, 1862-12-05

M of 1T the csss s''0 fbls taPs 5Sne ~ fiy
satisfactory en- tbs Ysint, about which SINE
deubta.
It nay Re observed a1so in reference TO the
pssssut river gunhoats. That although thaY
sre urabsc to encounter successfully the
waves cf .he great laksa, it will ret be very
usetul to be sble to take them, for repairs, up
10 the workshops at Chicago, aud other towns
a1.ng ttc l1ne.
i 10 difficult 10 Imagine stronger case of
military utility, not TO say necessity, than Is
presented In this relation Of this proposed
communication, to the defense Of the lakes.
Argument can hardly add to the force Of The
simple statement of the flcts
MOI only would any hett Of gunhoats when
built. be doubled III value, but the vast re-
sources Of the lake country in oak ard fine
timber and iron, be available for further in-
c1easlng the number. Be-ides the lessons
which tie ship builders If the lakes hare
learned under the necessity Of adaptiog their
vessels to the comparatively shallo1 harbor5
ct thee wattrs, and uniting carrying capacity
with Light draft, will be found of service il
this conneclion. Their fkil wheo called into
exercise BY the government, will combine the
timber ot the shores ofLakes Michigan, Huron
AID Erie, and the tough iron of Lake SUPERIOR.
1cto vessels able to carry the flag Of the nation
with honor to the toITld regious Of the Gulf
Mc9k g. moment s'so st the great taciiitiss
uon Of troops, supplies and munitions Of war
when needed The saving OF water, over rail
road transportation, and Of large boats over
small ones, is veil known. 1t has been often
exhibited in the most striking manner during
the present war.
4 few words seem to be demanded on the
more general view Of the subject. It's bear
1;:ge upeE the commercial, manufacturing aud
agricultural industry Of the county. Tue
subject is go v=st, that almost hesitate to
e. ~ NINTH ffT4Nrt tHr71$
do.
The great lakes and the Mississippi River
ere among the grandest features Of the geog-
rapby Of the globe. Their names are at once
suggestive Of commercial and agricultural
te1ss Of internal navigation exist elsewhere in
fle world. The most careful and accurate
statements of their present uReB for commer-
cial purposes are truly wonderful, while the
magnificent future to which enlightened en-
te.prise may lead. tasks the strongest imagiu-
4, alton. The Mississippi system Of n4vigah1e
waters is varionBly estimated at from 10, coo to
2o,cc0 niles. Its numerous ranifca1ions pen
et1ate country Of nnriValled fertility and in
sfz n:sfs1 nssss pssss a5ounda 90 teg aPes L s as
we haSe coast Of $500 miles. Their com-
nefce is estimated at the value of 500. COO
GW, +" In articles Of prime necessity. to the
luhsbl'ants Of the Eastern States aud to our
foreign commerce. That Of the Mississippi
in peaceful times i supposed to equal this.
1t is the union Of these two mighty syster1s
that We contemplate In the proposed improve
meut.
For this purpose 20 other route exists COM
parable to The line noW proposed, in the econ.
oEy q ccst Of the Improvement. Or In gen
eral utility. It is one OF naIure's hiehWavs,
one Of the lines which she marks out for tie
| guidance Of the great cniigrant movements of
the race, and by which topography foretel|s
| tie march Of empire. The aboriginal sayage
Travelled hy Instinct, and now educated intelli-
| Eence can find no bette, place for completing
aud uniting lines Of trayet AID traffic eiabrae.
| Ing half continent.
From what has been we may foretel1 what
| will be. When the present disorder shall have
| passed away, the Interchange Of products be-
be resumed: The cotton, sugar and tobsceo CO
Of the Sonth will seek its market throughout
| the Northern Statts and Canadas, and ia re-
turn the North Hiu send its wheat,
fS,ps f;o1ess P97' beef and the yari?qs a.
| nerce Will gruyitate to the cheapest channels.
"Look moment at the capacity OF the canal
| and river improved as proposed" says Mr..
| Gooding IN rectnt letter, tit Is believed
that boat or barge, built something like our
| the freight lrstead of the steamer Itself But
I suppose our present canal boats be used,
| twelve Of them carrying over 7O, 600 bushels
| Of grain, with less than five feet draft OF wa
ter, could be locked through, one Of our con
perhaps fifteen or twenty minutes. A power
| fu1 eteam-tug such as is used fer towing ships
from the mouth OF the Mississippi to NV
Orleans. wo1]d easily tor such tleet Of bouts
! 1t will therefore be apparent that were much
less tnan on.-haH Of the old prices paid for
srslght, would FAy enormously With this i'm
| proved navigation" This gives certainly
| very Striking view of the facilities for trans
EeTtstion which the Improvement will o1rar.
