The Davenport gazette. [volume] (Davenport, Scott Co., Iowa) 1841-185?, 1848-12-14

such an atmosphere ut enterprise, / started
on the full run, full ii the feeling the hoy
Ind when he took q long shot Mt the crow.
''he knew all the time he would not hi,
him. But Mr.. Stones note made the
treasurer ns aiiablc rs one could wish, and
The ticket WINS given. Then came the run
tor the cars. one long breath, and the train
was oil. ! had attained nv wish. md was
pleased in proportion TO the difficulties
which met me.
The railway has double track and ,hcv
make a speed Of about thirty miles mn hour.
AS ! passed through the streets of this
mushroom town, thought of what Dickens
complained Of, that every thing seemed 90
new. i is true. but what thing to com
plain Of! Aladdin as he rubbed his lamps
and wished for gorgeous palacc, nigh, rs
well have complained OF the newness OF the
thing. This very feature gave Lowell n
charm It could not hive had, had il been
composed 0: old ,nhernaclcs, and moss Gov
cred tcnemcnis. II NIL looks like the work
OF yesterday. so fresh, Glenn, and new, do
all the buildings look. AS you 80 TO Low
ell from Boston, yon pass through some mis-
cradle country, and should think the town
itself could not boas, very muca concern
Ing its natural advantages for agriculture.
But Tor its business aud enterprise il is .
sort ot miracle, which csctes incrcdulty.
The Impulse Of .owell was derived from
one Of thosc enterprises which disappoin,
their authors. Many years ngo, the raft
ing Of lumber down the Merrimack was
great business. The Pawtucket falls were
tho principal obstacle to the success Of the
business. To ohvia:c this difficulty. a com.
p.ny in 1892, was incorporated 10 dig
canal around tho rapids. The firs. boa,
was fent through in 1897. The business
did M, make the stock worth moro than so
per cent. a certain Ezra War,hcn hap
pcncd cut of business in 1920. lie Ind
been engaged in the manufacture of wool.
One day he raid TO MIR. Patrick r. jackson.
also manufacturer md capitalist. that
no wished the Wnl,hnm Directors would
erect new mills and give him the manage
men, Of them. lie was told thcv wished
to 20. but knew of no good water power.
War,hen Immediately drew on the floor
with chalk plan oil the Pawtucket cannl.
jackson saw ut glance the immense nd.
snntagcs OF the place, and Mr.. Thomas M.
Clark OF Newhurvpor;, wealthy capital.
ls,s. WINS employed to buy up all the shares
ot tue pswtnckct canal. which hc did east.
l. At from 50 TO 100 dollars per share. ma
king cost a! some 5,GGO dollars. They
then bought several farms in the vicinity
before people knew wba, they were about.
4 single incidcn, will illustrate the rapid
increase Of property in value.
These shrcwd gentlemen having pur
chased two farms. contracted for nine unt,i
slded ,entlis Of! another farm of 10 acres.
Tor eighteen hundred dollars. The owner
oil the remaining share agreed to sell il 10
them for 200 dollars, but before the bargain
was closed he died and proved insolven,.
People wore now wide awake, and when
that undivided tenth was sold by the Court.
seven and half ten,hs of that alone
brought moro than 5000 dollars, and in
two years the remaining two and half
tcn.hs Of the same share brough, 5000
dollars.
In this way Lowell was purchased and
sold ont in building lots for houses mud
mills ut immense advances. The profits
were enormous from these sales nlonc, md
then the sale Of water privileges made
this one Ut the richest spccula,ions in the
world.
In the meantime since 1925, the date of
l.owcli's birth, the business Of ma nuiactn.
ring has increased 30 prodigiously, tina. the
old Pawtucket canal could not furnish n
sufiiciency, Of winter in the summer. The
manner Of nbviating this shows what Yam
kee enterprise can do. About three aunr
tiers Of mile above Lowell, are the rapids
in the Mcrrimack, to &C, around which the
original canal was dug. In 1916, another
canal was dug and walled up from that
point directly to the town. a swing dam
IS thrown across tho river nj tho top Of the
falls, and the water admitted into the canal
through several very large gates, which
ere hoisted and dropt by some ingenious
machinery. The canal has the goodly d.
mens'ons Of one hundred feet in width and
eighteen feet depth. The water 10 fifteen
feet deep. Along the rapids the canal iol.
lows near the bank of the river, aud is wall
Cd UP with the most massive granite wall
ever saw. ], does not look as it anything
could move i short Of an earthquake. A.
long this wall are gates to drain the canal
quick, should It he required. Alter lea, inc
the river bank the canal 10 dug through
solid granite ledge. and then follows a
straight course 10 the town. The side,
through the entire distance are walled an
in the most substantial manner, aud alto.
gether, il is one Of the noblest works had
ever seen accomplished by private eater
prise.