, 1870-09-10
4 Cunni ACross 71Echlgnn.

II TIE Editor of 1ne Chicago 1tibznx:
During tho Preside ntial campaign Of 1860,
it waa my pleasure to &ear speech By the
Hon. ". B. Ogden on the widening and Deep
ening Of the Illinois and Michigan Canal, set
ting forth the great advantages aeruing to
Chicago By its successful accomplishment, in
opening 3 highway to the Mississippi River
and tho Gulf OF Mexico, enabling Steamers to
load at New Orleans, and deposit their car
goes At this point, without transfer Or other
xsexatious hina,anees At Cairo and St. Louis.
approval Of the people Of the whole North
west, and numerous meetings were held en-
dorstpg it, the principal ono being tho f1mous
Canal Convention" in this city, under the
auspices Of the Hon. I. n. Arnold, our Repre-
sentative in Congress At that time.
sirpi River Railroad has been completed to
Duluth, which, in connection with tho North
efu Pacific Railroad, bids fAi- to deprive us OF
the Mnneeota grain trade, unless We can de-
nee eome measure to thvart their plans- 1t
il uselees to deny that, ~ the case now
ChlcAgo In securing and holding this trado,
by baying = shorter railroad route and = mora
direct water communication with the Eastern
:na1kets. Even when grain is received At
Chicago, in order TO compete with our neigh
bors We are either obliged to submit to
miles out Of direct line, ria Hsckinaw, to
reach the East and the saInb may be said OF
every other article Of traffic.
Now. the question is, How csn this be
avoided and the advantage gained IN our
favora Looking ever the map OF Michigan,
we find two small ntreauae-the Kalamazoo
and Kaisin Rivers, with their sources, near the
centre OF the State; one emptying into Lake
Michigan opposite kenoshs, Wis, and the
other into Lake Erie, near Monroe, Mleh.
t@tn NJ HF,a1 Ia
tails, it appears that, By digging. the necessary
cut-ons for Strengthening, and By uniting,
widening, and deepening these etreame,
making them xs one, with the same depth and
width as The Chicago River 1t its mouth, 4
tree highway can be opened to the East,
and enable us to secure and hold the trade Of
the Northwest for all ages to come. Sons
will aay this il wild and impossible; that
there is no advantage to be gained by such \
large expenditure for constructing this
toute,-a distance OF only two hundred miles
than the Pacific Railroad and the Suez Canal !;
and is it any the lees NECESSARY? Let us con-
alder few OF the advantages gained 1t will
open navigation with the EAst si1 weeks ear
fiez than It present give the Northwest .
shorter water route OF sevon hundred miles to
the Eastern market open mp moro direct
communication with some Of the tai1est pos-
tionB Of Michigan secure the trade OF Nli-
nois. Wisconsin, Minnesota, Iowa. snd the
Western Territories to Chicago aud Milwaukee
forever and the savings On storage, dockzge
| and extra running expenses Of vessels nov Ia
CURED, during score Of years, will uoro thar
| pav the coet Of this Improvement.
besides, By enla1ging the Erie, and Illinois
| and Michigan Canals, it can be uaxde Nation
| al measure. which will ensble the Govern
ment, in time Of war, to send its gunbosts
through the interior, and bid defiance to any
| hostile power.
| me Board Of Trade, the Lumbermen's Ex
change, our Congressman, and the prouinen
| capitalists Of the city, are requested to givt
| this = favorable consideration, and or1ginas.
| measures to bring it to a successful compile
| inn E. F. r.