Daily Davenport Democrat. [volume] (Davenport, Iowa) 1864-1874, 1865-11-15
CANALS.


p > Z VAWhkAOS
ieparie ef 1lhserprise. /,
With joy we hail the dawnins spirit Of
public enterprise 10 Sur midst. The people
are swskenins 70 the full resiizstisn ottheir
many superior advantages, and will NOS rest
shqrt sf havise asconpliised sonstins-
The question Of Increased transportation
facilities By means q canals, Is nov under
sdvisemeut, And in few days competent
corps of engineers will be in the Geld can
wasting the prospects Of canal route from
this point 70 LsSalle It is . great work
and il succsssful, viii confer immense bens-
Ats upon this city ~ we'll - the State at
large. 49,.
But The spirit Of improvement in this line
does not end here. Canals are good things.
and ve caunot have tso many Of thsm.-
They are roads to market that do not wear
out, and over which very little power can
draw immense cargoes. The other scheme
concerning which there is much talk about
town--which We alluded to last week. and
which was further alluded to last Monday
evening by Geo. H. Parker, Esq, before The
meeting Of business men 1t LeCIaire Hall,
il the NorthAestesn Cana.-lesving Daven-
port aud striking the wapsie in this coun-
ty, In Aliens Grove Township-thencs
passing on up to Wheatlsnd, Toronto, to
Anamoss; thence along the same rich val
10y to independents, and thence TO Waver-
ly, in Bremer county, in al distance Of
about 160 miles, Such canal would tap
range Of trade and secure it for Davenport,
that would raise our city to high position,
and swell our population to fifty thousand
IN less than five years.
Why would it, We scarce need to enter
upon argument to show Why. Such canal
would be Of untold advantage to the farmers
in all that scope Of country. It costs an i'm
mense sum to ship their products to market
BY nil-absorbs nearly oil the profits,
whereas, With reliable water communities
tion they could send their crops here at .
small cost, whence it could be shipped to
the East by water when our eastern outlet
70 comPtsted-snd until then could he shin.
ped to New York BY steamer vie No. q.
leans at . much cheaper rate than can now
be sent thither by rail- Such canal would
enable twenty thousand farmers up the
Wapsie aud Cedar Valleys to save from 10
to 90 per cent. on their farm products. It
would call for the erection Of immense elcva-
tors in this city, which would be made the
bead Of the great Atlantic and Mississippi
Navigation Company. 1t would oring com.
peting lines of railroads here from the East
without the asking; it would make Daven-
port and Rock Island the great trans ship.
ping point for the Southern aid the Eastern
markets, not only for steamboats,, but for
railroads it would furnish this city with =
water power that would be second to none
in the cOuntry-wster power enough to
drive all the spindles, looms lathes, saws,
hammers, that could be furnished enough
to make manufactured goods for the whole
Northwest; it would furnish our then rap.
idly thriving city with the water works al
most for nothing-in short, it would furnish
the immediate foundation for . population
Of one hundred thousand people in the twin
! cities. The. scheme contains al the elc
ments Of success-of immense enterprise
Of boundless wealth and quadrupled popu.
lation.
Such . canal ~ this once built to Waver
" would there tap the St. Louis and st.
Paul Railroad, which is bound to be built
At the same place it would tap the Dubuque
and Sioux City Road-already built to tha,
point; At Anamosa the Dubuque and West
ern, already completed to that point; Al
Wheatland, the Clinton Road,-and at Da
venport the N. h NJ. Road-thus drawing
tribute from Ave through lines Of road. and
diverting large share Of their business int
the great commercial emporium at thi.
point.
Itis scheme which cannot fail to attract
attention. But 10 it feasible! No doubt.
The grade is descending all the way from
Wavefly here there 10. water enough tc
feed dozen canals. There in dormant cap
ital enough in these two cities to build 81
miles oft; 10 per cent, ofreal estate valua
ton of this city will do that much; thu
great packet companies would undoubtedly
expend large sums to carry out the plan
Eastern lines Of. railroads would at once Sc,
the situation and contribute literally to such
. scheme; lhs entire agricultural interest'
Of the great range Of rich country through
which it would pass would throw its in
6uencs in it's favor, and when once started
the work would progress rapidly. II j,
feasible. It would be the best paying stock
in the country. Think Of it, men Of enter
prise aud capital Talk it over among yoal
fellows. II l. mot visionary, but real. Il
would bring millions Of trade,-populatio
BY tens Of thousands. Il 10 On oppot tnnity
for wealth, greatness and power that Da
venport cannot afford to fcrego.
RrcLusE," Of the Chicago Journal VI,
ia, town the other day. HIS recital Of ex
perieness here i rather rasy, and We CIV,
it entire:, .s#sSx. ss
| l crossed over to Davenport, Iowa, and
found myself snuxiy qnartered at the Bur
tbs House At o'clock Saturday eve My
rambling notes hsvs At length brought IN,
into Iowa. blessed nights sleep, and
look out upon the early, calm and beautif0
sabbath morning. A nice breakiast, and
20 ont for quiet valh. all by myself. anc