Maumee City express. [volume] (Maumee City, Ohio) 1838-184?, 1839-05-04
MAUMEE CITY EXPRESS.
SATURDAY, MAY A 1880.
ouR Local CrA,ns.--The conalctin

a
cloimc ofthe different towns upon the navi
y gable waters Of the Maumee TO the trade o.
the Wabash and Erie canal and its tributa
ries have been the subject of much discus
sion, both here and eswhere. Whoever
has an eye to the great growth which is il
prospect for some point on these waters
cannot but feel an interest in fair and hon
cradle discussion Of the question. To sucl
discussion We would invite the attention o
our readers, assuring them that the argu.
ments made and positions taken by our cor.
respondent will be found substantially cor.
rect and impartial.
For The .Maumee City Express.
It is claimed by those interested in Tole-
do, thatits position is more favorable for ef-
fecting the great exchanges between cana
boats, and lake vessels, than the best point
at the foot of the rapids. Admitting as all
must admit that these exchanges will be the
true basis on which will rest the claims Of
the contending towns, would gladly enter
upon'a candid and fair discussion of the
comparative merits ofToledo and Mauniee.
As the particular manner and extent of the
mprovements--caleds side cuts, and which
are intended to make easy the exchanges
between canal and lake vessels have not at
either point, SO far as am informed, been
determined on, it may as fairly in the one
case as in the other be taken for granted
that the connexion pt each will be such as to
furnish every practical facility for exchnn-
ges of canal and lake cargoes. At both
places it is reasonable to suppose that the
side cut improvements will not stop short of
the most commodous part of the harbors
respectively near the foot of the rapids--and
near the entrance of Swan Creek. While,
however, our neighbors of Toledo would be
injured only by the difference in the cost
of taking canal boat on the river and on
the canal by the connexion here being SO
imperfect as to drive them to the use of the
canal between the two PAGES, such imper-
feet connexion would not fail to prevent the
establishment of forwarding and other COM
mercial men amongu us and induce them to
select the more favorable point. But our
sidecut Improvement might be good enough
for the passage of canal boats into our har-
Dor, there to be taken in tow by steam boats
for Toledo or some other point below the
foot of the rapids, and yet left SO imperfect
so far as the accommodation of this point is
concerned, that it would be necessary eth
er to have them taken in tow by steam tugs
or to have them poed to convenient har-
Dor for large steamboats,. If steam tugs
have to be employed to take canal boats a
mile from the exit of our side cut, they will
be very apt to keep on till they reach the
best harbor afforded by the river. But, |
repeat--the side cut here is as likely to be
made to a commodious harbor as that at To-
ledo,so that in that respect both points pos
sess equal advantages. This being admit
ted the whole dispute lies in nut shell.
Between Maumee and Toledo there are two
canals-two channels of intercourse by wa
ter through one or other of which is to pass
the great tradc of the Wabash and Erie ca.
nal system to which both look for their fu-
ture business and growth. One of these
water channels is sixty feet wide and six
feet deep-the other is half mile wide and
seven feet deep. The former is to be the
Toledo channel, and was made by our Board
of Public works: the latter is the Maumee
channel; and is the bounty of a kind Provi-
dence. Which, dIsin.erested reader, is best |
for commerce: the littlc river four rods
wide, made by man, or the noble river made
by God half mile wide. Ontle little To- I
ledo river, boats carrying about 40 tons will
be used on the Maumee river, steam yes
sells of 400 tons may ply. Which is most
profitable! The 40 ton boats Of Toledo ,
must be drawn by horses: the 400 ton yes. 7
'els of Maumee will be propelled by steam:
which power is cheapest2 The steam will :
'ropel 10 miles per hour: the horse power a
will drag at the rate of % miles per hour: O
which of these Is most rapid? The steam
'essel pays no toll on her 400 tons: the 40
on boat must al the present rate on Ohio
,anals pay about "a for her down load and
s5 dollars for herup load between Toledo d
md Maumee: which is cheapestl What Il
an be more apparent than that with good il
ide cut Improvement here we have little il
ause to fear the rivalry of Toledo in the bu- t.
mess of our great canal? Il
Ifhowever that town has other claims not q
ased on her extension of the little river +,
long side our great river, hope she will 0,
ut them forth, and if they have weight they O.
hall be allowed. But if, as is believed. d,
hey will be found baseless as is the adyan- 50
lge claimed by the canal extension. w
laJ take on myself the small trouble neces- =,