The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1849-08-10

int coInu'S OF your excellent PAPER, 10
make some remarks, ant q lew suggestions
upon the "lnternal Imprsvement,' Of Iii.
nns. Not the siupehduous system of FOR.
mer years, but Of the actual bone fds works
of the present day. II is really matter Of
surprise, how the public mind has become
80 completely torpid upon this subject,
/ since the failure Of our state in her msenifi-
CENT. but visionary Rnl rxirayaral,t.
schemes. Aud were not fully convinced
that the data e. snstRu iue are al hand.
wuud not run the risk ct making state.
menis 50 likely 10 lr met wi'h iucf,tulity
al rid'cule.
The Chicago and Galcua Railroad is row
completed Ia . poini about twenty miles
from this city, on which the cars are now
plying daily; and shor, as the distance is.
| am informed by stockholdrr cf undoubt.
ed veracity, that II is now paying a, the rate
OF seventeen PER cent. per annum upou the
cost III the road, engine, aud cars; which.
for the distance cf forty miles. will not tx.
coed Tght thousand ire hundred dollars rer
mile. II i confidently eXpsty,d that the
road will hc ompletsLfnSl .lstp mis- fall.
when il is -behevedfhe incrsa3aT business
viii enhance the profits to twenty five per
cent. lon may readily imagine that The
stockholders are highly cla,ed with their
investments. But thi. is not all: the great
value OF this stock being now demonstrated
the eNhe road TO Gslena riil be comrleted
a'athnch earlier day than was at frat con-
leRplaied, when the Immense Lead Trad,
OF that rity Will, IN great measure seek It's
market through Chicago. And i, cannot
br doubted, that during the low stages of
water IN the Illinois, much Of the travel
which now passes through our canal, will
be constrained 10 take the Galera route.
This may be unwelcome talk 10 many
OF your friends but If il could arouse the
people OF the canal aud river counties 10 ,
sense OF the importance Of immediately i'm.
proving the navigation Of the Illinois river.
so that steam boats Of large class can. a,
all times during The season for Navigation.
ascend to ?eru or Ottawa, We might bless
our stars that a lival hai arisen 10 wake
US up to our duty. 10 enter at larca uron
the discussion of this subject, is not nv pur-
pose al this time; will, however, advance
a few general ideas, with the intention Of
making more detailed investigation here
alter. There IA not the shadow Of doub,
but that the river can be well improved b.
system of dams and locks. from It's ,,..,,,i
10 Ottawa, for less than a milli- n ,ao,lsr,
In fact our canal il incor,.,,sie u,t;I Ills i
done; and the seem, .,,o,i ortbs nar;n,hi,
W"'f's VI i'H"e .dickigau with the nari1a.
C'e "a't's Of the Illinois," has not been eC.
'e's.' IN the sense contemplated by the Act
OF Congress granting the alternate sections
. ofIand for the distance Of five miles on each
side Of the canal 10 aid the state in con.
| sructing said work. Now, If we continue
( the canal TO point sufficiently near the
! mouth Of the river, 10 insure its permanent
utility, and make the channel of the river
/ the line ofthe canal for the greater portion
! OF the way, have we not n Just and euui,a.
/ Bile claim upon the general covernm, M for
/ the same quantity of land upon each side of
| the river, sufficiently far down 10 include
/ the lowest necessary structures. To This il
may be objected, that majority of lhelands
/ have been sold, and ore now beyond the
power Of Congress TO appropriate. ysry
| well; let nScst the privilege Of selecting
I others in their stead, Of which there is an
abundance held by the general government.
/ yet in the state. The lands thus obtained.
! il sold at one dollar and twenty FIVE cent.
/ per sese. would make The rea,ured ion,
: pr"~e"'-"'-. s~ p'n,~, frstrad ~
c9 ne. hundred ',i y r1h,'e hundred and
h''y HliIfS VI NnaI on Nhicb tolls would
be collected. The rate oftollS per mile
could, .'lslsfcre, beyss'yasdy,eed, sApd
still aiEGd a )aVes ihffeaed revenue to
= eytnguish the tsnal debt; and ultimately
to repleni>h the State Treasury. Dy thi,
arrangement the navigation the presen;
canal would be immensely cheapened. and
the constantly accommodating produce of the
country, from points even below Peoria
would naturally take Northern direction
as the tolls either way would be about the
sane.
( The objection may arise, that this would
be taxing the commerce Of the River fol
tho benefit Of the canal; but moment,
reflection will remove this difficulty. We
all know that when the river becomes low
freight and passage run upt double and
treble the ordinary rates; ana even then il
is an Improbable trade for Steamboats,