, 1874-02-13
AN EXPENSIVE T0W-pATH.

There is corporation crontod by the Logis~
lature of Georgia authorized to take possossion
of tho Tennessee River aud connect its watcrB
mountains Of Georgia, and thence, by locking
and datnming three or four rivors, secure nayi-
cation to the coast ut or noar Savannah. This
scheme includes tho digging out, locking, and
damtning of tho Tennessee River to its mouth.
It aao embraces d branch Of the canal from
aome point in tie northwest part Of Georgia to
Mobile. This "great wator-route," from Pa
ducal1, On tho Ohio, to Savannah and Mobile, is
about 1900 miles long, following tho tortuous
course Of the rivers, and, when completed, would
deliver caualboat Of corn ut Savannah Or Alo:
bllo in about six weeks from tho timo it left Du-
buquo. OF course, thoro can be no objection to
tho Georgia Company going ahead md con-
s.ructipg tho canal, but it has met slight diff
body is simple enough to take share Of tho
stock and pay fof'it. Under those circum-
ntanors, tile Company has concluded to
Issue arst-mortgaso bonds on tue property
hereafter to bo croalod. Thoso bonds, however,
cannot be sold for penny on tho dollar. 30
they have applied to Congress, and on Tuesday
lust Senator Gordon, Of Georgia, introduced the
modest little bill, directing tho Secretary Of tho
Treasury to issue to tho Atlantic l. Great West
ern Canal Company national currency In tho
sum Of $4,000 milo to aid In the construction
Of the canal; the United States to tako as COL
lateral security the drat-mortgago bonds Of tho
Company. We have not before us the dgurea
showing the exact longth Of the proposed ditch,
but as the canal would be useless without tho
Improvement Of tho Tennessee River and tue
branch to Mobile, we may assume that tho dis
tancs to bo constructed and fitted for navigation
will not bn less than GOO miles. This at $4,000
per mile would only amount to S48,000,000, or
821 900, 900 less than was loaned to the Union
Pacific Railroad.
Tho State Of Yirginia has scheme Of tho
samo kind. She has narrow and shallow ditch,
begun in tho days OF Washington, which was
intended to connect the Atlantic with tho Ohio
River This last-oontury canal was, OF course,
never completed, and ,ts western end IL lost
somewhere in tho mountains. Virginia now
proposes to give this canal to tho General
Government On tho simple condition TINT it
lock aud dam the Kanawha Niver, aud connect it
by d new canal aud ton.mi1a tunnel with tho
old one on the eastern side OF the mountains.
The now work, accosding to the estimate will
cost $47, ,000,0 600, This ia for q canal 100 feat
| wide and feet deep. But the Did canal, 291
miles long, il only so foot wide Mt tho waterline
aud feet doop. AL this would have to be re-
constructed ut cost Of $4,000, 1000. There il
an outstanding debt Of about 415, ,000 600, making
in all for this work only s100,o00,0o0.
Then comes the Ohio River. TIC opening o.
q "grost water-routo" :" to tho Ohio Rive
assumes good stage Of water III that river
which, unfortunately, is not always fact Thu
Commission appointed to discover why thu
river is 10 shallow has recently reported, will
due gravity, that 1t IL OIL accouut Of want O
water and :ney recommend that Congress shal
purchase some ono Of tho great valleys in Penn
sylyania, sud. by damming 1t, construct ar
immense tank or reservoir to catol wato
when it rains, aud to supply tho Ohio Riyor whol
it runs dry. Tho coat Of this section Of th
great water-rouse~that In, putting tho oht
Rivor into navlgablo order, and supplying 1t witl
wator-will DO about 975 900, 600 moro. Horo
then, there arc two great wator-routos, each on'
Of which, when completed, will furnish til
farmers Of tho Weet WITH tho meanH of reachin
tue Atlantic from Iowa. in possibly six, but cot
talnly in eight, weeks from the day of starting
Iu these daya Of active industry, the rotara t
horses and mules III motive power for hauliif
wheat and corn 1000 to 1900 nilcs to nlartot
ono Of tho probloms that DO no strike tho luma
mind tavorably or forcibly.
II tho Government 10 to lona groonbacks o
collateral Of tho bonds OF tho Atlantic l. Gre.
Western Caual Company Of Goorgla, lot uH ha,
the loaning business matlo general, and oil otlt
companies Of whatever kind, aud all individual
and municipal govssnmonts, admitted to Il
ssuns privilege. GrssnbaQks aost nothing hsyou