, 1874-12-18

Economical Plan for Enlarging tito
Illinois & Michigan Canal
to Summit.
Condition Of the Atlantic & Groat Western
Railroal.
Baltimore & Ohio Not In tho Saratoga
Combination.
Miscellaneous Items.
THE ILLINOIS s. MICHIGAN CANAL.

THE ILLINOIS s. MICHIGAN CANAL.
How IT CAN lie ENLARGED TO 8uMAtr.
70 ths Editor Of Tie Chtcaoo Tribune: .....
SIN: In my ostor 10 YOU OF lilo 25th ult.,
published in TnE tribune Of tho 4tl. inst.
stated non,e Of to rcnsons why doomed ail
carly enlargement Of tho Illinois 4; Michigan
Canal Of tho iirBt importance, especially to tho
City of Chicago. will add that 1t appears to
nc. outsider as aul, TINT tho enlargement Of it
flosu Chicago River to Snln1t,-a distance of
miles in a straight linc.-if mado dcop enough
for tho ayerngo vosBoa which cutor tho l,arbor.
would bo Of great bcnoilt to tho commercial aud
manufacturing interests OF tho city, nsido from
Its Ioucral advantages. Tho Increased taclttca
which it would Klvo to various kinds Of business
which loquiro Bpaco, and would ho better away
from tho hoart Of tho city, If not luctlcd just
now, very soo, will be. Such Il chnnt,cl,-100
feet wide and 10 Or 12 feet dcop.-wish subo.an-
t;al docks upon cacl side, boug directly upon d
commercial thofouShfare which would suon bc-
conc secuud in Importance to none III tho Union,
could not fail to attract cnpital and population
by tho superior faculties for various kinds Of
business which 1t would giyo, mud tho relative
cAcapncHs Of tho property. The earth cxcayatel
informing this Outraged canal would osfvoad out
upon oach aitlo for several hundred feet, thus
giving admirable ground Tor buildings, lumber
yards, parailol railroads, otc.
II aM correct III my estimate OF tho ynluo nf
this improvement to Your city anti our state at
large. lot Us inquire whether such enlargement
nlay not 10 nlato without any cost III money to
either Chicago or tho State. Tho probable cost
would bc from II. .05D, QUO to S3 5Du0uD
Tho Stnto OWLS tho cana! Nh it nuw Is, and n
strip Of land 90 feet wido Oh each side ot it, to-
untea by tho United StnteH to tic Stao of 1iIi-
nois iu 1929 for tho purpose Of constructing
canal, and "fcr no Other purpose whutcvcr"
After ubing 80 much Of thcso strips as would bo
required lur tho enlargement, strip Of III ar-
crnge width Of from DO 10 10 feet upon each silo
Would romatn. Not q worry largo quantity Of lanKl,
u IL tue. but. Ill IT would contrul tho entire
frontage Of tho caral. it could he ualo exceod-
Ingly valuable By co-oporntion with tho owucrs
ot contiguous lAnds, whuse lands without such
corporation would bo Of comparatively littlo
value. Il lilo owuers Of theHe lunds would colt
Fey to tho State, Or thoEe to whom the Slate
might give titfc to the frontage, strib Of 5D0
Or too teet in width upon zach sdcs it would.
doubtless, more tlun g1lutltllplo tho yaluo Of
their remaining land, Rntl 1t iB scnrcey prubal]o
that nny ono wontd 10 So blind to Lin
own antureats us to dcclino to TO this II ho could
bo guaranteed tho srcetly enlargement Nov,
these two narrow boB Of land left after tho
enlargement pay for that enlarScnent-is tu bo
accomplished don't pretend 10 know. I will
SIMPLY Suggest, and leave 1t to wiser hcads to
l lave stated that the probable cost Of cnlarg-
ing alld docking tlo lniieg OF cnnnl from CIica-
70 River to Summit would be from s30u0 u00 to
S3,50U,o00. Az tho character Of tho earth to be
fcclly understood, and tue quantity both above
aud below water Gun 10 usGcrtuincd with cor
tainty. tho cost. may be estimated with much
nccnracy, especially as 1t has already been do
kermincd what Kind OF machinery wu,tll ba re-
qnircd to most elrcctualIy mllish tho work.
Tho mlles includin. both Htlcs, would give
Ba,aS0 feet Of tlockago. which, within i've years
from tho completion Of tho enlargement. Should
pr QUO fcot in witl) say iii average ot $50 or eco
per foot front. At 95U per foot 1t would amount
to 94,2240U0, npd at 500 to tho SUN If 45,0GS,-
SU0. linay havo placed too high value upon this
judge of it. compared With tho real-cstato spec
ulntors Of Chicago, who llnyo d worldwide rcp1-
sation for shyowtlnoss. But although they aro,
doubtless. honorable mel, )" wouldn't trust
pen to bo much interested i'll tho gamo liud Of
properly.
Tho huo and cry was raiscd fow years ago
TINT tho narrow "Trip OF land which would be left
loused for long tsalo to sec,ro tint enlarge
nacnt. aud that untold miilinus would thus Ee
sacrificed to the loss Of tho State and tho benefit
OF indisiauals! But tho State has now had full |
nearly four years. Tho 9o-foot strip Of land now
covered with the earth cxcayntcd u constructing
tho present c1,,aI, mud worth IN mnny tnilnnn
Etl! remain untouched, tho property ii tic Stato'
nnd will thus stil! ro1aiu, 1ucss ilsed as llayo
Indicated Tho truth H. these s,rlpg of land ura
absolutely wortl. nothing a. t4oy arc, aud Gun
only bo lnudo valuable to tlp Btato in |
aoulo such NAY ~ T layo B1,crcstoI. Il, |
this way they may 10 uaJc, possibly.
to pay tho cost of mixing ride sllip-ua,,a
from Chicago lIvcr to tho Yaloy Of tic Uea-
1,ioinnu II II mt worrh tho otrorf F;I,m,
that, it is ut proscnt.
It the Legislature would authorize tho absolute |
ealo Of the strip u lal1d reserved TO any respon-
5!p!o to.H"u9 y ceHpi@l'ieh tnlt Noula 1naAe the