The state rights democrat. [volume] (Albany, Linn County, Oregon) 1865-1900, 1875-05-07
THE MCKENZIE CANAL QUESTION
AGAIN.
WMIAsETrE EonKs, Ogn, a.
May 1st, 1875


time ago has stirred up the good
people of Harrisburg somewhat, and
/ suppose they have trotted out their
best material to put a final quietus
to all opposition to Harrisburg and
its special interests in regard to the
Canal question, AS to the question Of
the importance Of this enterprise, |
feel gratiiied and proud that there is
no difference, and there seems to be
no difference as to the starting point,
OF SO little that it is not visible to
the mixed eye of a disinterested
party, but there seems to be some
thing cropping out Of the letter Of
Dir. Hendrix that would indicate that
the Harrisburg people don't want
this Canal built at all BIZ any Com
pany. The running level that they
had made BY Judge Webber, might
have been all sufficient for their pur-
pose, for It left that thing exactly in
the right shape to misrepresent the
true character Of its cost. See the
Doctors letter when be says that |
forgot to say at the sixth station on
the route run BY the Jewelers., the
surface was five feet below low water
mark, in the Mckenzie at Spores
Ferry. Now this is the truth but it is
not the truth, and the whole truth
ana nothing but the truth, taking
this whole subject into consideration.
If twas the Doctor would have in
formed the public by his letter that
at the 7th station which is only about
two hundred yards, that at last all
that had been gained below low wa
ter and at the level indicated one
foot below low water in the river.
Just here let me say that Mr.. Web
Der ascertained that the water in
the mill pond was nine feet below
the surface of tho ground and there
was but little more than half a
saving head atthattime. With a full
head there would 10 IS inches more
water than there was when the sur
vey was made. That would raise the
water within seven and a half feet Of
that surface. Now Mr., Editor let
us prove our position that the Har-
risburg Company either attempted TO
get this thing in shape to misrepre-
sent it or they are grossly ignorant
of the true character Of the country,
for they never wore outside of the
limits of inundated or overhowed
lands till they passed hepoint where
DIR. Hendrix boasts of getting SO low
down. At this point Il believe it is
tho 9th station) the lowest point
within the oyerAowed country, they
touched point within six inches at
part of the back water from the
mill pond to-day, but the Doctor says
the land is still lower to the east of
the line followed bylhe Jewelers.. This
is true but this makes the matter
still worse, however it would make
the overplus, still deeper and more
to contend with. Now sir, there is
the point. Immediately after this srr-
yoy the Harrisburg Company called
meeting for the purpose of getting
stock subscribed, and don't you sup
pose the Doctor or some Of the cham
pions of this enterprise, told the
people at that meeting how easy it
was to accomplish this important en-
terprise and showed the figures of
the survey in proof of that assurance.
The position that we took on this
subject was that the leyeling showed
that the first station indicated is feet
above low water mark, and three feet
depth Of water in the Canal would re.
qnire is feet of cut, Now this isnot
quite all. When this Is feet cut isre-
quired, is still two or three feet be-
low extreme high water, which 1
know to BIZ true, Now you can see
that this would require the Canal to
be eat 20 feet deep at this point and
still farther east Then the low grade
spoken of by DR. II. to do this
would require all that / said it would
and perhaps more. Somehowor other
my letter of March " was made to
read "that the water stands within s
or 10 feet Of the highest ground that
would have TO be contended with"
when it should have read that the
water at low stage Is only s or 10 in
ches below the head of the slough.
This slough was intended to be the
feeder for the Brumly Mill, but was
not made deep enough for water to
run into it at low stage and as
stated in my letter it would cost
from 500 to / ,4O0dollars and with this
outlay you have the water two miles
in inthepropcrdirection. Then take the
water out at the mill, there would
have to be cut Of about 8 feet deep
Of water surface, then three feet
depth Of water you have eleven feet
of cut and this can be brought to
the surface within about three-fourths
OF n mile at a cost Of about ten thou
sand dollars, and every foot Of it
above extreme high water mark, after
leaving The mill Now Mr.. Editor,
| don't know that wo need to quibble
about the starting point for this sup.
posed Canal, but said this much to
show your readers that the Harris
burg Company did not mean any
thing when they done this leyeling,
for they started within three rods Of
the head Of the mill slough and their
attention was called to that fact and