Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1873-01-21

OF land bordering upon the bay of
Superior, was the only eligible site
for town for a long distance 10
either direction. Such being the
case, large number of settlers were
attracted there at an early day, and
the city of Superior was laid out as
early as 1854. Most of the early set
tiers have continued tn reside there
up to the present time, in the full
confidence that their town would be-
come large city whenever railway
communication should be opened be-
tween the lake and the valley of the
Mississippi.
10 this they have been disappoiut-
ed, for upon the organization of the
Mississippi; aad Superior and of the
Northern Pacific Railway companie-,
parties connected with those great
enterprises, adopted line of rolicy.
the effect of which was TO destroy
the harbor and city of Superior
rival town was started upon the pre-
cipitOus aud rocky cliff at the ex-
treme westerly end of Lake Superb
or, point entirely destitute of any
harbor and exposed to the northeast
gales with their uninterrupted sweep
of 400 miles.
Instead of looking for harbor
where it was only to be found by the
natural entrance 70 the Bay of Supe-
rior, regardless of the rights of the
State of Wisconsin and citizens Of
Superior, they reckIessly went to
wo k to destroy that harbor by
changing the course of the st. Louis
river, and causing it to discharge in.
to Lake Superior at point six miles
west Of it's natural outlet.
A canal to divert the water was
commenced in the fall of 1870. The
State authorities entertaining the
same opinion as the best engineers,
that the effect of the opening of this
canal would be 10 divert be waters
of the st. Louis river and destroy
the old entrance, brought the subject
to the notice of the War Department,
and on the recommendation of Gen
Humphrey, chief engineer, O suit
was brought in the United States
Court for Minnesota, to enj0in the
city Of Duluth and oil persons from
opening said canal. This suit was
prose cuted by and in the name of the
United States, but mainly OF the ex-
pense of the State of Wisconsin, by
which attorneys were employed to
aid the a torney of the United States,
and were paid from the appropria.
tion of S. 900 before named.
On the hearing of the suit Judge
Miller of the United States Supreme
court, granted an iuiunction. but ia
delivering his opinion, DO animated
that it might be dissolved ifthe part.
les defending should construct dyke
to arrest the flow of water through
the canal. Upon that hint it is un.
derstood that the parties in interest
waited upon the Secretary of War,
and that functionary, without notice
to the State of Wisconsin eau. ed ell
further proceedings in the suit to be
dispensed with, allowing the parties
to 60 on with the canal, on condi.
ton that the city Of Duluth would
enter into bond of 100000 to
build dixie at some underlined point
before the first day of Decem Der,
1871, that would prevent the ST.
Louis river from flowing through the
canal. That bond was promptly ex-
ecuted, as we'll it might be. for it was
we'll known to lawyers that it was of
no validity whatever. The farce OF
constructing dixie was soon CON-
menced, and has been prosecuted at
various intervals ever since. A Uuit.
ed States engineer was induced to
certify in March or April last, that it
bad been completed in accordance
with the requirements of the Score
tary of War Yet within one month
from that time, a whole section of it
800 feet in length. was swept away,
allowing the St. Louis river to pour
through it at the rate of six miles an
hour.
Parallel with Minnesota Point, and
about one mile from it, there extends
into the Bay of Superior a point OF
land called Reefs Point to Minneso.
Ia Point, which is about two miles in
length, and between these points ex-
tends an arm of the bay of Superior
to Duluth, over which Wisconsin has
concurrent jurisdiction with the
State of Minnesota. Through this
arm of the bay was had the only
communication between Superior
aud Duluth, aud the railroad there
terminating, and Between these
points steamers piled several times 9
day
This navigation and means of com
municatit n have been cut off en-
tirely by the dixie which runs from
near the end of Rics's Point to Min
nesota POiUt, and eff ctually shuti
off all navigation on this arm Of the
Bay. Indeed the only effect of thi
dixie is to destroy the navigation, a.
the water continues to pour through
with undated force. Had Their,
been no interference on the part o.
the Secretary of War, there is nC
doubt that the injunction of the Uni
ted States court against the cana
would have been made perpetual, snC
; thus the trouble ended.
The Legislature at its last session
appropriated 1000, and authorized
me TO take such action in this matter
as | should deem advisable. Learn
ing that the engineer in charge had
for some unaccour table reason chang
ed his opinion as to the effect of the
opening of the canal; that he was
now of the opinion that the outflow
of water through the canal would not
, affect the original entrance, and that
he had reported that the Bay Of SUI
! perior would become great tidal
j harbor, if it bad two openings TO lei
. in the tides from the lake instead Of
3 one, | addressed letter to the Sec
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