Maumee City express. [volume] (Maumee City, Ohio) 1838-184?, 1838-11-03
MAUMEE CITY EXPRESS.
sATuRpAY, NOVEMBER 8, 1899.

natl ana tne bUuth WSntciu part VI Ouio Wouu
this canal now prove could it be nayigated to
tie lake. The great cities Of Cincinnati and
Louisville have for long time been unable to
obtain supplies ofgoods by water, other by
Pittsburg, Portsmouth OF New Orleans ow-
ing to the river being too low for navigation.
Not only these towns but hundreds Of smaller
places have greatly suffered for want Of this
important channel of trade. Farmers living
onitsyery borders are obliged in order to get
their wheat and flour to market to wagon them
to Columbus, the q to take their long route Of
between two and three hundred miles along the
serpentine Ohio canal to Cleveland. The
single town Of Cincinnati will suffer this year
more than the amount Of the interest on the
cost Of this canal from Dayton to Defiance.
And why is ii not all under contract Why
does the state move SO slow towards it COM
pletion? Does it proceed from desire TO make
all the interior commerce Of Ohio take its
meandering course on its east, west, north
and south canal, having its final termlnii at
Cleveland and Portsmouth? 1t cannot be done.
In ordinary seasons the Merchants of Cincin-
matt prefer the route through Pittsburg to that
through Cleveland. But if the Miami canal
were finished, not only Cincinnati; and the
neighboring towns, but all the commercial
points below on the Ohio Tennessee, and Cum
oerland rivers would certainly bring their east
ern supplies every fall throughit. This would
give to the state Of Ohio toll greater than the
interest Of the sum which is required to finish
it. But greater object ofa good government
should be the developement Of the resources of
its own territory, the encouragement ofits own
farmers and Mechanics-and the building up
of its own villages and towns. That part of
it already finished would be rendered four times
as productive and useful by its entire compile
ton. Our late Board of Public works could
see no reason why it should not be completed
in 1910. The state has great interest in
pushing it through with all practicable speed,
and we can immagine no sound reason for
any delay in putting the fifty three miles, yet
unlet, under contract, We are aware that
the portion not commenced is not SO difficult
to make and will therefore require less time
in construction than the reservoir and deep cut
of the summit, but there are SO many things
to rctard and prevent the construction ofgreat
works of this sort that when it becomes impor-
tant to expedite their completion no time
should be lost in putting them into the hands
of contractors.
Whatever may be the sins of the party now
in power in Ohio, that Of keeping back inter-
nal Improvement haslnot been of the num-
ber. 1t will therefore be expected to show an
energy in the completion ofthose begun, which
will not shame the wisdom of those who with
enlightened foresight laid their foundation. If
the Miami canal be not finished in le4o the res
possibility will be on the present dominant par
ty whose Board Of Public works made the Of
fetal declaration that it might be done. No
temporary party strife ought to have the least
influence over work of such great and abid-
ing Importance to the interests ofthe state.
SURVEY OF THE LAkEs.-The Cleveland
Herald has sensible communication on this
subject, which was never we believe agitated
in Congress until last winter. 1t wns then ta-
ken hold Of by our invaluable member Mr..
Goode at the instance of memorialists from
this place. An act was passed originally in
tended to embrace the Lakes only but was SO