Consider too, that these tacilisies will be
eo'7sfont Though the season Of navigation, not
1iuctua:lAg as il usual now, between IDoa aud
drought: The present season has baen cue Of
| unusually good navigation in the Iliinoi5 Riy-
| er. The result is remarkable With the re-
| port ct the House OF Representatives, hereto
fore referred to vas submitted an estimate Of
tolls, &c, for the five years proposed to be
| occupied in the construction Of the canal,
which can be 80 carried on as not to interfere
| with Tie Haylgeticn. The tolls for the first
year arc put down, as likely to be the sa1ae,
| Is for 1881, viz: Sis 0@0, and for the sacond
at s2oo 0co. am informed that the tolls re-
ceived up to E recent period, during the pres-
ent season, exceeded those Of the last yesr ur
to the eama tine By $40, 600, sad the receipts
| tor the full sea6on of navigation Will not be
lses than SEX, 600, and would have been from
| Is to 80 per cent greater it there had been
caEal beats TO do :he business.
Ife uncertainty OF navigation IN past yesr:,
| oWlng to the liablity Of low water In the Iii
nbis River, has discouraged boat building, sud
t.ia supply Of boats is unequal TO the demand.
Ihese 1acts point to the most favorable re-
| sults to follow, upon making the navigation
c0nstsEt throughout the eeasun, along the
| whole line from the Mississippi to the lake,
to Eay EothiEg Of the crest increase Which
must inevitably follow Lte completion OF the
enlargement, ahord{ng 70 much greater ca.
t,+1y1
attracts larger ssncunt of freight, and iu-
| cIeases the revenue even at reduced rates of
toll, as is fhown By The Eric Canal. The tTo
| paris Of the wurk are necessarily dependent
upon each other, OF rather the canal enlarge
| ment and the river improvement make but
Que york. It will not be north While to
| make the one without the other.
II is stated that the tolls on the Eric Caral
for 1861 were s, $500 900. 1t cos: $40 ,gcO, ,0U0,
and is So miles lcng. This proposed i'm
capacity than the Erie, and can be completed
fer S13, BAG, s24 From fair companion OF
the two works, what may be expected Of this :?
It will draw trade from down the Mississippi,
| IRON the base OF the Rocky Mountains, by
way of the Missouri snd the Yellowstone.
sippi system will be naturally tributary to it.
While in turn it will pour through its capa-
clous channel the merchandise and manutac-
tures OF the East II, then, the present con-
| tfacled canal, nlnety-elE mlleB long, aud
without facilities for doing all the business
offered in season Of good navigation Yields
| S260, COO. may We not firmly expect that when
| the whole line Of sig miles is opened on the
proposed scale. reducing the cost Of transpor-
tation IN proportion, 1t may yield FIVE times
that amount.
Or, if the work should cost s13. 500 GOO, the
interest On its cost at six per cent, would
be sS10. GOO. Takirg the tolls to be derived
from the ENLARGED work, shortly after compile
tion 1T only tour times what they are for the
present year the amount would be 81, ,G40, 600.
which would pay thetinterest and 1oan-S $3.50, :
cG0 per anrrm for repairs and euptrintend-
| cree, &C.
snrely this may be considered altogether
within bounds, when we look at the grow ID
OF the country now going Oh, aud the addi-
tiona1 stimulus, which such . work would
| give.
The country which will seek this route for
Its commerce, has hardly commenced its agri-
cultural Development; hardly one acre in ten
is under cultivation, and in large portions not
one IN hundred The want of facilities for
transporting produce now represses the
growth Of this region, by tending to reduce
tie Price fits products below rernunera:i;e
point. Tie East Is directly interested in this
matter. Any considerable reduction In the
cost OF transportation here, would cheaper
the food Of every operative in the Eastern
manufactorles, and tend to draw from Europe
the skilled laho1s We SO much need
Another point is worth mentoning-the ef-
feet Of sucha work in increasing the assessi-