The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1869-10-22
Tie Project 10 Connect the Mississippi
with the Great Lakes.
Tho Convention at Portage City.
PORTAGE CRY, Wis, October %,

VA SStSSGA ASt
The call for a rlvCr Improvement
Convention at Portage City, October
Goth, was responded 10 by All attend.
anCe OF delegates from most Of the
counties OF central Wisconsin. by Gov,
Merrill and delegates from Iowa, and
by Gov. Marshall and associates from
Minnesota, with others from other dis.
trlcts In and out Of the State, number
Ing together about 600 delegates. The
Convention was permanently organized
by the appointment OF Gov. Merrill, OF
Iowa, as permanent President; Gov.
Marshall Of Minnesota, Gov. FaIrChIld
Of Wisconsin, and others Vice Presl.
dents, with several Secretaries.
The proceedings were characterized
by considerable enthusiasm, and the
Convention Is considered, In the ability
OF Its members, one Of the most able
that ever assembled tor any similar
purpose in the west, The citizens OF
Portage City prepared for and enter
tained the delegates with credltable lib.
erRllty, and the Convention, after dis
posing OF Its business satisfactorily, Ad.
journed subject to the call Of lts officers.
The following are the most important
OF the resolutions adopted:
Resolved, That water route by which
the steamboats, of the Mississippi river
can run 10 the harbors and unload Into
the vessels OF the great lakes Is a pub.
lie necessity.
ReSOlUed, That as II has been shown
by the government surveys that Buoh
route can be made through the Fox
and Wisconsin rivers; the original
policy Of our Government to make
thempubllc highways, should becarrIed
out. II substantially pledged itself TO
do this when 1t kept the control OF the
streams by the act which admitted
Wisconsin as State into the Union.
RCSoLUed, That as late surveys made
by the General Government show that
the cost OF uniting the MisslssIppl river
with the great lakes by q steamboat
channel will not greatly exceed four
millions Of dollars, which is not as
much as the saving such route would
make In each year In the carrying
trade OF the Northwest, 1t would be
great injustice and gross wrong TO put
of this great work.
ReS0tUedt That as the Erie Canal
with its constructed channel, Its nu.
mer0us and small locks, the allow
movements Of Its boats with horsep pow
er, which cannot exceed thIrty-six
miles In twenty-four hours, has with
these great drawbacks kept down
freight charges. 1t is therefore clear
that u river route with few large
locks, which can be navIgated by steam.
boats moving one hundred and fifty
miles In twenty-four hours, would
protect the Northwestern States from
immeasurable charges or dangerous
combinations.
ReSotved, That the great and growing
commerce OF the Erie Canal in the face
OF the greatest competition in our coun.
try, shows that water routes are de-
manded, and without them the values
OF many coarse productions are lost, as
they cannot be carried to market 9TH
wise; railroads by giving activity to
the business OF the country, by filling
1t with population, hsve made water
routes necessary to meet the varied
commercial wants OF a great and pros
porous community.
ReSotaed, That the want of the North.
west Is cheap transportation; that this
can only be secured by a water route,
which all have right to use with their
own vessels upon equal terms; thus
giving the public the benefits oi free
competition.
CHICAGO, October q.
The Fox and Wisconsin River Con-
ventlon, after disposing Of It's business
satisfactorily. adjourned, subject TO the
call OF lis officers.