The weekly Ottumwa courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1857-1872, 1871-08-24
SANDWICH, N. H.,
Aug. IA. 1871.

4 SANDWICH, N. H.,
i Aug. Il. 1871.
I EDIroRs OrruMwA CouRIER:-H Here
we are at last in the midst of the
sublimest scenery Of New England,
surrounded on every hand by lofty
mountains, and breathing an atmos-
phere the purest and most invigora-
ting in the world. We ore the
guests of Hon. Charles W. Donovan,
one Of the rising young Republicans
Of the Granite State, whose accom-
plished vito il q cousin of ours. We
are miLgling with the friends of our
family and boyhood days. A horse
and buggy is at our disposal to ride
around the country, visit neighboring
villages, ponds, waterfalls, fish for
trout. &c. We are planning trip
to the White Mountains, distan. some
~ miles north.
But there is hiatus in my corres-
pondence, which | must fill up. 1
bid you good night in my last letter
just after We left Pudding Bay for
Cleveland, which latter place we
reached at 103 o'clock next morning.
The harbor was crowded with ship
ping, and canal boats, loading and
unloading cargoes of lumber, coal
petroleum, iron, and all other CON-
modit,es known to commerce, all in.
dicating growth and prosperity. 1t
was extremely hot in the harbor, and
We did not 60 ashore, but as soon as
We had landed and taken on pass en-.
gers and freight, made our way as
speedily as possible out into the
more agreeable atmosphere of the
Lake, and lay our course for the
Welland Canal, which we reached
under favorable circumstances at 8
next Saturday morning.
The Welland Canal is the only
channel Of Communication, as you are
aware, between the Upper Lskes and
Lake Ontario, the st. Lawrence, and
the ocean. 1t is exclusively upon
Canadian territory, and consequently
entirely under the jurisdiction and
management OF the Dominion Gov
ernment. 1t is % miles long, exten-
ding from the waters OF Lake Erie,
to those of Lake Ontario. Port Col
burn, the Lake Erie entrance, is some
30 miles west of Buffalo. The direc-
ton is nearly north and south. It
fed from Grand River. There are
% locks, 142 feet long, 26 feet wide,
and 10 feet depth of water. St.
GATHERINGS is the only considerable
town on the canal, and that is three
miles from tho point where the canal
enters Lake Ontario. 1t is well
built town Of. 10, 900 Inhabitants, sur
rounded by fine country, and is the
point where the Great Western Rail-
way crosses the canal. 1t has
splendid water power, and in the
hands of enterprising Americans,
would speedily grow into q large
city but its present population seem
to be content to let their natural re-
sources remain unimproved, and the
place is consequently making no
progress. We saw only two new
buildings going up. This was the
head quarters of southern refugees
during tho war, and the place is now
full of them. One Tucker of rebel
antecedents keeps q hotel here.
The Welland canal is an expensive
luxury to our commerce. While
three fourths Uf its revenues are do
rived from American shippers, tho
government seems to care very little
about improvements and corrcspon-.
ding facilities. The average toll per
vessel is 800 in specie or specie ex-
change. The time of transit IL about
"a hours. Delays arc frequently oc-
casioned by an insufficient supply Of
water IN some of the locks for heavily
loaded vessels. To avoid the tedium
ofthc canal passage, passengers fire.
quontly visit Niagara Falls, Z miles
distant, where they can spend day
and return to the other end of the
canal in time to intercept these boats.
Having often seen Niagara, and never
having passed through the canal, we
chose to remain aboard.
We reached the canal at s a. M,
on Saturday, and our captain hoped,
under favorable circumstances, to get
through to Ontario by IL o'clock at
night, at which hour precisely the
canal is closed and all vessels in
transitu are kept till IL o'clock Sun
day night. The hour of IL, Saturday
night, found seven locks between us
and the Lake, and there we lay all
day Sunday, in full view of St. Cath
crimes and the Lake.
Several thoughts suggest them-
selves to an American visitisg aud
passing through this gigantic foreign
monopoly, one ofwhich is that we
ought to have ship canal of our
own, all on our own territory and un-
der the wiser and more liberal man.
agement of our own Government
The advantages Of canal OF greater
capacity, depth Of water, and the
saving OF tolls to our own people, or
what would be better, free navigation
for our own vessels, Nould be incal-
culablo. A feasible route can be
found at Niagara, only some IA miles
long with abundant supply OF water
from Lake Eric. Itshould be stated,
however, in this connection, that
surveys are now being made, with
tho Wow of increasing the capacity
ofthe Welland canal, and feeding il
| from Lako Erie. One thing seems
certain, that If they neglect this
much longer, they will have for.
midable American rival, and loose
the larger portion of their revenue.
We finally got through the cana
Monday morning about 10 o'clock
and after wooding pushed out upor
Ontario, one of the fairest aud deep
est Of the great Lakes. Or cleal
day the mouth of Niagara River, tn,
spray of the falls, and Brooks Monu
| ,nent can ha Seen hnt IL hoipv mist