, 1866-02-13

II Is not euI 44dAIS Li4k tQG people nf
Southern Wisconsin and Northern illinois
should, with so much unanimity, regard thc
Improvement OF Rock River AZ the most FEAST
BILE means Of escape from the e1tortions ol
railroad monopolies. Nature seems to have
tDnds this stream on purpose for great ar
tery Of navigation and trade between tho
Mississippi and the lakes
The earliest surveyor Of the Government
domain On Its banks recognized it At once a.
"navfgab1e stream" from Its source to ita
mouth, and so marked 1t upon ita charts.
Twenty~seyen years ago the War Department
caused 1t to be surveyed with view to tho
improvement Of its navigation by Capt. T. ].
Cram, and the report and maps made BY him
are before..us, attestlng Its practicabl1ty. He
says the head Of "natural nayigation'' on
Rock Rlyer, IS the junction Of Doty's River
with " Winnebago Marsh," now called Hori-
con Lake, which is only about eighteen miles
from the southern shore Of Lake Wtnnebaso;
and Judging from observations on the ground,
unaided by the level between the head waters
Of Rock River and those which seek the
southern extremity Of the lake, 1t Is inferred
that canal might be opened 60 % TO draw
water from the lake as reservoir " into the
river" Subsequent observation seems to
confirm this 1dea, and there Is little doubt
that more than water enough could be
spared from that lake to serve the purpose oi
loekage, without 1mpalring the navigation oi
Fe1 River or It's water power.
Capt. Cram mentions but two points on the
river north Of the Illinois line, that would re-
qulre any considerable expense In Its Improve
nent, and these arc called Peck's and John
sou's rapids, at and above Watertown. where
five locks and dams with ten feet lift each
would be required; and Holmes rapids u
GAINESVILLE where a lock and dam Of eight
feet lift, he says, would be needed.
Tbs practical use Of these rapids may have
Il Sao,1 HnA nv.} rz$a aaAt-
mate, but we have now all the dams needed
for the proposed improvement, which we're
not then In existence. AL that Is now want
ed Is tho locks, for which there Is abundance
Of stone On the river easily and cheaply ac-
cesslble, and the dredging Of the channel as
several points. As Rock river Is remarkably
free from drifting sand, this once thoroughly
done would remain for years.
The distance from Lake Winnebago to the
Illinois Is III miles, and the fall of the river
/ Is about 100 feet. It has two patur1l exp8n
| sfons, Lakes Horizon aud Koshk onong, which
| protect 1t In q wonderful manner from sudder
| floods, while its numerous affluents all ffst
from lakes and marshes which give grea
steadiness to Its tlow Of water.
Captain Crnm also suggests that the Craw
fish is susceptible Of being made nayigable t
Beaver Dam Lake. the Catfish to the Madison
lakes, and the Pecatopica 50 miles In Hlin0l
and IL miles In Wisconsin. He also hllude
to the project Of the Milwaukee and Rocl
River Canal, which was designed to conncc
Milwaukee with Rock River nt Jefferson,
miles long. The difference Of level betwee
the summit aud Lake Michigan Is ;14 fcal
bel ween the summit and the river 1cA feel
and computed to cost little less than mi
lion Of dollars
These improvements are mentioned merel
as possibilities without having any uecessaT
connection with the improvement Of Roc
I = H. 1r4 to- H.
should be carefully estimated as the first ste
at this time to be taken.
The importance of this improvement to th
people Of this valley alone Is 10 immense tha
1t would require columns Of your paper
fully present them. Think of the benefit
us Of over two hundred milea OF cheap wate
navigation, from our State line to Green Bay
and water connection with the MississipT
| river On the South. It Is grand and insph
ing thought that this Is possible at q moderat
| expense, aud that the 1rst settlcra on th
| banks OF our beautiful river may live to see
great commerce passing and repassing on It
| waters, bearing the iron, the copper, the luu1
ber, aud the vast manufactures Of the North
| to meet the coal Of Illinois and lows, and til
sugar and cotton Of the South, while our ow1
agricultural and .mechanIcal products see
! the best markets in all directions, free frou
| the whitening effects Of railroad monopolies.
The saving to uS here In Rock county b.
this improvement might be computed b
hundreds OF Thousands Of dollars each yeaf
We buy twenty MILLIONS Of feet of lumbe
every year, and the railroad charges Us aYt
dollars per thousand feet, which could be float
| ed TO our doors at two dollars freight pei
thousand feet. There Is saving Of 3b5, 900 Ii
one item. Who can compute the value Of tht
reduction In the cost Of ouf fuel, when tht
coal Of Illinois aud the wood of our own 3tats
shall be transported to us at a comparatively
nominal cost, If this improvement is made
practical thing?
do not express the opinion that 1t is 40
but 1t Is possible, not to say probable, and II
bebooves rs to ascertain the facts without de-
so much needed IN the towns and country Of
the Rock River Valley.