The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1871-07-20
The Last New Departure


made conscious Of the fact that something
of moment was going on more than prd
nary, from tho ringing Of bells, Sc, which
OF course we in our country way, mist,ok
for huge fire or some other deyouring ele-
ment, which man must grapple and con-
quer, and on inquiry in what part of the
city the demon must be met, we found to
our great establishment that the people of
that city had irrespective Of party invested
three millions in "new departure
scheme to drain that sink hole of filth desig-
mated rs the Chicago river, by digging Il
ditch or canal through Illinois into the
Lockport canal thence 10 the mighty Mis-
sissippi. Now while we shall always think
it was right for the North to turn down
cur lcgions of glitterlng bayonets on our
Southern brethren, when they attempted to
break up the old compact made and be-
Gueathed Us by our forefathers, (Which We
helped maintain with all our militdry gen.
ius and greet pcsoa0I brocery as Major
and Lieutenant Colonel Of the bloody eth
Wis. Vol. InTy, principally on detached
service as member ct department court
martials and military commissions for which
we drew extra per diem and travel, and for
the paltFv sum Of not less than three or
Iom' times more money than we could
have earned at any legitimate business in
the same timc.) Yet, after they have sur
rendered every weapon Of war, and quietly
submitted t" five or SIX annual recUnstruc-
tons, and each year meckly responding
''Do unto Us whatever seemeth meet iii thy
sight and having lately heartily endorsed
the so-called ''new departure, to have the
great city Of Chicago turn that rjle pool
down into the Mississippi right uade, their
rec0RStractNd noses, IS most fOm : Yes,
indeed, that Chicago river would infect all
the waters it c1ult reach, even the Dead
Sea itself In our bewildcrment, we asked
oursclf "Hill they stand it?' Possibly
they may, and if they DO may they not
acquiesce in any demand, and vote en-
ntaSse for Grant or Ben Butler at the next
Presidential election and thereby pcrpetu-
ate this party Of moral ideas another
four years Though in despair, we felt it
our duty as a journalist, having also en-
dorscd the late new DEPARTURE to draw
our 30 lbs up into running shape, where
We thought we could handle it, and with
our hat IN hand start for the river. Al
though no policeman stopped us, yet all
seemed to look on the sidewalk for blood
in our tracks, rs We presented the general
appearance Of man having been bitten by
a mad dor, and was going for water. You
may imagine the wrath Of this ,rar w0Jn
rctcaa to find on arriving at the river,
chafcd, foot sore and blowing like IA por-
poi,e, that we had been vctimZcd although.
for the last four or five blocks we had our
suspicious from the smell that we were be-
ing humbuggcd. Yet remembering those
lines,
You may break, You may shattcr the vase
ii you will,
But the scent Of the roses will hang round
it still,
braced our faith, but all in vain.
We ancakcl back t. the Sherman House. Il
sadicr but not wiser man; took a bath,
and GAINED down our angry passions. On
Monday morning wc went down to the
river and found apparently all fresh water
from the lake, with no unpleasant oior in
the atmosphere. Major c. II. Cunning
ham, Capt. j. J. Boranl and Nyron II.
Durgin, AL in the lumber business with Off
ccs on South v ater-st., claimed they could
ace fresh water IN nnows on the bottom of
the river. But those Chicago lumbcrmen
can see more than most folks; for we look
Ell ana could only zee about six foot under
water, and saw what we then supposed to
be a Young whale from the motion of the
water, and vet might be nothing but pro
pcller wheel, as it seemed to be following
Il propeller passing up the river. How
ever, we are satisfied that the draining and
cleansing OF the Chicago RIVER is al accom-
rli>hed fact, and that no other than IA
Western people would have attempted it,
at an expense Of three millions OF dollars:
ami that the tunnel under the river on
Westinghouse. is good tunnel, and the
La Safest. tunnel is better and 500 feet
longer, and that Sampson coull not have
gone through either one of those holes and
pulled the hole through after him, as we
were told in childhood. Why NAV they
not construct 4 tunnel through to China
Al one would have t. ito would be to place
themselves in a blow-ripe as letters are
sent in London and New York, and be
blown through, as labeled The only diff
Guilty would BE- in getting blown back, as it
might be 4 tedious journey to get back to
this country through al space; and that
Chicago is 4 larger place than Manitowoc
and almost as clean, ROW. But lo, the poor
Southcrncr-, who have all that filth turned
loose upon th"m-worSc than the cotton
worm; worse than war; worse than fam
inc-yca, worse than negro equality be-
fore or after the law.