The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1870-05-14
The water Power Business.

The river having fallen to so low a stage
snd the season in all other respects become SO
favorable for commencing operations on our
proposed water power improvement, the in
quiry became so general and pressing, whetli-
er anything was to be done in the matter this
season, that Mayor Jones concluded to call a
meeting Of some of our leading citizens for
consultation on the subject. That meeting
was held at the Mayors Office on Saturday
evening, and resulted in the appointment of a
committee to ''interview" Mr. Cushman, with
whom the city has entered into contract on
this subject. The committee thus appointed
waited on Mr.. Cushman on Monday morning,
and the substance of what was said at the in
terview was thus stated by the Mayor at the
Court House on Tuesday evening.
Mayor Jones said he was one of the committee
appointed on Saturday evening to wait ON Mr..
Cushman, and, in company with other members
of the committee, had met Mr.. G. on Monday
morning. OF course he could not undertake to
give the conversation that took place in detail,
which had occupied several hours, but this was
the substance:
We were informed by Mr.. Cushman that he
had just returned from the east, where he had
laid the plans for this water power improvement
before several heavy capitalists engaged in man.
ufacturing, who had viewed the matter with evil
dent favor, and he expected some of these gen.
tlemen here daily to examine the situation. He
| thought if such men from the east, who would
be willing to spend half million of dollars here
and build the work in the best manner possible,
could be induced to come and embark in the en-.
terprise, it would be better than to have it divi
ded among large number of men of small
means. Until his expectations in reference to
these capitalists were proved to be groundless, he
thought the time had not arrived to press the
matter too urgently. He also stated that his
connection with the railroad had prevented him
from giving that full attention to the matter
which ne otherwise would have done He could
give us no assurance from anything yet done
that the water power would or would not be
commenced this season. Mayor j. said he i'm
pressed upon him the fact that as we believed, it
was the opinion of people that this water power
should be commenced as soon as possible and inss-
tsdon commencing it the present year. He gave no
definite assurance that it would or would not be
done the present year. He desired to consum-
mate the proposition that he had made to these
eastern parties, the best policy for the city.
These are the facts of the conversation between
the parties. Mayor j. said in conclusion that it
was the desire of Mr.. Cush.nan, as we'll as his
own, to consult freely with the people of Ottawa
in relation to the matter, and in regard to the
best plan to accomplish the great object in view
in the shortest time.
We can add, that in other conversations
with Mr.. Cushman, now that this matter is
being ventilated, he certainly gave a more
hopeful view of the case than would be gath
cred from the above statement Mr.. c. does,
for instance, state distinctly, that there are
abundant men of moderate means, willing to
embark in this enterprise with him. and that,
if his hopes with reference to the large CAPT
talists alluded to above fail, he shall not hest
tate, rather than let the matter drop. to organ.
ize with parties of the former class, and push
the work to completion. His own interests
in Ottawa are too great to allow this matter
to drop, were he impeled by no other consid-
Grafton. 1t was the promotion of his individ-
ual local interests chiefly that had impelied
him to embark so largely IN the Fox River
Railroad, while these local interests were
much more heavily bound up with the water
power improvement. Our own impression
certainly, from all that has dropped from Mr.
Cushman within the week on the subject. is,
that he has no thought of abandoning the
work, though he is not yet prepared to name
the day or month when he will commence it.