Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1874-12-03
The I'm prOvriment Canal.

favor of q speedy completion of the
Fox and Wisconsin Rivers Improve
ment seems to be the order Of the
day. A memorial to Congress en-
anating from the patrons OF Hus-
bandry, having the object in view,
has been printed and two copies
sent for signatures to every Grange
in the States of Wisconsin, Min
nesota, Iowa, Nebraska, Dakota and
Northern Missouri. The design is
to have the petition signed by every
farmer in the west. The memorial
sets forth that there is no water
route to the lakes which offers half
the advantage to the people Of Min
nesota, Iowa, Nebraska, Wisconsin,
and Missouri that this does.
1t urges upon Congress the great
importance of this work in solving
q
the problem of cheap transporta-
ton aud enumerates among the re-
suits to be gained by its completion :
l. 1t viii save ten cents on every
bushel OF grain transported to New
York, amounting on the crop of a
single year shipped from these states,
20 more than ten millions Of dotiars!
2. 1t will enable us to raise corn
and ship it to the East at profit,
and give new life to this leading
product OF the West.
3. 1t will place US in connection
by water with the lumber, salt, iron,
copper, and other mines of the
North, and save millions to the
West each year on three articles
alone.
4. 1t will afford uninterrupted in
land navigation from New York to
Boston, the enormous distance Of
five thousand miles.
.. 1t will connect the commerce
of the two thousand vessels on the
lakes with the commerce of the
more than two thousand vessels on
the Mississippi and its tributaries,
and open up the grandest system of
internal water transportation in the
world.
These, and multitude of other
blessings will be gained by the
opening of these two rivers, and it
rests with the Congress OF the
United States to say whether such
improvements shall be made.
All the newspapers along the line
of the Improvement are giving the
work most unqualified support, and
seconding the efforts of the farmers
most cordially. The Prairie du
Chen Union says:
The estimate cost of the Improve
. ment is five millions, five hundred
thousand dollars, and yet, great as
this sum is, it is only about one-half
so much as is annually extorted
from the farmers of the Northwest
in the present rates of tariff. Then
in view of these facts, and the farm
ers knowing the truth, should not
be dittident in making such a de-
mand on Congress, for their atten-
ton to this matter, as will compel
them to make the necessary appro-
priations for its immediate con-
struction. The farmers will have
no delaying with the matter If
the present members do not act as
their constituents desire, they will
see that they will be supplanted by
men who will obey their behests.
The farmers have, thank provi-
dence, some men to represent them
who will strive, to their utmost, for
their advancement We allude to
Senator Window, of Minnesota, and
Hon. Fl. s. Magoon, congressman
elect from this district. They are
men who can be relied upon, and
who promised the people their I'M
firing and answering devotion to
ITS cause. 1t is our belief that the
secret of Mr.. Magoon's popularity
lay in his early espousal of the pro-
posed improvement. The farmers
were acquainted with the fact of his
favorable opinion of the measure, as
they were of Mr.. Thompson's nom
nnnmlttal on tho nnnstinn md cost