Daily Davenport Democrat. [volume] (Davenport, Iowa) 1864-1874, 1868-04-24

The Prospective Manufacturlng
Interests OF Daveapors...
Development Of Wa.
ter Power.
Time and again during the past ten , ears
has the project Of turning the vast water
privileges Of the Nississippi, u this psist,
to some practical sceount bssn started, and
q often abandoned. Shrswd business men
see in il the source Of great wealth and the
element whereby Davenport could b made
the great manufacturing center Of the
Northwest. We are glad to sss that the
matter 10 again being talked up, and this
time, With very 6attsrios prospssts Of sue
cess. We hardly dare attsaps On estimate
Of the vast importance Of this enterprise -
Mr.. John W. Erwin and J. C. Skinner, two
old and: sxperiencsd civil ssginesrs from
Hamilton. Ohis, are new 10 the city, look
ing int the matter. and will, probably, ~
this timei,nske preliminary survey. Mr..
B. B. Woodward, W. b. Barnes, and W.
II. Hslmes, Of this city. are somewhat in
tsrested in ths project, and are a6ording
them all the assistance in their power. Mr..
Erwin and Mr.. Skinner have carried
through several enterprises Of this kind,
and feel confident that there is q splendid
chance here. At Hamilton, Ohio, they cen
structed one Of the best and most extensive
water powers in the West, and large man.
ufacsuring business 10 the result. At Elk
hart, Ind, on the st. Joseph River, they re-
Gently completed another, and the same re-
suit is anticipated there. That more can
be done here 10 not matter Of the least
doubt. Previous Investigation has dsmen-
stratsd the feasibility Of the project. and Il
only remains for 10 to put il in operation.
They had expected to make use Of the
field notes Of the old surveys, but find that
they will be unable to do 80, as those made
by the Government pertain only to the
channel Of the river. aud to . ship canal
from point above the rapids, and these oi
all other surveys are not to be had. They
will therefore make their own invsstigs
tions. OF course the project Is ct present
but imperfectly developed in detail. 1t 10
however thought that . canal forty feet
wide can be constructed from Sycamore
Creek, or - the place ID better known,
from Sycamore Chain, about eleven miles
up the river. II can be run along the
bank, varying within . distance Of two
hundred rods from tho river, and
the water discharged a. some point
just above the Russell property.
With fall Of about two feet in the current,
the lay Of the land is such a. to give head
and fall OF eleven feet, which will give Q
power sufficient to run from ATTY to sixty
run Of stone. Ifthe canal should be wider
Of course, this power would be proportion
ally increased. From close estimates the
whole thing will cost about 100000. To
raise this amount . stock company will
have to be formed. In . matter Of such
waste importance this can very easily BE-
done, Is no farmer in the county will hssi-
tate, where they are to be the ones directly
benefited. Taking the whole county 40 .
basis, and allowing one share for every
80 acres, would give $345,OO0, which is
more than enough for the work. Every far
mer in the county with 80 acres Of land can
we'll afford to take one or more shares. But
it 10 useless, at this tims,to enlarge upon the
advantages of this enterprise. - oil will
admit, that any thing that will make Da.
venport manufacturing city, will make il
the leading city of the State, and Of the
Northwest. We trust that those having
the matter in hand will make il practical,
~ il 10 now q theoretical success. The nat
ural advantages are in their favor, and they
will be heartily seconded in their efforts BY
the farmers and bushes men Of county.
"The day is cold, and dark, and dreary,
1t rains, and the wind is never weary"
These cheerful words can be applied
without fear Of successful contradiction IA
this beautiful spring-time day, inasmuch ..
We are enjoying chilly rain that would bs
. credit to the bleak days Of November =
However, We think it possible that thu
weather may moderate, in the course o.
two or three weeks, sufficiently to lay asid,
over-coats and furs. Rainy days sppsar te
como sometimes purpossly to try the pa
thence and fortitude of young gentlemen and
young ladies, especially when they have {
pleasure party in view. On such occasion,
the "mauly" element Of the party are very
emphatic in their denunciatiops Of th,
weather; the ladies do not swear, but sav
agsly say, ut is too bad" Don't some o
them, m,say this nicely thought II there ii
any thing We do like il is to see = spunky
girl whom the rain prevents her fron, goinl
to party. The way they make thing
"get" makes us bless our stars that ws ar,
not married. Just say word, atsemi. I,
reason, or console them. and they vii
snatch you bald-hsadsd in less than tW,
minutes. Fun, Of course il is. As for tn,
rain " like il. 1t keeps people from loaf
ing on the streets, aud lays the dust about
town. which has been blowing arsund il
spite Of weeping eyes and sprinklsss With ,
perfect loossnsss for the past few days
sitting into our eyss-drifting evsrywhsr
to the Annoyance Of everybody.
A SAD AccIDsN.-We are panied to "a
nosncs The death Of . little sen q Dr.. ]. ]
Tomson, . very interesting child, ss.'s'
years Of age. On last Saturday while pla. '
ing. he accidentally got large sized bear
into his right lung, and was Immediately At
tackled By severe pains through his lung
and throat. He suffered intensely, ani
though II was mot thought possible for hin
to live 90 long, be fingered until this morn
ing ct Q o'clock, when death same 70 biz n
lease. A post mortsm examination shove,
that the bean hadolodssd In The right Brou
chus, and that Il had created intense infla
nation, thereby causing . severe sssess
tien Of the right lung. Fslss nsmbrsa
had formed in tho cir passage, and Of cous
when thus filled up, death epsued.