Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1874-03-26
An Immense Water Power.
The Best BOOmage on the Wis
cOnSiD River. Advantages I'm
Az 7. =

surpassed i'm the State.-It is very
generally conceded that the Wiscon-
sin River yields in the aggregate wa
ter power superior to that of any
stream in the northwest, unless we ex-
cept the Fox river. The Fox with
its mighty volume sweeping past the
manufacturing towns that dot its banks,
presents to the beholder an overwhelm-
ing current whose monotony is relieved
by no sprinkling of torest-grown is
lands, here and there creating slouchs
and runways which Of themselves are
invaluable accessories to manufactur-
ing interests, not only in the control
and guidance of surplusage of vol
ume, but also forming naturally con-
structed, and consequently immoyable
piers for the maintenance of booms. a
requisite never disconnected with lum-
Der Manufacture where the product of
the woods is conveyed to the saw by
water currents from forests perhaps
miles and miles away, and which must
be safely stored till such time as it
shall be needed to meet the fuctuating
demands of the lumber market. The
industries in operation along the banks
of the Fox river are of such a charac-
ter that these gifts of nature, OF arti-
fetal constructions Of man are not re-
quisite-in fact are not at all required
but for stream like the Wisconsin
whose power is exclusively appropriate
ed to the manufacture of lumber the
advantages mentioned, the scattered
islands anchored to mother earth by
rocky bolts forever immovable, are of
inestimable value.
The water power of the Wisconsin
river may be said to embrace line of
superior water privileges Of at least
one hundred miles in length extend
ing from a point some twenty miles
above the Jenny Bull Falls and termi-
mating at Point Bausse, ten miles be-
low Grand Rapids. This distance is
interspersed with rapids affording wa
ter privileges such as are seldom found
upon streams of greater magnitude and
more widely known through the me-
dunn Of loud sounding, laudiatory ar
ticles gotten up to puff given local.
ty where in reality nothing exists
worthy Of particular mention. We
think the various journals published in
the three principal towns along the
Wisconsin river, Wausau, Stevens
Point and Grand Rapids may consider
themselves exempt from any charge of
exageration in all they have said rela-
tive to the superior water powers and
natural advantages existing upon the
river which has hitherto been, and yet
is SO important an outlet for the pro-
duct of the Wisconsin pineries.
We propose in this article to speak
Of what Centrala has in the way Of
water powers and booms, and while we
wish to say nothing in disparagement
of these up river enterprises, those en-
terprises which have been so loudly
heraided by the press of our mp river
neighbors as the ne pIus ultra Of booms
and powers, vet we can say in all
truthfulness that at no point upon the
Wisconsin river has nature been so
lavish of her wealth and so partial in
her designing for the accommodation
of the wants of the lumber interests as
at this point.
THE NATURAL BOOM.
Of which Messrs. 0. Garrison & Co.
are the exclusive proprietors is one of
the wonders Of nature, and surpasses
anything of the kind in the west.
Whoever has looked into its wonder