Maumee express. [volume] (Maumee City, Ohio) 1837-1838, 1837-12-23

with the exception Of Wayne in the
north, and the county of Perry in the
south. The thirteen counties first ma
med, with the exception of Dark, lie
contiguous, and form at least one
fourth part Of our inland territory, which
in the fertility, ofits soil and the richness
and the amount OF its productions, is not
surpassed by the same extent of country
in Ohio or elsewhere. asaa l'f,affai
That the wants of this portion of the
State should have been wholly overlook
cd in our system of improvements, is
something that | cannot comprehend /;
and that its claims will yet be consider
ed. SO as to put its agricultural interests
on an equality with the other agricultu-
raj districts Of the State, appears to be
called for by every principle of justice.
The same argument will apply in favor
Of the five counties last named, but not
to the same extent, as they are all bound
ed by counties through which improve
ments are made, or are now in progress.
and are not as much excluded from all
the benefits of our system, as some Of
the counties in the first named district.
In submitting these views, do not
wish to be understood as urging imme-
diatc expenditures of large amounts of
money for these or any other objects of
improvement. Our people are already
heavily taxed, and we should wait until
those works already constructed, would
yield something like the interest on their
cost. We are now expending money in
districts comparatively new, and where
the works will have 10 wait the settle
ment of the country to obtain business.
1t appears to me that justice and econo-
my require that part of such funds
should be applied to aid other districts
and counties which are more advanced,
and have large amounts of surplus pro-
ductions, the transit of which would pay
interest on any work Of Improvement
that might penetrate their territory.
On the 9Th of November, addressed
letters to Leander Ransom, acting men,
Der of the board ofpublic works, and to
Samuel Forrer, principal engineer, re-
questing a statement of the progress of
the works, and estimates of the cost of
the Wabash and Erie Canal and whe-
ther the work had been contracted for,
below or above the estimates. A few
days after the letters were forwarded,
Mr.. Ransom came to this place, when
he was put in possession of copy of
the letter addressed to him but as he
was on his way soulh, he could give no
definite information, until it could be re-
ceived from the acting engineer, Mr..
Young, for which he Immediately wrote; ;
but which, | understand; has not vet
been received. .-. IKE
On the 23d of Nov. Mr.. Forrer an
swered from Cincinnati but, as he was
in the same situation with Mr.. Ransom,
being in the southern part of the State.
the information from him was limited.
He states that, "The Warren County
Canal is under contract, except some
small reservoirs to be constructed near
Lebanon. The extension of the Miami
Canal is put under contract TO the town
of st. Mary's, an additional distance to
that already completed OF 80 miles; and
that the Miami feeder is put under con-
tract to point six miles above Sidney,
a distance Of l6 miles. The Wabash
and Erie Canal is all under contract; the
work on the Miami Canal, and that part
of the Wabash and Erie Canal below the
head of the Maumee Rapids, is going
on with considerable spirit. The rate
at which work has been let, exceed the
original estimates about lS per cent
If the order ofthe board of public works
to enlarge the Wabash and Erie Canal,
from its junction with the Miami Canal
to Manhattan, to six feet in depth and
sixty feet in width, is complied with to
the letter, it will probably cost so per
cent. more than Canal four feet deep
and forty feet wide. It's, however, de-
termined by the acting commissioner to
reduce the width in all deep cuts. am
also ofopinion that my Recommendation
to make it every where only five feet
deep and fifty feet wide, will yet be
adopted"
The other public works of the State
are in progress; but to what extent work
has been done during the present season,
| am not informed.
Our faith is pledged both to the
General Government and 10 the State
Of Indiana, to complete the Wabash and
Erie Canal by the year slS47 and |
deemcdit important to obtain all the in
formation that was attainable upon the
subject, SO that its whole cost, with an