The anti-monopolist. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1874-1878, 1874-11-26

NIinnesota,s Outlet--A Canal to Lake
NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. From a Be
liable Source.
To the Editor Of the Anti-Monopolist:
SIR: The undersigned being of the
opinion that the construction of canal
connecting Lake Superior with the St.
Croix or Mississippi rivers, as a route
for the cheap transportation of Mime
sofa produce to eastern markets, is a
practicable scheme, directly to the
benefit of Minnesota, and preferable to
the Fox River route, therefore takes
the liberty to contribute some knowl-
edge of the country to be traversed, by
such canal, obtained from explora-
tons and surveys made by himself.
As stated in the Anti-Monoplist Of
the 18th inst, the tributaries of Lake
Superior and the Mississippi and the
st. Croix rivers s'interlock and
almost touch each other I
would suggest further that
those streams are often found in
the extensive swamps occupying por-
tons of that region; that is, streams
tributary to Lake Superior and to the
Mississippi and St. Creix rivers. have
their source in the same swamp,
through which a channel to connect the
channels of the streams can be easily
made, thereby solving the problem of
connecting streams tributary to the
st. Lawrence river and to the Gulf of
Mexico. As an instance, | would call
your attention to large tamarack and
spruce swamp, extending through the
southerly portions of sections II and
Is, town 46, range Is, being about four
miles east Of the Moose Lake station,
on the Lake Superior and Mississippi
railroad, in which two streams have
their source. One unites with the
Nemadji river and flows to Lake
Superior. The other empties into
Moose Lake, and finds its way through
the Moose and Kettle Rivers into the
st. Croix and Mississippi. The chan
nels OF those streams arc visible within
a fourth Of mile of each other. in the
swamp where they find their source,
being within section II, &c. These
streams flow for a few miles through
swamps, or continuation Of the same
swamp, in which their volume is in
creased by springs and by other steams,
some of which unite in the next adjoin-
ing sections. The swamp at the source
contains vast amount of water -suffi-
cient, Tin the opinion Of the writer,) to
support canal, till it receives support
from the other tributaries.
By the above proposed connection of
streams, canal may be constructed
from Lake Superior along the Nemadji
River, through the above proposed con-
nection, to'Moose Lake, thence along
Moose River and Kettle River to the
navigable portion Of the St. Croix River.
TO accommodate connection of a
route OF transportation with the Mis-
sissippi, above the Falls of St. Al.
thony, the proposed canal may be con.
tinued. either from the St. Croix along
Snake River, or along the tributaries Of
Kettle and Snake rivers, either above
or below Brunswick and Hincklev, to
Brunswick; thence along the Ground
House River to Section L.. Town SO.
Range "A, where there is large swamp.
extending southwark on nearly the
same level with the stream. to branch
Of Stanchfeld Creek, through which
and along said branch of Stanch6eld
Creek the canal may be continued to
the Big Bend of Rum River; along
Rum River to thr Mississippi at Anoka,
the route of transportation NAV be
completed either by a canal or slack
water navigation.
If Minnesota terminus of such
canal at Lake Superior is desirable. the
canal may be carried northward from
convenient point on the Nemadii
River. there being sufficient descent
to the country and to the Nemadii
river to supply the canal with water, if
constructed entirely in Minnesota.
The appearance of the country be.
tween the St. Louis river and the Ml..,
iSsippi above Sandy Lake. justifies the
supposition that connections of tribu.
taries to both rivers in swamps. similar
to the ones described in this communi-
cation. may be found. In that region
their are extensive swamps, which con-
tain too much water to be available for
agricultural purposes, being q defect
which makes them just the location and
through which, to construct
and operate canals
B. F. CHRrsrLnrB.
Long Lake, MIMI, Nov. 23d, 1873.
Newell Rosser committed suicide
at Winnemucca. Nevada, a few DAYS
ago. leaving n note in the co,r-a - 81