The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1872-09-21


miles east of the city the Illinois river makes
an abrupt turn to the south a distance of half
4 nile, where it has abandoned its Former
channel. 1t passes to the east OF two islands,
and now flows partly between these islands,
agd south Of one IN 4 channel between that
and the southern bluffs. At the head of these
islands two long and substantial dams have
been erected, which back up the water to-
and form an immense pond or lake, in places
over thrce-fourths of mile in width, and
from ten to twenty feet in depth. The river
in its old course, flowed in two channels
north of these islands, leaving long, wide
valley, connecting with Fox river at the aque.
duct, 4 mile above the confluence of the tw o
rivers Through this old bed of the Illinois
river, from poiut above the dam, canal
has been dug, and is now beng deepened,
connecting the water in the reservoir of the
former river with those of Fox river Here,
below the connecting canal, another dam has
been built. The latter throws the water in
Fox river back three miles, and there forms
another large pond or reservoir. Races will
be cut out of the channe! running south TO the
Illinois river, thus atording water power tor
manufactures almos. without limit
Williams 4 FAIRS paper mil is the only
mandatory yet in operation on this water
power, but by next year number of other es
Establishments will be built.
In addition to this vast water power, Otta-
wa has tor many years had the benefit Of a
smaller enterprise This is a feeder taken
ont of Fox river at Dayton before alluded to-
This carries water four and half miles, and
| crossing the canal through the city, deposits
It in large basin at the southern limits Of
the business part Of the city. THIS power
, supplies power to the Eagle Mil S OF Jerry
Wood, the Eagle Agricultural Works of Por-
ter Il Mason;a pump and chair mandatory {;
the City Mills of W. H. w. Cushman Strauss
e"eii's planning mil and sickle manufac.
cory. the Starch Works, an immense estab-
...pr1t giving work to 200 hands; box
Glory; GEO. Jekyll's panlng .mils; tue
Ioaic Touring mills; cutlery works, etc.
Besides the enormous water power, anoth-
er indispensable adjnnt to manufacturing pur-
poses is coal. Ottawa is surrounded by coal.
| The bluffs all around are filed with it. East
and north OF town are great beds of mex.
haus.ible quantities |, lies near the surface,
and the cost al mn,r. Is ,rillng A good
| quality ii coal l. denverrd from the beds
about town at - To $3.50 per tom. To families,
| while manufactures are supplied with large
/ quantities. at lar cheaper rates.
MANUFAcroRIEs.
! The manufacturers now in operation in
/ range "' articles in their production. Besides
/ JHo-t abovc named ore many others A
! !cailnT feature is becoming the mauuf,cturc
G.. G.s-. The bluffs around Ottawa. aud IN
various other i.'calItes nenr are ia place.
/ composed Of ineXhau-lihlc guam prlrs ~ pare
s"!!cia or white sand. In grain, color, and
purity the world provinces none better adapt
ed tn making glass Hon J. D. Cation. 40
company and began the manufacture OF glass
The very first samples a,onished hlm, and
were of incredible excellence A demand
soon caused the company to enlarge their re.
sources for business, so that now the glass
works have become one Of the prominent To-
Cal interests OF the city, Ottawa double thick
glass can scarcely b. detected from the very
best imported French plate which costs four
times greater sum.
Another prominent manufacturing estab-
lishment is the Telegraph Instrument Fac
tory on La Sale street, in North Ottawa. 1t
is the largest in the world, and supple. in
strumentS Tor every country.
In the same part Of the city is the large
agricultural implement mandatory Of King
& Hamilton, where 900 men are employed.
South ON the side cut, are g. II. Riggs
furniture factory; King & Co.'s pump man
utactory Maierhofcr & Dents pillow and az
ricullural implement works Below further
are the extensive machine shops and foundry
Of Geo. II. y. Cushman, an establishment
the heaviest in this line of business in the ci-
ty, He does all kinds of heavy work, in the
way of steam engines railroad work, etc.
Porter 4 Mas0n's Eadle Works foundry,
etc, are rapidly assuming a prominent place
in the city
On La Sale street. opposite the public