Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1860-03-24
The Kilbourn City Dam.

waukee Sentinel which aIlnded to lis,
but which did not touch upon the prin-
cipal points in an editorial in former
issue, we requested one of our lumber
men to review it. He has handed us
the following, which we endorse, save
that portion which alludes to the rea-
son of the construction of this obstruc-
ton.
Mr.. Editor The Milwaukee Dali
~ Sentinel of the 10th inst, contains
a lengthy communication, in regard to
the Dam Kilbourn City troubles, in
reply to an editorial in your paper of
recent date. The master production
dates from HiN-born City, and bears
the impressive non de plume of ''Manv
Citizens" THIS signature is certainly
apt and appropriate, as not Que person
could have conjured up or gave being
to so many audaciouS lies and base
misrepresentation and survived the eff.
fort. 1t says:-
The undersi gned having seen an ar
ticle in the Wood County Reporter, in
which yourselves, the Hydraulic Co..
and the people Of kiibourn CITY GEN
orally, com" in for large share of
abuse. deem it proper to make some
explanation in regard to our affairs in
connection with the Hydraulic Co. and
the lumber interests of the north. II
the first place, we admit that contrary
to our expectations, for portion OF
the time, and at particular stages of
water, some lumber was badly damay-
ed in passing through the slide: but
the great bulk that passed through was
but slightly injured, if at ALL
Fal>e i'll the beginning; your edito
rial contained nothing abusive or i'm
propcr-,nerely pl,in facts that can b.
subStant!ated by at least one hundred
persons who run lumber during the
spring and Summer so. In regar..
to the ''particnIar stages Of water"
there could be no stage that was not
highly detrime ntal to the safety Of lum.
Der IN passing through the slide. Whe,
MANY Citizens" say "that the great
bulk that passed through was bu,
slightly injured if at all" they tell a
deliberate lie fo' the purpose of screen
h. Il,
the tool-hardy attempt of constructing
4 dam where the river IS but p series
Of ed's!es for miles. Again they s.1y;
"A compromise vas made with the
lumbermcn and their uien, who wer.
waiting with their RATS were SUPPLIED
with pork, flour and provisions: bi,t al:
ter few days delay, they broke faith,
passed their lumber through the slide,
and left. After this ti,ne, :. large
amount Of lumber was passed with
very little damage to the owners, IL
their satisfaction.
A slight shade of truth. A Sial:l
compromise was effected, causing the
klboUrnites to chuckle Wonderfully
1t Is true that provisions were provided
for the lumbermen for ,1e,o tls,vs on.
~, but, can any sensible persons snf,
pose that a fleet of lumber with from
70 to 30 men, can be detained fot
weeks, even though their provisions b.
furnished them: No! Indebtedness is
constantly acrun'uiating For this r.. 4,
son, after patiently awaiting the action.
OF those who made such fair promises,
the lunbcrmen passed on, choosing
rather to encounter the sure a.Strlc.
ton Of thel: lumber, than to be DELAY
ed, with expenses constantly accum1-
latine. In the second quotations
''Many Citizens" again reitera;c the
statement that very little damage was
done to the lumber in passing throu-'.
the slide. Whoever wrote the article
most basely lied, and undoubtedly
could be prevailed upon to lie frequent
ly for a small peclln;ary consideration.
There Is not a grown male person
within the whole corporation OF the
mammsth @ city of Kilbourn who has
not stood upon the left bank of the riv-
er and witnessed the almost complcte
demolition of uninterrupted after piece
as it was swept by the powerful cur
rent to the seething eddy below, crack
ing, doubling crib after crib over and
over like SO many leaves in book. and
ottentimes plunging down far below
the surface, only to come up com
Plete mass Of broken, worthless rub
h,cb ,o&