Knoxville journal. [volume] (Knoxville, Iowa) 1874-1986, 1874-11-19
Canal to the Lakes.

C0nal TO the Lakes.
The subject of connecting the waters
of the Mississippi river and Lake
Michigan by means of a canal
through the Fox and Wisconsin
rivers, is being again actively agita-
ted. The Farmers Union newspaper,
of Minneapolis, Minnesota, takes a
leading part in advocating the meas
ure and trying to secure an appropri-
alton Of some 81, ,000, 900 by Congress
to complete the work and make a
free canal. Two copies Of memorial
to Congress will be sent to each
Grange in Wisconsin, Minnesota,
Iowa, Nebraska and Dakota within
the next two weeks, for signatures.
The Union hopes to secure the name
of every farmer in the Northwest to
the following
MEMORIAL.
To the Honorable the Senate and the
House of Representatives., Of the
gress assembled:
WHEREAS, Cheaper and more am
pie means of transportation are i'm.
peratively necessary to the develop
ment of the Western States; and
nhereds, the Report of the Select
Committee on Transportation, recent
ly submitted to the United States
Senate, demonstrates the fact that
the adequate Improvement of the
Fox and Wisconsin Water Route,
from the Mississippi River to Green
Bay, will reduce the cost OF transport
ing grain from the river to the lakes
at least ten cents per bushel below
the average railway charges, thereby
efiecting a saving on the movement
Of single crop, from the States of
Iowa, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Ne
braska and Missouri of nearly $l0,-
900 900, or sum nearly double the
entire cost Of the proposed improve
ment; to which saving must be
added the reduced cost Of transport-
ing lumber, salt, iron, and other
heavy commodities from the lakes to
the Mississippi River, amounting to
| many millions more; and Whereds,
| this annual saving to the farmers of
the Northwest will, when one-half
the land in those States is under
cultivation, amount to more than
twenty times the entire cost of the
proposed Improvement, therefore
We, the undersigned. farmers, re-
siding in - County, State f
respectfully and earnestly pray that
such appropriation be made as will
ensure the completion of said Water
Route from the Mississippi River to
Lake Michigan. gid the Fox and
Wisconsin Rivers, at the earliest
practicable moment, and by such inn
provements as will afford the cheap
est and best facilities for water trans
portation.
NAM,cs.
OF course Congress would commit
an objectionable sin and terrible out
rage in the eyes Of these "farmers"
if it should give few thousand acres
Of worthless public lands for such "A
purpose, but every farmer in the
Northwest must ask the donation Of
millions in cash from the public
treasury which is now billions In
debt. And If they get it, for SO
worthy cause as this they will turn
upon the Republican majority in
Congress and berate 1t for it's extrav-
agance and crime in giving such an
enormous steal to great monopoly
Job. This same Farmers Union has
led off In such cries Of corruption
upon similar cause to that which it
now asks Congress to repeat. Ii isn't
even willing that any but farmer
should help the cause by signing the
petition.
Now when the farmers have asked
and received their demand, let there
be no grumbling about any Mobilier.
Let the responsibility follow the re-
quest.
The memorial was prepared by
Senator Window, of whom the Union
speaks as the champion Of the Trans
portation movement. When the
petition is signed and ready it will be
placed in the hands OF Senator Win
dom for presentation to Congress. II
the work will affect the saving TO the
Northwest which the memorial
claims, the request is reasonable, and
will probably be granted. Something
should be done by Congress to
cheaper transportation Of heavy
freights from the Mississippi valley
east, and rice rersd. This work would
effect the object for the summer
months when there is least need Of
such route, there being less 10 haul
and more competition. In the winter
Of course the canal would be closed
by ice, and then the corn and pork
would have to go by rail as now.