Brownlow's Knoxville Whig. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1866-1869, 1868-11-25
An important Project.

Some Of The Northwestern etates are already Eery
actively and extensively engaged in msnufscturS
Of wooden goods, agricultural tools and machinery
furniture stug and wagon sBd carriage staff in The
roueh, ard wide range 81 things made Of wood
The white cedar Of their dense cedar swsmps il
worked up into hundreds II thousands Of tabs pais
buckets and the ike. Keepers and mower horse
rakos threshing machine, oorn-sbellers aud corn
planters are turned out from shops and factories IN
the Northwest, beyond all count. In short TIE
manufactured product Of Wisconsin sione already
rises 10 tbo yearly value OF millions OF doliAr ana
this production is increasing Of most astonishing
rata In very few years sbe win rank a. one Of
the leading manufacturing States OF the Union.
Nov, with such State-so active 80 energetic
20 eDterprising, 60 rich in resources intelligence
and skiiI-Tennessee may With great profit estab-
lisb an intimate commerce We are therefore d.
re,,ly AZ Tennesseeans inteseiea in every plan for
cbsspeninr transportation between them and our
selves. and deeply nterestei too And a most inn
portant project is now up, for this very purpose.
To understand Il, we beg the reader before going
further 10 take down a map-his childs school atlas
VIII do very well-and find The State OF Wisconsin.
Look al Lake Michigan on the east, and The Mis-
sIssippI river on the wesA In The Northeastern
Part Of the State observe Green Bay that long mar
row arm Of the great mAiE lake, projecting $50
miles into the country. See that great stream, the
Fox River entering the head south end OF the
bav let your eye and your pencil trace Up this river
into the fine sheet Of water-35 miles long and or
miles broad called Winnebago Lake This
sheet Of water lying in region Of great beauty and
richness, has an elevation Of 10 feet above the
leyol Of Lake Michigan. And is thus the end
Far from IT, two rivers, both large, pour their uni
,ed waters into this ne reservoir. They are the
Wolf and the Upper For. The Wolf comes out
from among The woods and waters Of The great
no,.bern wilderness But The FOX comes winding
in from the southwark, from a region Of prairies,
smiling yearly with many broad mile Of wheat
solds. Now notice sgain; 10 coming up the Fox,
wa have AZ last in the very depths Of The interior,
reached spot where we are close 20 another river,
the largest Of all have yet seen This is the
Wisconsin, flowing with quick current froIa the
North towards the Southwest. The distance apart
nj the narrowest il about nile; and often, in
foods the two mingle their overflow, that it was
quite common for the Indians 10 paddle their
with ease across from the one TO the other. And
where does this Wisconsin go Into the Missis-
,ippi and once in that stream, we are anywhere
and everywhere we please
The narrow point Of separation between Che Fox
and the Wisconsin, was from the remotest times
grand portage, or carrying place The United States
early occupied II with military post called Fort
Winuebago and the lourishing town Of Portage
city has grown up there
Now let US go back to The town Of Green Bay, at
tl,o ba. ,F f1o
cay at the lesser features Of this remarkable line of
bay, lake and river. Stretch a thread tight and
straight from the head Of the bay at The mouth of
the Fox, 20 point on tbs Wisconsin, good way |
below Portage city-the point where il makes
rank bend 10 the west. You viii instantly notice
how close the strained thread ples all the way, to
the water channels we have been describing. This
water route them from tho great lakes 70 the Father
Of Waters, is a very direct and short one.
aBui,n " may ask, 'fs this route good for any
thing il be used by anything bigger and better
than the Ineians canoe or the traders batteau27
Listen The Wisconsin carries moro water 30 the |
Mississippi than the Holston aud the French Broad
together contribute towards making the Tennessee
aad the Lower Fox is not much less In short |
there is throughout the whole distance, plenty Of
water at all IessOns Of the year fer the passage Of
steamers drawing four feet of water
Quite number Of years ago, company was
chartered FOR improving these rivers by means of
dams and locks, and by dredging, so as to make
steamboat navigation. But, like many such corpo-
raous ibis ono accepted the franchises, Including
generous grant Of public lands bat broke the
trust The works they made were not what they
ought to have been, and the real benefit TO the peo-
pie who gave them their liberal charter, has conse-
quently fallen great way short of what was PROM
ised and Of what was due. The time has come,
however, when this State Of things can no longer
be endured; and the STATS Of Wisconsin, Mime |
sofa Iowa and Missouri are moving with vigor, |
and with resolute determination that their in
terests in this important matter shall no longer be
at the mercy Of a nest Of spectators. Their minds
are made up on having hrst-elasf steambcatcanal |
from Green Bay 70 the Mississippi. Careful sur
veys by skilled engineers have shown that not only
can such canal and slack water navigation be
made but that it can be made at a remarkably /
small outlay A convention has just been held at |
Prairie du Chen TO take tho necessary steps for put
ting the subject properly before Congress al its COM
sing session. for the purpose Of getting national aid
for this truly national undertaking. Audit l. ma
tionh in ls magnitude as well as In lie wide reach
ing effects. Il Isl thing that win help all business
on every navigable stream that connects with the
Mississippi. For this reason confidently expect
that the whole Tennessee delegation in Congress
will vote for such appropriations for the Fox and
Wisconsin Rivers Improvement, as are called for
IN the report and estimates Of General Warren, the
United States engineer officer charged with the sur
Veys The Northwestern members went almost, if
not quite, unanimously for the late appropriations
Tor improving the navigation Of our Tennessee
hiVer. Tennesseans can do go less than render the
same justice in return.