northeast passage to Cathawy
| which fired the ambition Of the explorer
Now II is the avenue to new fields OF pro-
duction. The twentieth century Industrial
explorer is the man who seeks sources Of
supply for breadstuffs, ores. timber and
other material OF varied character on
which depends the complex life of nation
| of many millions Of people.
The railroad magnate who spends his
working days in an Office hidden away in a
mammoth skyscraper seems far removed
from the race of hardy discoverers who
five centuries ago made America known to
the old world. But. excepting, perhaps,
Ponce de Leon, who sought here the spring
of eternal youth, the pioneers among the
discoverers of the wetsern hemisphere
| were seeking new routes for trade just as
are their successors, who are today extend
ing steel highways into regions which only
a few short years ago were inhabited by
wild animals and Indians. 1t is the unde-
veloped areas Of fertile land which now
attract the pioneer in railway enterprises
as well as the actual settler.
Eyes on the. Northwest.
| Whether this country will soon con-
| sumo all the wheat raised within its bor-
ders or not, the markets of the world are
olamoring for supplies and in response to
the demand, the eyes OF the Industrial
discoveries are turned toward the north
west To jewellers in the southern and
eastern states, the term northwest still
means Minnesota, the Dakotas, Montana
and wyoming Washington and Oregon
but in these states, the northwest has q
wider meaning. 1t includes not only q
great extent of territory on this side OF
the line, but also a vast expanse OF fertile
lands in Canada, which are now being
turned into productive farms and which
in few years viii be among the greatest
grain producing regions of the world.
When it comes to getting the produce
OF these Canadian wheat fields to eastern
markets. It is significant that, in the opin
ion OF railroad builders, the best route II
that which Is afforded by the great lakes
This means that these inland waterway
are to see still further increases in thu
amount of their commerce The lake.
have for two centuries played an importan
part in the upbuilding OF the northwest
In recent years the traffic on Lake Super
Tor alone has grown 80 rapidly that tn
! commerce OF the 800" many times ex
Deeds that OF the Suez canal. A recen
government bulletin shows that through
the canals OF the 800" during April O
this year there passed 2,5iS.2s7 tons o
freight. as against 1,SO016s in April. 1906
Last year there passed beneath the aeria
ferry at the entrance to the Duluth-su
perior hsrbor a total OF 1850 vessels. wit
, a registered tonnage OF 26,A6,1H. In tn
same time. there passed the Statue O
Liberty In New York harbor bound I
and from foreign ports. about 5000 yes
sells. New York's great coastwise trad
gave It first place Duluth ranking seeon
among American ports That many OF tn
= modern lake carriers rank In size wit
I ocean-goinG steamships is shown by IN
= fact that the average net tonnage of tn
= vessels which entered and cleared at Du
luth In 1906 was 2,le6 With the deepenin
!, of the Erie canal on the east the prod
!, uots Of the northwest can be carried b
water for three-quarters OF the distanc
to the Atlantic coast, and this fact ha
!. evidently not been overlooked by the me
behind Canadian railway projects.
h Railroads in the Plan.
: The fact that American waterways wi
:. thus be utilized by the men who are bac
70 Of the projects to tap the Canadian nortl
west adds to the interest in the subje,
Il on this side Of the boundary line Alread
q existing lines OF road make a network ov,
n the wheat nelds OF Manitoba and the Cam