The weekly north Iowa times. [volume] (McGregor, Iowa) 1857-1867, 1864-05-11

Ship Canal Convention.
Wecopy and condense from the Dubuqu
q Daily Herald, the following account of tn
: Ship Canal Convention:
. This Convention met at Dubuque O
Wednesday, May 9Th. W. j. Abrams Q
Green Bay, Wis, was President tempora
rily. The Committee on organization re
ported Judge Cole of Des Moines, for per
manent President, w. j. Abrams and w
I. Gilchrist Of McGregor, for Vice Presi
dents and Douglas Leffingwell of McGregor
for Secretary. Judge Cole made an open
ing speech. L. A. Thomas of Dubuque
favored connecting the improvement of tn
upper and lower rapids with the canal pro
ject, and moved committee to report reso
lutions: Noble of McGregor, was chair
man, Anderson, Smith and Wright of Wis.
and Richards, Thomas, Gilchrist, Stacy
and Patterson Of Iowa, were the Other
members of the committee.
Mr.. W. J. Abrams, Of Green Bay, Wis
being invited to address the Convention or
the improvements on the Fox and Wiscon
sin Rivers, said that he had prepared some
statistics on the subject with the design Of
presenting them to the committee just ap
pointed, but he would present few OF
them for present consideration. He then
entered into detailed statement of tn.
improvements on the Fox, giving the
amount Of water fit for navigation. From
Green Bay to Portage City it is 1894 miles.
His figures gave the average width of the
channel and the depth bott. through the
upper and lower Fox and through Lake
Winnebago. Boats drawing four feet of
water and carrying $500 bushels of grain
can pass through this distance at any time
of the year, and for part of the season
boats drawing over feet find no obstruc
ton. He said he had the best authority
for saying that boats can be sent through
to the Mississippi drawing 81 feet of water.
| BY the expenditure of moderate sum of
money these natural water courses can be
improved so as to become great channels of
commerce; all that is now needed is to
draw public attention to the matter. He is
moi so we'll acquainted with the Wisconsin
! River. He had been informed, and doubt.
ed not it was so, that during portion Of
the year it is wholly unnavigable, spreading
out over so wide an extent that it becomes
shallow enough for persons to wade across
with the water scarcely ankle deep. But
the same thing was true of the Fox River
some time ago, but now boats are sent it's
entire length, drawing over feet of water
at all seasons
When he first went to Green Bay, in 1856,
there were scarcely $4,000 bushels of grain
shipped thence. Now there are over 25,-
900 barrels Of -four alone lying upon her
docks waiting for Shipment three fourths
of which came from the Fox River Four
years ego vessels had to go begging for
cargoes Of lumber, while now, two propeller
lines are constantly employed in taking
away her freight. Green Bay is 23O miles
nearer Buffalo than Chicago, and her vessels
avoid the danger attendant upon Lake
Michigan navigation. Fr.ights actually can
be taken from there 20 per cent. cheaper
than from Chicago. Green Bay has one Of
the very best harbors on the whole line of
the lakes, and with very little more expense
propellers can pass directly up the Fox
and Lake Winnebago and land at Oshkosh.
He was followed by Messrs. Richards,
Patterson, and Thomas, who presented their
views in clear and able manner, setting
forth the many advantages of the proposed
route and pointing out the immense bene-
tits it would be to Northern Iowa, Mime
sofa and Wisconsin.
On Thursday morning, May 9th, Mr..
Noble offered the following Preamble ard
Resolutions. which after debate and few
slight notifications, were adopted. eve
have the resolutions as amended and pass.
ed):
WHEREAS, The exposed and defenseless
condition of our Lake frontier and the vast
and rapidly increasing inland navigation
and commerce Of the Lakes, embracing as
It does nearly one-half of the entire tonnage
and value of the commercial wealth of the
nation, as also the peculiar and somewhat
precarous condition of our foreign relations
with some of the European powers most
imperatively demand that the General Gov.
ernment shall take immediate measures so
to improve the great water communication
between the East and the West, as shall
enable it in all cases of emergency to trans
port to any part Of the country, naval and
military stores and munitions Of war, with
the least possible amount Of delay; and
also to send its gunboats and other ships of
war to any part Of the country wherever
they may be needed in prosecuting naval
and military operations.
WHEREAS, The rapidly increasing devel
opment Of the vast agricultural, mineral
and commercial resources of the Northwest
and more especially of the upper Missis-
sippi Valley, require and demand the open
ing up, at the earliest possible period, Of
water communication between the eastern
seaboard and the Mississippi River by the
nearest, cheapest, most expeditions and
most practicable route, Therefore,
ResolUed, That while we would not Object
to see the construction Of a Ship Canal
from La Sale to the Mississippi if cheap
and practicable If not so, canal termina-
ting at the mouth of the Illinois river-our
duty to the great bread-producing States of
the Northwest demands that we persistent
ly urge on Congress an appropriation for
the enlargement of the Fox and Wisconsin
River improvements as being the most emf.
nently cheap and practicable, necessary for
military purposes, and to afford facilities
for the cheap transportation of the products
Of the Northwest to an Atlantic and Euro
pean market.
Resolued, That the improvement Of the
upper and lower rapids Of the Mississippi
by canal, as proper counterpart and COM
plemcnt Of canal to the Lakes, is neces.
sary to give full value to the latter work,
and is i,nperatively demanded by the high.
est considerations Of public policy and for
tho good of the whole nation.
Resolued, That this convention would
most respectfully but earnestly recommend
to the people of the whole country. and
&c A. NJ: