Mower County transcript. [volume] (Lansing, Minn.) 1868-1915, 1869-09-30
Increasing the Water OF tho Upper Mis-
SiSSiDNi.

The Cleveland Herald says that MIR. |
Alanson I'enfield, formerly of that city, but
for some years past resident OF Washing |
ton city, has long been studying tho prob
lem how to got moro water in the Upper
Mississippi. He has addressed Congress
and western commercial conventions of
1863 and 1869, presenting copious figures
to show that it ispracticable. ':By CONSUL
tntiona Mt various times with Col. Whittle-
~, who Inns visited moet of the lakes in
which the Mississippi las its sources, We
visionary nor expensive When Nicolet
was in that region in 1885, he wrote over
it on his maps IA country of rocks and
water It is remarkable that tho highest
springs Of the great river are only about
sixteen hundred feet above the ocean.
Around these headwaters is fiat country
of swamps, lakes and low sandy ridges,
large enough for state, but nearly worth
less for any purpose of settlement
''If it was all submerged by artificial
means, no agricultural loss would follow;
and there would he more wild rice. moro
fish, moro beavers and moro muskrats;
the only product of which the region is
capable On the ridges arc limited tracts
Of pine, that could be easily saved. If We
look Mt tho latest map of Minnesota, we
shall see about half Of tho great swamp re-
,gies. 'rna~r vvator.* Erom the sHmmit.
swamps and lakes, the water frequently
flows northerly into the waters of Rainy
Lake River, and Red River of the North,
which discharge into Hudson's Bay.
according to Colonel Whittlesy's levels,
q dam of fifteen feet in height, ut the
mouth of Lake Winnobegoshish, would
make one pond of this lake and Cass, or
I'D 4 ~ r
tract twice their size. On this branch of
stream Mt low water is about equal to
eighty feet breadth, and two feet depth,
with slow current A cut of twenty
feet at the deepest point would
turn the water of this pond
northward into tho grand fork of
Rainy Lake River. About twenty miles
below Lake Winnebegoshiah, on direct
line, the outlet of Leech Lake comes in
from the west. This lake is about equal in
area to both of those just mentioned, and
the discharge of water is greater. It is
surrounded by swamps and lakes like tho
others. Probably rise often feetwould
double its surface extent. The cross sec.
ton below the junction of these two main
branches is about 132tfaet ii breadth and d
depth of four feet, with a sluggish current.
Tho discharge from these main branches ia
remarkably regular: Below this junction
there are no large tributaries for q distance
of 400 miles by river, to the mouth of Crow
Wing River. But along here the river is
very crooked, the distance in direct line
will not much exceed 100 miles. At Poke
gema, 20 miles below the junction, ID d fall
Of ten and q half feet and below Sandy
Lake some low rapids. The nsdt fall is
below the Grow Wing River, betweenwhioh
and the Falls of.S Anthony ara several,
junction It ia easy To- create 'navi-
cation at iii stages Of the river for
small steamers, by means of the reservoirs
referred to-, and a very few locks On all
tho upper tributaries arc numerous lakes
and swamps of less size than those A.
ready spoken OF; but similarly situated for
reservoirs. The time is coming when tho
territory beyond the heads of the Missis-
sippi, on the waters of the Red River Of
tho North and of the Saskatchewan, will he
our principal reliance for wheat. 1t would
be we'll to look forward to a water comm,,-
nication with that region. This has been
ono of Mr.. PonGeld's studies. Lake VIM
nepeg is ~ large ~ Lake Erie, and is con-
nocted with Winnepegoos. about half as
large; both Of which are now in British
territory. The Saskatchewan, which is AZ
large M the Ohio, heads in the Rocky
Mountains, and runs casterly into these
large navigable inland waters.
''The Red River Of the North can easily
he made navigable, like the Mississippi
above Grow Wing. It rises in tho United
States near the st. Peters and runs north
region an abundant supply of water can be
hnI T[NeN oVc nx 0otS ~,
the wheat country on tho banks Of Rod
River, Lake Winnepeg and tho SaslSatcha-
wan; which is larger than tho present
wheat raising portion Of tho United St,,tes.
We hope the government will order sur
vey of this country, having all these objects
in view. It is manifest destiny that tho
United States will ore long, in some way,
have possession Of tho valley of Lake Vim
nopeg and its tributaries. It ia beyond the
scope Of Canadian occupation, but ratnr-
ally within our own. The climate is better
than That of Now England, and tho soil
equal to that of Minnesota. In our pos
session it would Immediately become pop
ulous and productive.
EVERY YEAR great number of rich Rus
sian families visit tho German watcring-
places, md many of them become ruined
III INC D;lnKS. N soOntn German paper an
nounces that tho Russian government is
now corresponding with tho German gov
ernments to which tho various gambling
hells belong, referring TO tho sad conso.
qronces of these institutions, and asking
them, in the interest of morality and
humanity, to do away with the system
altogether; otherwise tho Russian govern
ment will see itself compelled to hoighton
the tlif1icnltieY in tho WnV Of ftr0ntint, ner-
mission to travel, and to forbid its subjocts
to reside i'll those provinces and countries
where gambling banks exist.
ANOTHER important advantage Frank
Miller's Oils havo over most of the
heavy, exclusive animal Oils is, they will not
CONCEAL in ordinary cold weather. We
heard n farmer say, tho othor day, thai lato
in tho fill it WAS almost impossible to 90
most Of the Oils to run enough to get it on
tho bearings of his tllrashing machine
without building q fro to warm it, I'm.