The Superior times. [volume] (Superior, Wis.) 1870-1912, 1872-01-27
Csult from intemperance.
RIvER IMPROVEMENTS.
The subject of water communication between II
Mississippi river aud the Eeaboard il attractir
luch attention throughout the country The n
RIvER IMPROVEMENTS

The subject ofwatcr communication between the
Mississippi river aud the Seaboard, il attracting
much attention throughout the country. The ne
cessity of cheap transportation Is everywhere felt
| throughout the Mississippi Valley
| The late National Commercial Convention which
| assembled at Baltimore, fully recognized this ne
cessity, and passed resolutions tayoring liberal
policy on the part of the government IN improving
| our great national highways.
The line which of all others nature bas poinsed
out the best line of communication between the
Mississippi and the lakes is by the Fox and Wiscon-
! sin rivers.
The work Of improving the WISCONSIN river has
progressed tayOaahlY under the supervision Of the
! United States engineers. am Informed that the
results Of the experiments made the past year have
been such to give the greatest satisfaction, and
have fully convinced all Interested of the praC-
icabIty If rendering that stream nayigabe for boats
of light draft at comparatively small outlay OF
| money
| last session to determine the Whch. in Justice
| ought to be paid to the Green Bay Il Mississippi
| Canal Company tor their rights and franchises IN
the Fox river has been had during the past year
| The sum which, as am informed, has been award
| ed Ivy the aIbtratoTs, to the company, Is as fol
| lows:
Value of locks, DAMS franchises &c $S6s, o7o 90
Value of water power .......... ...... 40, 800 90
| Value oi personal property. .........- $1,000 90
Total Observation-Disclosures 81 .rtS 0To 90
| From which deduct product from lands t723o10 Oh
| Balance ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS. $4,000 90
This being The deliberate opinion OF three highly
honorable and competent gentlemen. who fully ey
amined the whole question, there is every reason
to believe that the award is Iust and II is hoped
| that Congress will accept the same TIE company
is in honor and III law bound to abide The award
The Importance Of this improvement is fully
understood by the people east and west Its na-
| Ional Importance Is acknowledged on all hands.
[ therefore recommend that you take such steps
will lay the question in all its bearings before
Congress. There ought to be no hesitation the
part OF the General Government to promptly accept
the award and continue the work until tue line of
water communication between the great lakes and
the Mi sssippi is improved to answer all the
demands of commerce.
RAILROADS.
Among the cases which have led tc the rapid de
velopment of the material interests of the state rail
roads may be regarded as the most import fnt and
the past year has witnessed the construction of
greater number of miles of railway than any previ-
GUS year.
The completion of the Western Wisconsin rail-
road to Hudson has opened out region Of country
greatly in need of such line of communication,
and the large and increasing business that it is
trausacting shows that its construction was not in
| advance of the business by which it is to be sup
ported.
The Central Wisconsin, which has built and
placed in operation sixtysix miles this from
Menasha to Stevens Point, is rapidly pushing for
ward to Bayfield, on Lake Superior, which point it
is expected viii he reached within the present year.
and viii open up vast country to settlement,
which hitherto has echoed only to tho sound of the
lumberman's the nile Of the hnntsman.
While the NORTHWESTERN railroad has pushed with
energy its northern extension from Green Bay
until it has reached the Menomonee river and in
few months will be in connection with Lake SJr-
perior, and its Northwestern extension now COM
pleted to ReedsburG it is expected viii reach the
Mississippi river at La Crosse within twelve months
The Milwaukee and Northern railroad passing
through a rich and popuous country, and one
greatly in need of such facilities will soon be in
connection with Fond du Lac and Menasha.
Oshkosh has joined hands with RipoD, and Fond
du Lac will soon do Green Bay is rapidly CON
tructiDg line to the Mississippi while the biadi-
and Portage is being extended up the valley of
the Wisconsin to Grand Rapids and stevens Point
The rapid and easy traf sit of passengers and
freight by rail- has given that mode of conveyance
the preference all other systems, and strong
ly impressed is every community with this fact,
that they often induced to grant AID to secure
at hand, this most desirable method of trans
portation, greatly in disproporon to their ability
to pay and greatly in excess OF the advantages to
be obtained.
On the first day of January, 1871, there were in
operation within the limits of the state, 23S
miles of railway, and on the first day of January.
1872, 5SS miles, representing cost either actual
fictitious of nearly hundred millions of dol
lars This vast concentration of capital in in
terest alone affects every other interest in the
state. and it may with truth be SAID that there is
no branch of industry within the state that is not
dependent upon railway facilities, and which un
friendly action on the part of railway managers
may not at any time crush ont.
The railway interests of the state have grown to
their present proportions without any general sys
TEN and with little responsibility to the people of