Statistics of the Foreign and Domestic Commerce of the United States; Communicated by the Secretary of the Treasury, in Answer to a Resolution of the Senate March 12, 186 (Paperback)

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1864 Excerpt: ...freight westward for fourteen years to 1862, inclusive: o The valuation here made is that of the auditor general in the annual reports of the "Trade, Tolls, and Tonnage of the Canals of New York," the table just given being copied from that report for the year 1862. It is apparent from this table that the business of the canal rose to higher 'proportions as a carrier of merchandise westward before the completion of the railroad than since that time. The railroads of that vicinity were first consolidated in a single organization and adapted to the purposes of successful freight business in 1853 and 1854--not completely until the latter year. The quantities and values attain their maximum, therefore, in 1853, and after this date they steadily decline from $94,230,000 to $25,574,000. No change in the price per pound assigned to this freight is made in the series of years of which wo here take account. It may be of interest to cite the values taken in earlier years, which were in 1836, '37, and '38, 12J cents per pound; in 1839, 15 cents; in 1840, 16 cents; in 1841, 18 cents; in 1842, 15 cents; and from 1843 to 1846, inclusive, 17 J cents. All subsequent to 1847, and including that year, was estimated, as in the table copied, at 18 cents per pound. A list of articles constituting the tonnage in 1862 is given, from which it is evident that the valuation per pound should be increased for that year. It appears that the chief articles are sugar, molasses, coffee, crockery, iron, iron manufactures, and general merchandise, the proportions of which are as follows: Sugar 16,230 tons of 2,000 pounds. Molasses 4,598" "" Coffee 1,005" Iron and steel 2,198"" Railroad iron 2,553" "" Nails 984" "" Crocker...