The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1865-09-23
The waterPo.vef At 6t,avs.i:

The history and exact coaditiou OF the
water power at Ottawa is so little Understood,
that We have gathered up some items on the
Subject, 10 ltiS tefote our readets. .- F..
Some fifteen teaEs ago Ftw Of cur enter
pt,slns citi,ens ctm,iienced an effort to in
duea tic canal commissioners to lease the
surtluS water then running to waste into the
Illinois titet. The state, in various acts of
the legislature. and the canal commissioners
and engineers, had persistcntly assured the
citizens of Ottawa that this should be done :;
bat the Trustees, after the completion OF tie
c.ral, neglected it; and when their attention
was called to TIE Subject, refused to lease the
water power on account of some adverse
interests on the river. The gentlemen above
referred to pressed the subject, and offered to
quiet all interests, and furnished documents
TO that end when, to their surprise. the
Trustees told the gentlemen that hey might
take all the surplus water aud do what they
pleased with it. upon consideration Of paying
a stipulated rental per run of stones. The
gentlemen then set about getting up con-
Company, and, with considerable difficulty,
many wealthy citizens Who were applied to
declining to assist, succeeded III the effort
and the contract entered INTO with the
present Ottawa Hydrau lic company. In or
der to make the power available, the company
We're involved III an outlay OF some Sl5i0o0
- $4,000 Z. once; and have cohtinued TO
incur cGGsiIetable expense annually, the
canal Trustees Declining u do much more
than keep the canal open dririit mitigation:
Some $4,000 were expended Il fe~ yerrs ago
by the company III dredging out the feeder
Having thus succeeded in getting; the
water power in an available condition, and
paying an nnual renal for it, the company
still found machinists distrustfu, and TO ere
a:e confidence, were compelled, at heavy
outlay, to erect the City Mills. and thus, by
persistent efforts, and the expenditure of
large sums of money, finally succeeded in
giving to the city an institution, which is a
credit and a source Of wealth to US.
Tne power thus made available is.locatei,
- the eH,en. Of perhaps 30 feet front, on
the main canal, nesr the aqueduct; at the
side. cut lock, 10 the extent OF u couple OF
mill sites and then on the hydraulic BASIN
| from It's south west ang to Fox rlvar-about
200 feet. As originally designed, power
cnought would be afforded for 40 or 80 run of
stone but on account of the indifference of
the canal trustees, probably less than halt
hat MI nnfl at nj liza, L a
crease the supply up to the original design
would involve heavy OUTLAWS, and these must
be incurred by the company-scinething
they will not be inclined to do while the III.
vestneut pays but a moderate profit, as ut
present.
We have alluded to this subject to correct;
| in the first place. i'll Justice to the present
company, the conimon impression, that the
control OF the water power at Ottawa was
! sought by them, that they incurred no ex-
| pensc, and that their profits are enormous !;
and secondly and mainly to call the attention
| of the pubic to the subject, and to invite a
like company, to the vast water power. still at
our doors in our rivers, which, with a similar
effort AS the one alluded to above inauguiated
10 years ago, might be brought into use, and
thus the business and wealth of our city vast.
! ly increased. If such an investment would
yield hall the profits supposed to be rea lied
bv the present company, it would be the
most profitable investment conceivable for
IL h.. oil
the power could be made available.