LECTURES AND ESSAYS READ AT INSTITUTES. 1G9 



The shipments of wheat from tlie port of Saii Francisco have within a 

 -short time approached those from the port of New York. Within five years 

 these shipments have doubled in value (for the year ending Juno 30, 1878, 

 §17,000,000 ; for the last fiscal year, 837,000,000)." It is noteworthy that this 

 has been accomplished in spite of a higher scale of wages on the Pacific coast, 

 and nearly twice as high freight rates in getting the grain to the Liverpool 

 market. Shipments are made by " sailing vessels of the largest size which 

 pursue long voyages in various parts of the globe as the maturing of the crops 

 in different countries and the exigencies of trade in the principal seaports may 

 demand. These vessels, which in the course of the year usually circumnavi- 

 gate the globe, arrive at the ports of California and Oregon, chiefly from ports 

 in Europe, Asia, and Australasia. The average time of the voyage from San 

 Francisco to Liverpool is about one hundred and twenty-five days."* Li that 

 time they traverse a distance of about 16,000 miles. A slight calculation will 

 show the advantage of water carriage overland carriage in point of cheapness. 

 The current rate by rail from Chicago to New York gives an average of 5^- 

 mills per ton per mile ; the rate from New York to Liverpool 87-100 of a mill 

 per mile; from San Francisco 83-100 of a mill. 



There are three other possible outlets for the products of the Pacific coast 

 that may be mentioned : (1) by the Northern Pacific Railroad Lake Superior; 

 ((2) by the Southern Pacific Kailroad to New Orleans; and (3) by a ship canal 

 through the Isthmus. The last, when made available, will no doubt be the 

 most advantageous route. 



Two or three further points of interest occur in connection with the trans- 

 portation of these products to the foreign buyer. 



First, a word as to the chief shipping ports and the relative amounts 

 shipped from them severally. New York City, the commercial center of the 

 country, easily leads with receipts of grain and flour: and these may be fairly 

 taken to represent the proportions of other commodities, except cotton. lu 

 1880, flour and grain to the amount of 338i million bushels reached the sea- 

 ports of New York, Portland, Boston, Philadelphia, Baltimore, and New 

 ■Orleans; of which 165 millions, or almost exactly one-half, went to New 

 York. Baltimore came next with 01 millions; then Philadelphia, 49 millions; 

 Boston, 37 millions; New Orleans, 23 millions; Portland, 2^ millions. There 

 has been great competition in this matter between the various ports, and rail- 

 roads have vied with Boards of Trade in seeking to divert as large a share of 

 grain as possible to their respective seaports. The importance that the great 

 State of New York attaches to this is seen in her recent vote to make the 

 Erie canal free of tolls. This action no doubt was hurried by the prophecies 

 of success for the efforts of rival lines of trafiic. Canadian observers are 

 attributing to this new policy of New York the falling off in trafiic through 

 the Welland canal, which is said to have been very marked the past year. Be 

 this as it may, the lead that New York City has as a shipping port seems to 

 illustrate the Scripture doctrine that to him that hath shall be given. She is 

 increasing her lead; the 50 per cent, of coast-bound shipments in 1880 had 

 grown to over 61 per cent, in 1882; and this, too, although the short crop 

 had reduced the total receipts at the ports above named to fifty millions less 

 than the receipts of 1880. 



*Prenm. Rep., etc., p. 17. The following statement; is of interest in this connection: "The value 

 of the wheat crop of California, Oregon, antl Washington Territory Uuring the season of ISSi 

 amounted to $14,700,000, whereas the value of the precious metals ))roducecl by mining operations 

 in the same section of the country amounted to only $17,750,000." 



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