Iowa news. [volume] (Dubuque, Upper Mississippi Lead Mines, Wisconsin Territory) 1837-1841, 1837-09-09

UNITING THE WISCONSIN AND Fox R,vERs.--
fhe People of Wisconsin and especially Of Mil
waukee, are taking steps to improve tho ma.
vigatlon OF the Wisconsin and Fox Rivers. and
70 connect the head waters of Rock, Fox. wis.
consin, and Milwaukee Rivers by nayioable
channels. Surveys have been made. Of Which,
the Otfosra Republican makes the follow r..
marks:
sa.They report the expense to be mere ,riflinp.
and are only waiting for the people of this VI.
c'nity and the people in the vicinity of Fox re
yer to 60 ahead and improve our end of the
chain. They report that 80 miles of Fox Riv.
IS already navigable, viz: that part from the
BIG Woods labout 40 miles above this place)
10 point opposite and only 10 miles from Mil.
Improvement from Milwaukee, the last men
toned IL miles, we have not vet leapned.--.
should the Fox beimproved by means Of slack
water navigation to the Big Woods, it would
open one OF the most important thoroughfares
IN all the Western World, and one especially
important to this State. Il would open to us
the best channel imaginable to procure our
building materials, very important object to
US OF this prairie land. Pine timber is found
In great quantities throughout all the eastern
part OF Wisconsin. There is about IS feet fall
on Fox River within ten miles of its mouth.
and from the Big Woods to this point, there
Will be about 40 feet more to be overcome.
Seven dams and locks will do the work: the
expense of these dams and locks cannot amount
to $4,000 each, If it be improved SO as to ad-
NIT the steam boats that navigate the Illinois
river. Hit be improved for smaller boats. the
navigable feeder Of the Illinois and Michigan
Canal completes about half the improvement
necessary. Those Immediately interested in
this matter (and their numbers are not few
should exert themselves, and continue to ex-
ert themselves, until the work is accomplish
ed. knowledge Of these facts are only to be
well understood by the members of the Lepis-
lature, and their assistance may be depended
upon. They will not suffer an Improvement
OF so important character to remain without
aid many years for the sake OF the small sum
necessary to carry it forward. The DAYS of
wild speculation we believe, have passed; bu.
slness must return to its natural channel, and
those works, and those only, receive attention
and legislative action that are Of service TO the
community. We believe the time has nearly
arrived when no man or set Of men can obtain
oA's ooA SsoeO SovCbuAhCht the puf-
pose Of building up their own towns and filing
their own Golfers from the public purse. :
The following extract from the Milwaukee
Advertiser, speaking Of the Rock River Canal
says:---
Recommending at Milwaukee, and pursuing
the course Of the main trunk westwardly. we
ascend the valley of the Menomonee, alike &C..
LIBERATED for its rich land and good water power,
to point seven or eight miles above its mouth,
here dlverging from the course of its valley,
and bearing nearly west, we reach the Fox ii
yer at the distance Of about Ia miles from Mil.
waukee. From point east Of this intersec.
ton OF Fox river, lateral branch of small ex-
tent will unite the canal with Fox river, be.
low Prairie Village Rapids, from whence this
stream is navigable for steamboats, of lioh,
draft distance Of about eighty miles, or I'm.
! til it reaches the Big Woods Rapids in iii.
nols, which it is understood will be speedily
improved by that State. BY this connexion
the whole valley Of Fox river will have an ca.
sy and direct communication by water to Lake
Michigan without performing the circuitous
route by way Of Ottawa and Illinois Canal.
The agricultural value of the country border.
ing on thisstream and its tributariesis too well
known to require from US on this occasion. anv
comments. Its wealth and population will be
immense and the necessity Of some convenient
avenue for intercourse and business is impera.
tive.