The evening Argus. [volume] (Rock Island, Ill.) 1861-1871, 1865-07-22

natural channels OF treoe are no6io0sou w
forgotten BY those whose duty Il 10 70 foster
..rn;ncs of railrosds are mainly absorbed in
"a Atlsnt;o States and abroad. A heavy
,ronort;on Of their construction and repairs
- Nv M !: probably one.half Of the groes
e.,nines are drawn from as, inuring TO the
hene6t and adding to the wealth ofotbsr
sections. feeling little interess in common
with us.
The navigation interest inures almost
wholly to our benefit. Ninety-6ve per cent
of the cost and repairs of steamboats, and
bsrges are wholly produced and manufac-
tured in the west; the owners, employees,
fuel, profits, and expenses all belong to Us,
augmenting our wealth-the necessary ex
pences directly benefting the section in which
| it is earned. As yet no one smootns our
path, no one makes our way plain, natural
obsta,les have to be individually met-indi-
yidually overcome; the same snag, the same
| ran;ds have to be avoi led or toiled past,
Iipbtened or warped over by boats from .
| dozen different states.
Therein lays our great disability, our we'll
founded complaint; no one state has charge
of the great highway of the whole. 1t Is
incontestibly the duty of the general govern
ment to take charge of the whole tor the ben J.
| eft of the republic at large. Does . petty
water, we must bear our portion of the cost.
l do not propose to deny the justice, the
advisability of the outlay; but l urgently
assert that our property has at least an equal
right to the protection of the general govern
ment above ALL the lives of western people
are as valuable to their relatives and the
nation as that of the eastern folks. Ii is no
consolation that the boat lie snsgged, or her
bottom ripped off by . sunken wreck or rock;
be they drowned in salt water or fresh ;
hundreds of valuable lives are lost tothe ma
ton, whilst congress, supine or guilty, takes
no heed.
Part of those duties may belong to individ-
ual states, part to the general government !;
but they should be defined and carried out by
the highest power in our land.
| The United States should build, equip and
maintain five to seven snag boats, furnished
with steam power apparatus, for hosting,
saving and otherwise eradicating snags,
sunken logs, wrecks; pneumatic apparatus
for divers. &c, having separate boilers for
working the Graduating machinery; also two
! or more craft fitted with massive steam ham,
mers, chisels, drilling and blasting apparatus
for removing sunken rocks, or to widen,
straighten or deepen the channel through
rocky lodges these would be of incalcula bic
benefit to navigation.
The separate states should pass and put in
force laws to cut down oil standing timber
within thirty feet of the river bank this, as
| preventive measure, would preclude q re
accumulation of fresh snags or dangerous
| logs it is the root or stump that anchors the
| snag.
Furthermore no individual or corporation
should be allowed to build any bridge OBJ
structing or endangerlng the vested right OF
navigation; none should be allowed to com.
mence until their plan and location are sub
mitted to and approved by the state engineer
and board of navigation the clear hegh,
above high water mark. width between piers,
| shape and dimensions of sterlings course OF
| current and all necessary points distinctly
specified all building material. and heavy
penal bond to be forfeited on divergence from
plan and location mutually agreed on.
| 1t Is to the advantage of the community
that proper bridges be built; but bridge
obstructing or endangering navigation is o
nuisance crime on the whole people. and
should be promptly amended, abated or re-
moved.
| Two have been carried over the Upper
Mississippi, both of which are unnecessarily
distractions to navigation. Steamers, invol-
wing heavy loss OF life and property, aside
from barges and RATS, have been wrecked
on Them their location is improper. Those
dangerous nnisances should be abated, and
none such in future suffered to commence.
Once clear the river of snags, logs, wrecks,
and some few patches of rocks, to a reasona-
bic extent, the rates of freight will be great
ly reduced coal grain in bulk. forage. hemp,
pork, lard, lead. with low priced commodi-
ties, will be towed in 400 to 700 ton barges ;
all freights by an improved navigation can
and will be carried at greatly reduced rates.
The danger being materially lessened, the
rate of insurance will he lOWared.
In aid of all which congress can levy a tax
of say one per cent. on all freight bills, to be
paid exclusively by the consignee, to be col
lected by the Carrier and paid over to the Gus
tom house without charge of collection. A
tax of three per cent, annually may also be
laid on all vessels and barges, based on the
appraisement of the board of underwriters
This plan being cheaper than marine insur
ance, boat owners and freighters ought cheer
fully to bear.
There is a tendency to foster railroads at
the public cost palpably the majority of their
earnings are drawn from US and spent else
where. With steamers the earnings are dis
bursed among US. Stimulating all branches
of industry. their prosperity is intimately
and wholly identified with the local commu-
nifty ssA +s y
Those necessary advantages, improvements,
&C., which one boat, company, or state, cam
not undertake, should be undertaken by The
general government for the benefit of the pub,
lie at large. j. F, G.
A Washington correspondent, speaking of
the outrageous act of Stanton in closing Ford'e