The Benton democrat. [volume] (Corvallis, Benton County, Or.) 1871-18??, 1873-06-21

or extra charges are entirely avoided.
Your committee have, the most positive
assurance from the w. R. T. Go. that
they will remain on the river as long as
they are fairly patronized. Your COM
mittee believing that, in accordance
with resolution passed by the State
Convention at its last meeting, ''that
it was the imperative duty Of every
farmer, wherever practicable, to patron
ize, and in every honorable way. to sup
port and encourage the w. RI. Go -
have given this branch of the subject a
most thorough investigation, and are
now firmly conginced of.the wisdom OF
the course recommended in said resolu-
ton. In fact we deem it of paramount
tlaSsiha6farmers should give
said company such encouragement as to
firmly establish them on the Willamette
river and. all Its navigable tributaies,
to the end that we may never in The
future be left to the tender mercy of a
monopoly. j faa r., =
In connection with the subject of in
terhal transportation, your committee
have deemed it heir duty to gain all
the information they could in relation
to the navigable streams, and more es-
pecially those draining the Willamette
valley. From the best information we
can gain there is ON the Columbia river
Bar at least "a feet OF water; Tongue
Point, 9 feet; low water, l9 feet high;
at St. Helens. - feet low water, Is
high; at Swan Island, II feet low wa
ter; at Willow Bar. s fathoms. This
stage of water is when the river is at
its lowest stage. 49,
The following are the principal OBJ
structions on the Willamette river be-
tween Portland and Harrisburg: g,eefI !,
1st. Independence Bend, Luckia.
mute, Powers Chute, and Half-moon
Bend. @ sA% ags59
The probable cost of removing them
will be about $4,000, Js.5ss
Cd. Snags between Corvallis and
Harrisburg, every mile or two; prob
able cost of removing about $4,000.
Sd. Deepening bars. r.
Eola Bar, Tickels Bar, and others !;
probable cost of deepening channels
from Portland to Eugene City, $780,
OOO.s -,~-.-r--- -.s, a..s,.-
Your committee find that the naviga-
tion Of the Willamette has been much
improved by appropriations heretofore
made by the General Government, and
would recommend that petitions be cir
culated by every Farmers Club in the
State praying for an appropriation to
improve the navigation of the William
ette and its tributaries; and that this
convention memorialize Congress to that
effect. as 800 81.
Your committee also find that the
Yamhili river, penetrating one of the
finest sections of country in the State,
is obstructed at its mouth by gravel
bar, and at Lafayette by a ledge of
rock running acrosssaid river; that said
distractions can be easily removed,
aud that the improvement of said river.
be especially mentioned in petitions
and memorials 5s#45i.ii..,
:. Your committed are fully satisfied
that by persistent efforts liberal appros
priations can be obtained of the Gen
eral Government to make such improve,
ments on said rivers, as will make them
inayigable for at least ten months of the
year. l.1i.4 lt2l.5 - -.
The locks at Oregon City have be-
come subject of vast interest to the
white people of the Willamette valley,
and in order tolsatisfy the minds of all,
as to their efficiency, durability, ETC.,
we submit for the consideration of the
Convention, with this report, copy Of
the report of the engineer constructing,
said works, only remarkfng that ttE
time now required to pass a boat
through said locks is 40 minutes.
Your committee cannot bring them.
selves to CLOSE this report without call.
ing the attention of farmers and capi-
talists to the remarkable facilities for
the construction of canals in many
parts of the State where cheap. trans
portation is much needed-for instance,
from Spores ferry. on the Mckenzie
fork Of the Willamette river, to Albany.
a distance of 40 miles. presents .proba-
bly, the least obstruction to the con-
struction Of a canal of any other sec
ton of the same distance, there being
but two streams to cross and but one
cut of any depth on the whole route.
Such canal would afford cheap and
easy transportation for the products of
that section Of the country, SO justly.
celebrated for its rich soil, known as
the Forks of the Willamette. besides
all that section of the fine farming
lying north Gof . McKenzie's
fork, between it and the, city of Albany
and would furnish stock water and wa.
ter powers innumerable along its whole
route.
zl-raF tios, as5i ,sszs.s .z-.-- asgsiTga9 sESyFj
ENe1NEER's OFF1cE, VIC. 81. Co.
! Mr.. B. Goldsmith, President ". F.
c. d. E. Go.-Dear Sir; I herewith
submit the following statement as to
points presented in your letter of Jan
fI7th:4 r99is sasH ITgZF 81 LiiR
The total length of the Willana- 2 iss
8 ette Falls anal and Locks is. 5000 It.
J. north i5el 80. : 200 II.
-Four lift locks, 210 #. long, ,i40ft. eal
Tal wide, loft. deep. $40 #.
Canal north Of guard lock, go to
Is 100 feet wide. e...G..... I, ,27S IT.
NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.. wide a1o #.