, 1866-03-13
CANAL FROM La SALE TO ROCK
ISLAND.
Report Of Capt. James n, Allan.

| 70 the Honorable Board Of Ttade of ChIearn:
The undersigned most respectfully present
| to your honorable body, thAt On the t6th dav
| OF January last the farmers OF Henry eountT.
| together With delegations from Scott county,
lows, Roek Island, Bureau, Whiteside, Il
salle aud Cook Gouqtles, assembled in Gene
| SEQ to consider the important and absorbtpg
question Of new and cheaper means OF traus.
| portation. and to devise ways and means
| whereby the farmers could obtain somefhint
| Ike an adequate price for the products ot The
! ii said Geneseo Convention n conntttaa
| vas appointed, consisting Of eighteen indI.
| Tfduals representing all the counties In Con.
! ventacD, who were presumed to uu5t{Atana
fully the wants Of the farming community.
and to be IN sympathy with this Indispensable,
class class Of on1 is!'ow eitizens, te proeufe funds,
Lasalle to Rock Island, and to take such
other preliminary steps toward the construc.
ton OF said canal as they In their Judgment
deemed ADVISABLE.
Said committee had meeting at Davenport
on the trst aay Of March, Inst, and among
Others adopted the following resolution,
:" On motion Of Capt, 7. G. Robinson, of Rock
ltland. special committee, consst,ne Of Messss.
Allan, steseuS and psE,es, was appointed 70 me-
tnT IN appropriation towards completing The Inal
surrey. and also to audeayur 10 secure Funds for
ms esIsst 0n any interested parties rot heFe
The undersigned, upon whom Is laid the
burden Of preparing and presenting said me-
mortal to your honorable body, finds himself
In. rather embarrassing circumstances, and
would decline tho task but for the hact that
he is an old farmer, having. deeply at heart
the interests and highest prosperity Of those
who cultivate the. soil, and another fact truly
pleasing and We trust profitable, that "thls
Board Of Trade y IN IN eminent degree r.
preventative Of the producing interests of the
Northwest, md may pTppesly be expected to
'sympathize with those interests In any ques-
tlon pertaining to theis welfare."
Sustaining such intimate and endeasiug r.
latious We are cmboldened to proceed by
stating that the farmers aud nll other classes
/: Of our fellow citizens In this western country
arc at present greatly embarrassed for the
want Of cheaper facilities for transportation,
and arr well satisfied that the sltnation will
gre properly Improved and the Illinois aud
Michigan Canal Is extended from It's present
terminus at Lasalle to the Mississippi River
at Rock Island,
1t tie Geneseo Convention, Jan. 18th, it was
resolved among other things" that We fhvor
the improvement Of the hike route by the st.
Lawrence to the Ocean, the improvement Of
the rapids on the Mississippi River, and Of
connecting the said river aud Lake 3IichIsan
by 4 ship CANAL,
The committee before mentioned having It's
origin In the Geneseo Convention of the 10th
Of January. very soon thereafter appointed
subcommittee to superintena personally the
preliminary survey Of route or routes for
feeders to said canal. That committee has
discharged this duty and reported on the LIST
inst. that feeders may be taken either from,
Green River or Rock River, or from both,
ndthat the route for such feeders Is very
good one; that there Is no difficulty 1n get
8inff an abundant E7lnY1fp nf FyAfef>. that f3Ia
route for the canal between LaSa1le and
Rock Island Is for the most part leyel and
very good for constructing said work that
the summit, three and a half miles north Of
Sheffield, Is not neasly SO formidable as 1t up
ture has made q canal through this summit
twenty to thirty feet deep, and that 1t may
probably be reduced as much more, thus set
tllug the question Of teasibleness In our prop
ositton to build said canal. Tbs 9uestios now
is money to make q full and complete survey
canal, and how, and by whom shall the? work
Of constructing this canal be done,
These are questions, gentlemen Of the
Board Of Trade Of the city Of Chicago, that
come home to our farmers With deep Interest.
The.hope Of success In this enterprise in some
measure dispels tho gloom OF the present
hour, adds nerve tl3 effort for the future. 10
sO Sn5 spseSsg1tyea .t,sn b a. eminent # DE-
-apd In moral Influence, which is abundant IN
: body Of men comprisiug such members and
inteIi: :rnce. Gentlemen OF the Board OF
Trade, you are n1t ;t :cnlv "tn m eminent de.
gree representatives Of farmers" but atsu J.. u
the great city Of Chfcago-the pride and
boast Of every Ininoian.
~, Our State has great Interest In Chicago.
The North west has contributed Iayiahly TO
her glory and wealth. W1ll she aid in money
and otherwise, the construction Of this caual2
viii sle stretch out her mighty arm and aay
this work shall be done? What Improvement
would contribute 80 much to advance The IN
teEests Of Chicago? While ne ask that you.
gentlemen, onr representatives, look sharply
to the Interest Of your constituents, permit us
to say that Ia OUT opinion, every dollAr you
spend IN extending the Illinois aud Michigan
Canal 10 the Mississippi River at Rock island,
Will return with one hundred per cent. interest.
One look at the map and a faE moments in
estimating the advantages Of extending the
canaI to the Mississippi at Rock Island, VIII
prove conclusiyely that 1t is absolutely essen
tia1 TO tho cont1nuea growth and prosperity
Of Chicago.
The State, too, aside from It's pride in the
growth, and grandeur OF Chicago, has direct
interest In this Improvement. The extension
Of the canal to the 31lsslssippl at Rock Island.
would double the business Of the canal at
caAt1psobably In two Years 1t would be
fouF times Us much as 1t will be without such
extension.
The Cnited States Government will soon
hare qnite m interest in this direction Re
cent plans contemplate tho expenditure of
millions Of mbhey on Rock Island by the
Government, which vii! be Interested In this
question Of cheap transportation.
With all these fnteresta demanding this I'M
proyanent It seems to us that the great want
Of the producers Of thk Northwest will be
satisfied, If their representatives In Chicago
will but see If 1t shall be done. Your constft-
ueDts are veil aware Of these facts. There
fore, In their behalf, We shall continue to pc
tition your assistance until the Illinois and
Michigan canal has It's Termination At Rock
Island.
Inm, gentlemen Of tf,c Board,
Your humble servant,
JAS. II. ALLAN.