The state rights democrat. [volume] (Albany, Linn County, Oregon) 1865-1900, 1875-04-09
THE aIckENzIE CANAL.
WILLAMETTE FoRKs,
March q, 1875.


Knowing you TO be an advocate Of
the interests of the people in all mat
ters OF public nature, and more par
ticularly the advocate Of the interests
OF the farming community, there.
fore address this communication to
the DEMOCRAT.
We feel justly impressed that the
time is just dawning upon this coun-
try when its resources will be more
fully investigated and every avenue
of its wealth sought and improved.
Among the mostimportant is Canal,
to tap the Mckenzie River, at, or near
Sporeslferry. AT this point you have
a supply Of purest water that flows
into the Willamette Valley, sufficient
TO furnish any amount. There have
been several surveys already made at
this point, all of which prove the
practicability Of the enterprise. But
it9would be attended with a heavy
outlay if company should be SO
blind TO its interests as not to see the
difference between the two points
where the water may be taken out.
Theyboth really and absolutely come
out of the Mckenzie at the same
point, and within 300 feet Of each
other, for it would be impossible to
get more than from so to 20 yards
above the head of the ialongh, from
which the water is obtained to run
the Brumly sawmill With an outlay
Of from $500 to 81, 400, this slough
can be SO improved as TO carry any
amount OF water two miles in the di'
rection the canal ought TO take. At
the head of this slough the water
stands within eight or ten feet Of the
highest ground that would have to be
encountered, and can be brought to
the surface within three iourths Of a
mile Now, you see at glance the
by this plan we have the water two
miles in the proper direction at cost
of not to exceed 81 500
1 Now let us see the other route to be
made by an artificial ditch by starting
\ 200 feet above the head Of I'll g slough
and keeping above high water mark
You get cut about II feet TO low
water level; then three feet for depth
of water inithe canal, and you have
30 teet of depth which will continue,
il The canal is kept above high water
mark, for mile and half, averaging
from IL 10 IS feet deep; then sradu
ally getting to the surface, / should
think, within the nextmile. lido not
think / am very well qualified to judge
of the cost Of such work, but think
perhaps it would cost from thirty to
forty thousand dollars 10 get the wa
ter to the surface by an artificial
ditch, and believe in starting this
work above the present outlet Of the
water, and keeping il above high wa
ter, you would come in contact will
the hardest kind OF iron or basalt rock
fortwo orthree hundred yards, as fol
this distance the canal would be hug
{ ging the base Of o high hill
Now, Mr.. Editor, your readers
have the lay Of the two routes fol
the first two miles. BY way Of the
slough route the first two miles car
be completed at cost Of from $500
to 81 800, and by way Of the o.hei
two and half miles will cost thirty
or forty thousand dollars. The wa
ter stands at the Brumly Mill from
eight to ten feet below tho surface
and can be run out on the surface
within half or three-quarters Of |
mile at cost Of about ten or twelv,
: thousand dollars. Take the first OK
/ treme cost Of this route ISIS, ,000) nut
the extreme cost for taking the wa
ter from the mill on to the surface
I ($12, ,0O0) and we have q cost Of $13,
500. Now take the extreme loves
figure of the other route 1886, 900
/ and you have a difference Of SIC, 800
, Now we have the wator out on thl
surface THAT 10 to say on paper) ant
: what will we do with y. | presum
the people Of Harrisburg will sa,
they will take it, but this is not all
will your Company take snfficien
, stock in it to build it, with what out
side help you can get, or are yol
playing "the dog in the manger" o.
this question. You have not estab
, lished much by the leyeling you hal
Judge Webber TO do for you. Tn
4 people in this little corner saw to
/ much of leveling and surveying don
9 by the Rail Road Co., TO think
r means much. A Canal to Harris
burg would be better than notbin
I, for the people in the upper end q
y the valley, but we think a Canal +
a Albany straight down through th
r country would be Of n vast dec
more importance to us, and woul
{ accommodate ten times as many pee
pie as to run one simply To Harris
n burg. But it seems that the pcopl
0 about one Of those little village
think an enterprise Is Of no yaln
4 unless they center at them. We d
not dislike the people at Harrisburg
e nor do we wish them any III success
a on the contrary, we feel that we hay
e many good friends there, but likin
them will not nor does not cause II
!, 10 think any the less of onrself, q
Q TO watch less carefully our own il
i terests. We would enquire where
9 tile wealth ia Harrisbnrg2 Ther
:. may be found eight or ten men ther
L that are able and willing TO do some
J. thing, but that Is about all. WIS
i is the prospect on a straight line
n Almost every farmer on the line wi
give il aid. Quite sum Of none
d can be had from the peoploSoa Mut
|. dy to have fresh. clean and clear vi