Southport telegraph. [volume] (Southport, W.T. [i.e. Kenosha, Wis.]) 1840-1850, 1845-03-03

For TIE 'vcea!y Iatcli;seacers Of Wisconsin.
CANALS ". RAILROADS


Mr.. EDITOR =
Does not the spirit and enterprise Of the
age, of our country, and our Territory too,
in view Of her vast staples in her mineral
and agricul ural products, 10 be exported
nOaO, at a ruinous expense from the interior,
imperiously call for a Development of all
The geological cndowments with which our
Territory is favored for internal commerce,
beyond that of any other section Of country,
through the lakes. bays, and the Numerous
rivers, by which our Territory is Surround
ed, and cut, in various and almost every
part, whereby it is though, that navigation
by slack water on the beds Of the rivers, my
be brought within days drive of every
farm and miner in the Territory and in nor
| them Illinois. Most Ct which rivers have
been returned as navigablc streams. Ifthey
are sluggish (as many of them are) for many
miles, they require no emb1n'lmcnis. no
tow paths, no excavations, no aGueduct cul-
vert or b!idga and these are by far the most
expensive items in canaling. And for rap
ds where dams a~e required, then the s. les
| ofsurpus water VII ofcn builI the dam and
locks; and ftho dam be already built then
the owner must remove distractions TO nav
iglton, by locks, at his own expense, or re-
move the dam.
| Ii may be doubted if the aqueduct over
the Genessee River at Rochester, and the
locks at Lockport, have not cost as much
as The expense of bringing navlga.itn With
in 40 niles Of almost every farm and mi
ner in Wisconsin. Now let the map of
Wisconsin propcr--made at Washington,
under Gov. Doly's delegacy, according to
| the Guvernm 9nt surveys-bo spread Gu,
and it will be seen withi what facility the
Fox River, Of Green Bay, can be united
with the Wisconsin Rive. Then observe
the Peckatonica nver in its course from the
m neral district, and near Galcna and the
Mississippi waters, direct in it's course to
Lake Michigan, with boa:s laden with lead,
TO Rock River, more than hafthc distance,
aud within 20 miles of Lake Mi h:gan.-
And a few thousand dollars only expended
in clearing out snags, &c, would render ii
of easy and quick navigation. Then OBJ
serve the OPlaine, Rock, and the Fox Rv-
er OF Illinois, extending from the M ss!ssippi
and the tmberess pralries Of the south, in
to the heart ofths Territory and to the for
ests of the north, and running nearly paral-
lei with Lake Michigan, and with each 9th
er. Then observe the Turtle Creek or Riy-
or from its mouth at Beloit into the Swan or
Delavan Lake at Delavan, one of the four
lakes suspended on or near the Summit
Ridge, between the Rock and Fox rivers,
for purposes and designs yet to be devel-
oped. Then observe the Geneva Lake blu,
about four miles from the Swan. and little
lower, In Walworth county, requiring, il is
said, no very deep cuttings tie unite them
Next observe the Geneva Lake nine miles
farther on, to its eutlet,a heavy mill stream,
direct in its course Ii miles TO Burlington
its junction with the Fox River, which was
navigated in 1886 and '37 by the pioneer
settlers with boats drawing two feet water
80 miles into the forest above the State line
and near Prairicvlle, and many miles toe
below the State line 10 Dundee. Then OBJ
serve the course of the Fox River 5 mile:
to Rochester its junction with the Muskege
and Wind Lake outlet, down which on three
feet of water and through low marsh,
country, and through those Lakes Is miles
large quantities of saw logs and lumbe
heve been RATED. The Muskego Lake il
entirely on the verge of the Summit, and i
is said, in very high water to flow into tn,
Root River. Then observe on the map tn,
same bearing TO the mouth Of the Kinnica
mic, about ten miles on the beach 2 mile
south Of Milwaukee Harbor. Whether thi
distance must be considerably increased. I,
avoid deep cutting, on descent Of not les
than $50 feet, must be lef. to competeu
engineers to decide. Such, however.is nc
supposed TO be the case. Although the WI
tiers in that vicinity, flow into Racine Hal
Dor, for the canaling of which thhre is ever
facility. Next observe the course of til
: Fox River direct iiom Great Bend toward
Lake Michigan, as tho its design had bee
) 10 break over a marshy miles into the Mu.
kego, and over its feeble bar, (Which on
l hundred men would now cut in a day. an
on descent of more than l50 feet, rush il
to Racine Harbor, and thero merge itse
into the great waters of the lakes 10 NOV
e slowly onward to the great deep at the Gu
OF ST. Lawrence. Then, after the Fox ha
! clearly indicated what it had left for art an
: enterprise TO do in after time, it betook i
self back, to endow and enrich its own lon
! Understanding far towards the mighty W;
= tiers that flow into the Gulf of Mexico.
Z Thus it has been shown that by about