Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1875-12-31
The American Board Of Transportation

water route by way of the lakes and the d.
Lawrence, the men of Chicago understand
h-tt.r their OWN interests and those OF the
great Northwest. No prominent citizen OF
Chicago, 50 far as we are aware, appeared
10 attach much importance to the project oil a
steel double track, all freight railway from
Chicago to Omaha. Some Of them, we
know. regard it as utterly visionary, and
many ,f them have looked sufficiently into
the subject and have had experience enough
a. practical forwarders, to become thoroughly
aware that railroads, under the most isvora-
bic circumstances, cannot compete with natu-
,.l water routes as carriers offreights. Among
the Chicago friends Of the Caughnawaga
canal j. Ex-Governor VIM. Bross, OF Hi
uoi.. lie j. gentleman Of high intelli-
geuce aud public spirit, one OF the chiei
owners of the Chicago Ti6uRe, the most
Influential Of the Chicago journals, and
prominent in many public enterprises fie
ta- made the transportation question a
stud, aud long since became satisfied that
tts Lakes and the St. Lawrence were des-
tined to become the greatest thosoughiare oi
N.-terp commerce. 1t was thought best
tnat tbs ship canal resolutions be IN
induced 10 the convention by
" s-trn uau, and ,ioy. Bros was sc
i..t,i iur the service and willingly under
t..lt The resolutions had been prepared
III consultation with Hon John Young.
lt,sy embodied, together with deelara-
x.yu .n favor VI the canal IL the most iea-l-
bic water mute from the West, Il clause
a.,or.u.. the granting 10 Canadian citizens
u ngLt- and privileges On our canals
aud Water. equal to those they grant
7, 49, The treaty OF Washington now
s,,ut- 10 Americans the perpetual
tlse navigation of the St. Lawrence
I'D 81 the Canadian canals owned By the
D..Ainion government But that treaty
gne- to the Canadians no privileges on
American canal. and the right TO nayi-
..ts Lake Michigan for but ten years, five
81 uhi-l. have already expired. This l.
III lair and equal, a. between the two
..,uutr.e~ The resolutions therefore declare
Al la,ur Of giving the Canadians transpor-
tateun M-litic. gu American canals and IL
i.uI waters equal to those they grant 70
American, on Canadian canals and waters,
asI ia favor Of the appointment o. joint
...uilui-~ion, 10 arrange the terms Of reciprJ-
al Concessions in water transportation tacll-
l.,e- These declarations, if adopted by the
convention. Mr: Young believed would be Of
-eniur - inducements 10 the Dominion
ro1erumeut TO undertake the construction ot
The taughnawaga cana! a government
work M Young and the other Cana
DIAN delegates would indeed have been
glad 10 secure from the convention reeolu-
uous i45oring entire reciprocity OF 1r-
ur4l products and manufacture, as VEL
=, transportation facilities bat that n4~
further than the Americans thought il "a
peiiept 10 20.
The resolutions were introduced by ,'py.
Bros, On Wednesday evening, and were
supported by him in brief and energetic
speech Mr.. Biselow also supported the
resolutions. all uiing u the antiquity Vi the
enterprise and to the many distinguished
statesmen who had favored it, and To the posi-
ZION and services OF the Hon John Young,
is most prominent promoter. Mr.. Bigelow'>
remark formed i Citing introduction Of
Mr.. Young, who made the main speech IN
favor Of the Caughnawaga enterprise lie
described the Improvements Oi the It. Law
reuce route, made and making at heavy tx
yense by the Dominion, and the importance
aud value of tue proposed ship canal to Lake
thanplain. in connection Herewith. With
cat attacking, in terms. the visionary pro
jet Of national freight railway. he show
ed that it offered no adequate solution ot
the transportation question. lie quoted
from the computations Of such eminent
engineers a. Nm. MeAlpine and Waiter
Stanley, showing tina: an ordinary canal
toat, Vi the average capacity Of such as now
come 10 tide water through the canals, car
lies a. much grain as an average freight
railroad train that one hundred and fifty
such boats now come 10 tide water ddiiy
during the busy season of navigation that
10 haul from Chicago to Buffalo only, the
freight now shipped at Chicago BIS lake
(amounting to upwards Of Jour million tOn-)
would require p 900 cars and COO lOcomo-
tiyes that to haul the grain now shipped |
daily by water from the W est, would re
quire some hcenfy miles Of railroad cars, and
that it would be almost impossible 10 pro-
vide terminal facilities for receiving and dis |
charging any such quantity OF freight that
j'tlesa times as many tons Of freight are now
between New York and Albany
By water, in the nine months OF navigation,
a. BY the railroads in twelve months unj
that the cost OF transportation by water does
Lot Average one NH of the cost by rail
We shall pnblish. hereafter, Il report Of
Mr. ioung'> remarks aud will not under
axe to report them further here. They
we're listened TO with close attention,
nd made 4 strong impression on the con-
ention.
The resolutions offered by Goy Bros-
'ere referred, IN the usual course OF bust
sss, to the standing Committee on Resolu-
ions and Reports, composed OF one member
ION each State. Thi, committee was in
lmo-t constant session for two days and 5
ishts, listening to the arguments Of \
le friends OF the various measures l
.ferred 10 them, and sitting ont
ON the mass those that they were o
illing to endorse and present 10 the con u
,ntion for it, endorsement. The New !
orkers had laid out the work for the COM "a
ittee, and intended that it, specific re- "
IL to lines and routes, il
od!d begin and end with urging the con- 3
ruction of the great national airline steel II
Ill, double track, hundred million dollar Il
ilrOad. 10 this end Mr. Thurber, of New c.
,rk-a courteous and intelligent gentle al
IN, who has been, also, for two years III
airman OF the committee on rail- (,
adj routes, and who. in the report of 1t
e latter committee. presented to this con- til
ntion, set forth at length and earnestly
commended the national freight railway ed
1eme-was made chairman of the Com tir
ttee on Resolutions and Reports Mr. m
urber notified Mr.. kennedy, the Yer 1t
mt member Of that committee. that the tn
st that the Caughnawaga canal could Ill
pect from the committee was q general til
dorsement of the four great lines Of -
recommended by the United TIA
ltes Senate Committee On transportation an