, 1873-09-27
Meeting Of the Senate Committee on
Transportation in this City.
II. Dicfentl0rf and Col. Houston
Interviewed.
Tho Former Tells Of the Wnter Route
to Og1cnsbHrgh, and tho Latter
About Wisconsin River
Improvements.


Senators Wlnom. Chairman Davis. Conoyer and Nor
wood wero present; also, nir. Nmmo Secretary, and
Mr. Drnyley, stenograrher. Tho Railroad and Waro-
hoso and tho Canal Commissioners Of Illinois woro
In attendance, but nsked the Committee to postpone
thcf hcaring until toay 10 glve them tno 10 prepare
theIr statements At the sa,no time, the repre-
Fcntetiycs Of ,Ao through freight lines, and
Tho lcaaing men in the elevator interests will
have a hearing. scnalor Conkllng Ia expected
to DO present, unless tho r,naor Of his
appointment Chcf-Jstlco bc true, In which 1t
ia probable TINT he will take no further rart In tho
work Of Tho Committee.
Tho Committee mot ngan in tho afternoon, and qaca-
toned Mr.. II. D!cfcndorf, Agent Of ths Northern
Transportation Company. Mr.. Dioendorf stated TINT
hfs Company through line to Oglensb,1rgh by
propeller, md thence by tho Vermont Central Hail
road to Boston or New York. Ha thon questioned
by the Chairman and mombors Of tho Committee %
follows:
Q.-what ia the nntrre Of tho connection between
the steamer line mid tho 1,ailroad company2 AThe
latter is simply the outlet for the freight Of the
steamers. It is not directly connected with
tho Nairnad Company, except that probably
tho officers Of tho Railroad Company most Ut the
stock Of tho Transportation Company.
Q.-How do you convey freight to the Bea-board A.
-Dy propeller through tho chain Of lakes, tho Weand
Canal and thence to OgdenBburgh, whcro VIC deliyor
to tho railroad who carrios 1t to Boston, sao Man,
chester, New York, whatcver rofnt may be ebired
by tho shipper. We used to send some freight to Nom
troa but have not snco the connection with the rail-
road was made.
Q.-1Iow do your rates to ogtlcnsburgh compare
with thoset Afontrcat7 A.-Wcll thcy vary some
what. For Instance, when the rase to Montreal on
-four Ia 90 cents to Ogdonsburgh will DO about rs
conls.
Q.-1row do you regard tho wel1and Canul-as m cru-
barraasment7 A.-Ycs, Bir, aa Il very scrious cna-
barrassn,ent.
- r1,n&r-
tics and lack OF WATER Our steamers lose great deal
Of time In getting through, and they cannot carry
their full casgoes. On tho lakes they can take about
450 tons Of freight, but through tho canal they can
only carry about $50 to s75 tons. We cannot oven
lighter our carsocs, owing to lack Of water
Zach In en en hey .1o to ,etn the rtana 59 b IT
trapsfer part q Their cargo 70 the welland Rasoai
would 1t pay since they pasaengcrate.mezs, aud
must run on 'no. They cannot, ko tho sailing craft
2-Are there any propol1ors not connected with any
railroad iines? A.-Not now, There used to bo
sss .sy any r running a wid md CARRYING for oe
our own Company and receive tclra In return, giving
mutual preference to each other.
propeller ncs A.No. sir thoro Is competition In
plenty, but no combination Tho ratca vary from day
10 Il sy 4ey :" rney
no fixed rate n9e tho railroads, 0
H-What is your estimate Of actual cost Of transport
tation Of grain to Buffalo A.Well, It might To or
cents per bushol, to which must DO aol Insurance,
cost Of trimming anl transfer 1t also depends some
whn. on the Mpfre5Shts. Nothing Ia made out Of up
Q-what IS tl.o average cost of Steamers number of
oeo se I'd q in ne. They s'ss e }: q
Is men i'll their crews, whosc ny ranges from 500 per
0n to the Ggans to SEQ f' % tho mr.
round trip takcs seventeen days.
Q-when tho crops are large. do you charge any
| penls nnon tho demand for transportation. or
COURSE If we have great rush for freghts we can
charge norc but often the steamers carry at MI actual
On delivering grain in BOSTON. doos any, so,ea
percentage 9f to freight charges belong to tho ra
Q-what is this division based upon, distance or
time A-Nelther, bul upon the relative coat Of raus
After tic above conversation, tho membsra Of the
assreap ap'Fi esr Gen ssns,sn 1ho s
a to IN nse ho tho
% of So Uned si' saea oorps IT, he%
n.euts on Tic Fox mud Wisconsin Rivers. These i'm
Froye1neuts were commenced ahou sixteen years ago
the s6 4ae% sses So1 was a M
connecting t,9,,, the rivers at p portaSo CITY BY
River to nlako aack-wAter navigation. It next
glvcn ever, lands and al to the Fox River Improve
n,cnt Company which faitcd, and tho job passed tnto
the hands Of T. The Green Bay and Miaalsappi Canal
until 1867, when tho United states Government Or
dcrcd survey Of tho whole line with view Of under
| takin8 tho Improvement, In Jnly,. 1870, IN
net passed Congress which provided for tho
Ss apotat BY III e. s ot Pf T s ana q
Arbitratora to the damage 10 the Canal Company
by tho transfer to the Goytrnmont This Board
awarded sl,o4s,o7o to tho Company, from
the Company Ind derived from the sale Of
ainod In tho shape Of water-powors and perHonal
property, leaving $1+s,oo0 due them, which amount
was paid IN June 1879. Last hurch Congress appro-
whole line Of the Fox md Wisconsin Rivers.
Col. Houston stated his belief that there was no
question but TINT the rivers with short connecting
canals, wingdams cutting off lateral channcls ami
deepening and narrowing Of the low water-clannc1,
8atts has been considered, and All other Instructions,
but there can 10 cear channel kept for boats drawing
Ave feet, without doubt. The estimate on tho plan
adopted ia $3,000,000 There twenty-five old and
dredging Tho length Of the wholn channel will bs all
nilea, Of which not over 10 miles will be canal that
steam con 10 used the whole distance from Green
Day to tho MisatBs,ppi. The locks will be 35
case Of high water and they Will Take boat8 OF about
400 toms Tho canala and the channel Of the river
beda will be 10 fcet wide, md the snpp!y Of water,
at the vory lowest season, Will be 5000 cubo fcot peg
the Wisconsin ID q foct above 1t at portage City,
aud can give ample supply.
After hearing Col. Houston, tho Committee ad-
adjourned, to meet at $3.50 o'clock this forenoon.
EVANSTON.
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