APPENDIX THE DECLINE IN FREIGHT TRAFFIC ON THE MISSISSIPPI

Whilst this book is passing through the Press, I have received from Mr Stuyvesant Fish, President of the Illinois Central Railroad Company—whom I asked to favour me with some additional details respecting the decline in freight traffic on the Mississippi River—the following interesting notes, drawn up by Mr T. J. Hudson, General Traffic Manager of the Illinois Central:—

The traffic on the Mississippi River was established and built up under totally different conditions from those now obtaining, and when the only other means of travel and transportation was on horseback and by waggon, methods not suitable in view of the great distances and the general impassibility of the country. In those days the principal source of supply was St Louis—and points reached through St Louis—for grain, grain products, etc., excepting that vehicles, machinery, and iron were brought down the Ohio River from Pittsburg and Cincinnati by boat to Cairo, and trans-shipped there, or to Memphis, and trans-shipped or re-distributed from that place. The distributing points on the Lower Mississippi River were Memphis, Vicksburg, Natchez, Bayou Sara, Baton Rouge and New Orleans. Goods were shipped to these points and re-shipped from there over small railroads to short distances, and also hauled by waggon and re-shipped on boats plying in local trade on the Mississippi River and tributary streams. For example, there were Boat Lines making small landing points above and below Memphis, and above and below Vicksburg; also Boat Lines plying the Yazoo and Tallahatchie Rivers on the east, and the White, Arkansas and Red Rivers on the west, etc.

All the goods shipped by steamboat were hauled by waggon or dray to the steamboat landing, and, when discharged by the boats at destination, were again hauled by waggon from the landing to the stores and warehouses, even in those cases in which re-shipment was made from points like Memphis, Vicksburg, etc. When re-shipped by river, the goods were again hauled to the steamboat landing, and, when reaching the local landing or point of final consumption, after being discharged on the bank, were again hauled by waggon or dray, perhaps for considerable distances into the interior.

While the cost of water transportation is primarily low, the frequent handling and re-handling made this mode of transportation more or less expensive, and in some instances quite costly. River transportation again is slow, taking longer time in transit. The frequent handlings, further, were damaging and destructive to the packages in the case of many kinds of goods. Transportation on the rivers was also at times interrupted or delayed from one cause or another, such as high water or low water, and the service was, in consequence, more or less irregular, thus requiring dealers to carry large stocks on which the insurance and interest was a considerable item of expense.

With the development of the railroads through the country, not only was competition brought into play to the distributing points along the river, such as Memphis, Vicksburg, etc., from St Louis, Cincinnati, and Pittsburg, but also from other initial sources of supply which were not located on rivers, but were enabled by reason of the establishment of rail transportation to consign direct; whereas under the old conditions it was necessary for them to consign to some river point and trans-ship. What was still more important and effective in accomplishing the results since brought about was the material benefit conferred by the railroads on most of the communities situated back from the river. These communities had previously been obliged to send their consignments perhaps many miles by road to some point on the river, whence the commodities were carried to some other point, there to be taken by waggon or dray to the place of consumption—another journey of many miles, perhaps, by road. Progress was slow, and in some instances almost impossible, while only small boats could be hauled.

Then the construction of railroads led to the development of important distributing points in the interior, such as Jackson, (Tennessee), and Jackson, (Mississippi), not to mention many others. Goods loaded into railroad cars on tracks alongside the mills, factories and warehouses could be unloaded at destination into warehouses and stores which also had their tracks alongside. By this means drayage was eliminated, and the packages could be delivered in clean condition. Neither of these conditions was possible where steamboat transportation was employed. Interior points are now enabled to buy direct, either in large or small quantities, from initial sources of supply, and without the delay and expense incident to shipment to river-distributing points, and trans-shipment by rail or steamboat or hauling by waggon. Rail transportation is also more frequent, regular, rapid and reliable; not to mention again the convenience which is referred to above.

The transportation by river of package-freight, such as flour, meal, meat, canned goods, dry goods, and other commodities, has been almost entirely superseded by rail transportation, except in regard to short-haul local landings, where the river is more convenient, and the railroad may not be available. There is some south-bound shipment of wire, nails, and other iron goods from the Pittsburg district to distributing points like Memphis and New Orleans, but in these cases the consignments are exclusively in barge-load lots. The only other commodity to which these conditions apply is coal. This is taken direct from the mines in the Pittsburg district, and dropped into barges on the Monongahela River; and these are floated down the river, during periods of high water, in fleets of from fifty to several hundred barges at a time.

There is no movement of grain in barges from St Louis to New Orleans, as was the case a great many years ago. The grain for export viâ New Orleans is now largely moved direct in cars from the country elevators to the elevators at New Orleans, from which latter the grain is loaded direct into ships. There is, also, some movement north-bound in barges of lumber and logs from mills and forests not accessible to railroads, but very little movement of these or other commodities from points that are served by railroad rails. Lumber to be shipped on the river must be moved in barge-load quantities, and taken to places like St Louis, where it has to be hauled from the barge to lumber yards, and then loaded on railroad cars, if it is going to the interior, where a considerable proportion of the quantity handled will be wanted. Mills reached by railroad tracks can, and do, load in car-load quantities, and ship to the final point of use, without the delay incident to river transportation, and the expense involved by transfer or re-shipment.

It is not to be inferred from the foregoing that all the distributing points along the river have dried up since the development of rail transportation. In fact, the contrary is the case, because the railroads have opened up larger territories to these distributing points, and in regard to many kinds of goods these river points have become, in a way, initial sources of supply as well as of manufacture. Memphis, for example, has grain brought to its elevators direct from the farms, the same as St Louis, and can and does ship on short notice to the many towns and communities in the territory surrounding. There are, also, flour and meal mills, iron foundries, waggon and furniture factories, etc., at Memphis, and at other places. Many of the points, however, which were once simply landings for interior towns and communities have now become comparatively insignificant.

To sum up in a few words, I should say that the railroads have overcome the steamboat competition on the Mississippi River, not only by affording fair and reasonable rates, but also because rail transportation is more frequent, rapid, reliable, and convenient, and is, on the whole, much cheaper.