Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1870-08-09
Congressional The Wisconsin River
Improvement.


In the present congressional con-
test great and vital principles and
rules for party and locality action
are to be settled in the choice of a
congressman to succeed Gen. Cobb.
First aud foremost of local matters
is The improvement of the Wisconsin
river. No subject has ever been ag-
itated that so intimately and forcibly
concerns each individual in this
county as the project Of building a
canal from the mouth of the Wis
consin river to Portage to intersect
with the Fox river canal improves
ment already built and in operation
to Lake Michigan at Green Bay
If this great work is once built and
completed, free and permanent com
munication by water for vessels and
boats will be opened from the Mis-
sippi to Lake Michigan. Such a
water highway would be to Wiscon-
sin what the Erie canal has been to
the State OF New York, and should
the project be successfully carried
out future generations will say as
has been worthily said of the great
Dewitt Clinton and his fellow work
ers for that Improvement "God bless
the men who projected and pushed
to successful completion the great
Wisconsin river Improvement"
The line and route has been sur
veyed and examined by competent
government engineers and found
feasible and practicable. The project
is Of so much Importance in the esti-
nation of the general government
that at the last session of Congress
the government and congress adopt
ed it as one Of the great national
works to be constructed, and appro-
priated tho sum of one hundred
thousand dollars to commence oper-
ations. From year to year additional
appropriations will be required to
continue and complete it, and it is
important that the people along the
line of the Wisconsin river relax
rot their efforts in order that the
great work may be carried forward
to successful completion.
To illustrate how valuable and
important this improvement will be
when finished to our farmers in Lam
caster, Fennimore and Bloomington
and other points alike of the county,
let us instance for moment: The
wheat and other grain raised in these
parts go to the Milwaukee railroad
and thence to either Milwaukee or
Chicago. A farmer living at Ian.
caster or Fennimore hauls load of
wheat to Boscobel. Wheat is worth
dollar bushel in Milwaukee OF
Chicago. 1t costs now twenty cents
bushel freight on wheat to either
of these points. The wheat buyer
at Boscobel pays the chicago price
say one dollar per bushel-less the
freight and his margin, or about
twenty cents so that the farmer
would receive only about eighty
cents for his wheat at Boscobel.-
Now with the river improvement
as proposed grain can be sent
to the lakes by water-from Bos-
cobel to Green Bay-at cost of
only five cents bushel, and wheat
will bring n higher price at Green
Bay than at Milwaukee or Chicago,
because that point is several hundred
miles nearer New York by water
communication than either of the
latter places. So that the completion
Of the river Improvement would
save TO the farmer at least fifteen
cents for every bushel shipped.
The cost Of getting grain to mar
ket be il far or near, all comes out
of the pocket Of the producer. The
grain is taken to the railroad station
and sold the owner receives therefor
the eastern market price minus the
expense of transportation. OF course
the higher the freight rates the
less is realized for the grain, and
rice rerSd. What is needed is such
competition in the carrying of grain
to market that the railroad monopo-
lies cannot control the freight rates,
and, as has been shown in these col
umns before, a water highway can
only affect the desired end.
Over two-thirds of the proposed
Wisconsin river canal and improve
ment is located in this congressional
district, and traverses the the coun-
ties of Grant, Crawford, Richland,
Iowa and Sank, and hence the fur
therance of the work vitality affects
the people particularly of this part
of the State.
Men of Grant, farmers, producers,
considering that the choice of Con-
gressmen will more than likely de-
pend upon the selection made from
this county, it is all important that
man be chosen whose heart and
soul is honestly and Internationally
identified with this improvement
You want no doubtful man this time.
From year to year the needed ap-
preparation must be secured from
Congress, in order to prosecute and
continue the work. The man who
represents this district is the person
upon whorl, more than any other,
depends the success of this great
enterprise. George G. Hazelton is
just the man to send to Congress to
insure these yearly appropriations
and the completion of the canal
He Is no doubtful man on the Wis
consin river Improvement. From
the first he has been identified with
the project. He is young, able, en-
ergetic and influential in all he un-