The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1870-03-05
:farm-@arnen-Rouseholn.
The Shin Canal.

culture, must trouble you, for you know when
you get an old hnt.lock gun loaded it is not safe
to let it lie on hand long amongst tho children.
have indicated to you that thought it was
the first duty Of the State to construct the ship
canal. Now, Why? The Illinois Central Rail-
road crosses the Illinois river at La Sale and the
c., B. d q. X. r. at Mendoza, and employs the
O., B. & Q. r. r. to transport their freight from
Mendoza to Chicago. The c., B. g. @. R. R. has
double track from Mendoza to Chicago, and
they do now convey freight for the Ill. G. r. r.
from a large portion of the north part Of that
road to Chicago, ria Mendoza. Ottawa is situa.
ted at the junction Of the Fox and Illinois riy.
srs, and the Fox River Valley Railroad crosses
the Chicago, Rock Island & Pacific Railroad and
the Illines river at that place; and, as the i'm.
menss water power is chiefly at that place and
up those rivers, manufactured articles will event.
ually center at Ottawa for a wholesale market
Joliet, in Will county, besides all its othe. ad.
vantages OF water and railroad communication.
has what is termed the Cutoff Railroad, con.
Meeting Joliet with the eastern railroads az Lake
Michigan, and the distance from Joliet to eastern
markets for freight is about the same "a from
Chicago, which shortens the distance. For pas.
sengers or freight the Chicago, Rock Island &
facihc Railroad, and all south of that road, in
going east or west, is about sixty miles
nearer than the old way by Chicago. And there
Is from Joliet to La Sale, inclusive, the most
abundant materials for building, in fact 70.
mechanical, chemical and agricultural purposes,
such as fossil coal, limestone, sandstone, CLAW
sand, timber, and various others, some of which
arc now manufactured into glass, drain tile,
pottery, brick, lime, cement, &C.
Mr.. Erastus n. Bates, State Treasurer of Hi.
nois, in his report for 1869, said: I'm July 1861
the bonded debt of the State was 81 ,327 1865 &c."
And again, THE amount of principal Of the debt
paid freu, December 1. 1869, was 1868, 457. So
This amount was paid from the State Debt and
Illineis Central Railroad Funds. and bv the
Trustees OF the Illinois and Michigan Canal
from the receipts OF the canal" And further.
1t Is estimated that the two-mill tax for 1869,
collected in 1870, will yield $95O,0OO and that
the amount to be received from the Illinois Cen.
trail Railroad Company previous to 1871 will be
about 100000. which, added TO the State Debt
Fund and the Illinois Central Railroad Fund
now on hand, will nearly equal the amount of
the debt which natures Jsnuary'1, 1871, not
taking into account the premium on gold. One
more levy of the two-mill tax is all that will be
required But he also said "Of the remain.
ing debt 50, l49,c33.4l natures in 1870. (which,
when paid, will leave debt of lees than
$2,OOO,00O." And further nsinuates that the
State government has been quite expensive.
1t Is apparent that if the ship canal was con-
structed, and II the Illinois Central Railroad
Company could discharge their freight at La
Sale with the same advantages OF Chicago. or
better on account Of puthern trade, that it
would save that company paying other railroads
treishtagc t" Chicago, and you'd receive pay
rom other railroads for freight, thereby increas.
ing the revenue of the1Se from that railroad.
II would be moderate calculation to ascribs il
at one.half, which would be *350000 And if
We calculate the increase OF the income of the
Illinois and Michigan canal the same, it will
amount to 100000. This added to $500, As. SO,
the amount paid in 1869 from the State Debt
and Illinois Central Railroad Eyni, and by the
Trustees OF the Illinois and michigan Canal, a
regular annual income of the State, it would
amount to Sl,56345,s9. Now il We could pay
debt of Sl2,327, 1866 in ten years, with the
addition of $3.50, 0oo annually, the difference be.
twixt the amoant of the two!mill tax and the
100000, which Is to be created by building the
ship canal, could pay $lOOOO,0OOpie estimated
cost of the canal, in ten years from its compile
ton, without taxing the people one cent, and
leave that amount as apermanent income. Also
it will create stock market at La Sale, and at
Joliet, that will compete respectfully with the
Chicago market, and thereby not only benefit
Illinois, but all the states that center there And
It Will do more to reduce and regulate the
freight on the various railroads than all the laws
that can be passed in this State
On the reverse, If We do not build the canal.
but suffer the Constitutional Convention of Hi.
nois, now in session at Springfield, to involve
our State in its constitution or Fundamental lo,c
for the establishment and maintenance of state
University of the highest and grandest order in
Chicago and, according to the Prairie Farmer,
'it will cost millions of money to set such state
institution as is proposed in working order. 1t
will cost more millions to perpctuate it and i'm
prove it," and draw the Industrial University
and other universities into it's vortex and, "tor
beginning and permanent support, it is sug.
gested that certain per cent. Of the revenues
derived from the Central Railroad shall be devo-
ted to its support and m maintenance And IL ~