Mineral Point weekly tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1859-1868, 1868-11-18

lie mas the fOllOWlng WOruS. page 0oO
+" The Improvement of the Fox and
Ouisconsing rivers, with canal to
connect them at or near their port
age, supplied by the most elevated
stream, would open communication
between Lake Michigan and the MISS
issippl, ,l5O miles from its mouth. p"
In the spring of 1864, i petitioned
Congress for the making Of reser-
voirs of lakes on and near the head Of
the Mississippi river, by damming
their outlets, and so provide suf-
ficient supply of water to afford a
medium stage for navigation through
the summer, in the Mississippi, as low
down as the Missouri or Ohio. In the
Senate the petition was referred to
the Committee on Commerce, and in
the House, to that on Roads and Ca
mails. Nothing further has been done
in Congress. I called the attention
of the Typographical Bureau to the
subject, giving them printed copy OF
my petition; also the attention of the
Secretary of War, Mr.. Stanton, re-
questIng a survey for short distance
for the purpose of utilizing Leech
Lake IN such system. The commu-
nicatlon | addressed to him he referred
to Gen. Humphrey, the head of the
Bureau. 20 learn whether the act OF
Congress for the survey Of the upper
Mississippi would extend so far, and
! whether the appropriation would COW
er such service.
The stage of water in the Mississip-
pi, at various points, is now telegraph
ed or published by The daily press
OF what incalculable value, in naviga-
tion and business pursuits, would 1t be
| to know in all the regions that the
depth of water on the bars below st.
Anthony was never less than four or
five feet, and above that point of still
greater depth. In my petition to
Congress, | averred that those lakes,
used as reservois for the Mississippi,
would be more valuable than the gold
mines of California. [ may remark,
such constant stage of water in the
Mississippi would benefit the whole
region sloping from the Rocky Noun
tains to the Mississippi river, and to
the freight business Of all railroads
running from those mountains to the
river.
Such a constant stage in the Mlssis-
sippi, furnished by the supply from
the Reservoir Lakes, would be Of like
inestimable value to the business Of
the Fox and Wisconsin route. approx
mating, as it would, in freight ton
mage of agricultural products to that
of the Erie Canal From the report
of the Auditor of the Canal Depart
ment, it appears that the Erie Canal,
down to 1866, had paid the cost of
original construction and "cnlarge-
ment," expenses and interest, and had,
over and above,a credit of Sal 100000
in the 40 years after It's completion ;
the ''canal debt of the State being
for cost Of the lateral canals What
the Erie Canal was in connecting the
great lakes with the Hudson, the Fox
and Wisconsin Improvement would
be IN connecting the great lakes with
the Mississippi.
In one of my letters, to Engineer
General Warren, | spoke of retain
ing, north of Portage City, a portion
Of the redundant waters of the Wis
consin, to supply, IN summer, the low
er Wisconsin, and as one source OF
supply to the Mississippi below the
falls of St. Anthony, as the river be-
low the Falls is so much wider than
above (where it would be full banks,
to give the proposed depth, four feet
below water, as the constant depth
through the summer.
General Warren had mentioned
that the millowners at St. Anthony
were considering the subject of in
creased supply of water against the
summer drouths. | mentioned in one
of my letters to him, the reservo oiring,
by company of Lowell, Of Lake Win
nipisseogee, in New Hampshire, a
sheet Of water of 81 square miles,
nearly 10000 acres, by lam of ten
feet at It's outlet, This affords in
summer two or three times the water
in Winnipisseogee river, on which are
mills before its junction with the Ner-
rimac, that it did before the dam was
made-and gentleman IN the Treas
ury, whose family reside on the Win
nipisseogee river, near its confluence
with the Merrimac, told me that pa
per mill near his house, on the former
river, in the great drouth of 1860,
which prevented most Of the paper
mills in New England from running,
was kept running constantly and
made 5000 day. The water from
the Wiunlpisseogee reservoir gives IN
creased power, especially IN summer,
to all the manufacturing towns on the
/ Merrimac.
The plan Of reservoir for the sup
ply of the Mississippi would not only
be of the most signal service to the
business of the Fox and Wisconsin
route, but, incidentally, to the mill
interests when severe summer drouths
are felt. At St. Anthony alone the
quantity of reserve water passing
would be not less than l,500, 600 Gu
bic feet per minute, equal to one
nty-eight of that going over Mag
ara Falls.
inclose printed copy of my pc
tition to Congress.
Your obedient servant,
A. PESFIELD.
4 communication was also read
from Edwin f Johnson, Esq, Chiei