Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1876-02-10
L HE II f r A Id.
Col, Adams on the River Improve
ment.

vile "a dIlu W lcCOuSIu llNSIS- OOls
Adams was one of the party who
gave the work a personal inspection,
last summer, consequently he knows
whereof he speaks when he ad-
yocates the canal system Of improve
ment:
Probably no subject should enlist
the attention Of our farmers equal to
that of transportation.
Immense quantities of wheat and
other sample commodities are annual
ly produced, which must be con-
veyed to the Atlantic coast.
How this can be done at the least
expense is the problem for solution.
No special benefactions or conces-
sions need be expected from our rail
road corporations.
Whenever there is the least pos
sible chance to increase their rates
on freight eastward, they at once
call meeting of the officials Of the
companies interested and the result
is, Of course, advanced rates. They
have learned the power of combin-
alton, and usually are not slow to
exercise it. How quickly do com
peiing lines cooperate, and how
quickly are the profits on the farmers
labor consumed.
So VII it ever be, until competi.
ton is secured by opening water
channels from the great ''Father OF
Waters TO the seaboard by way OF
our rivers and lakes, or until wise and
wholesome legislation shall be OBJ
tanned, permanently restricting ex-
horbitant exactlons.
lis true, our railway systems are
of vast Importance to the producers,
and should not be crushed out or Grips
pied in their legimate pursuit, yet
their management should always be
open to the public scrutiny, and be
subjected to legislative supervision,
based upon no unjust determinations,
but upon the greatest good to the
greatest number"
In consequence to the action taken
by the State Grange at its last session
relative to the project of opening the
Fox and Wisconsin rivers, thereby
giving the Northwest a water high
way to the lakes, | accepted an invi-
tation to become a member of COM
mission to examine the Wisconsin
river from Prairie du CHEN to Por-
tage.
Although appointed on the com
mittec on Resolutions at the time by
our Brother Taylor, Governor of
Wisconsin, | declined to serve, be
cause the report was the issue ola com
promise, and because | preferred to
give you the result of my observation
free and untrammelled, owing no 10y.
atty elsewhere.
Allow me to say then, briefly, that
the Wisconsin is a beautiful river,
and its volume Of water at Portage
is estimated to be three-ffths of the
Mississippi at St. Paul. 1t is spread
over broad bends of every shifting
sand, and it's channel is constantly
changing. For three or four years
the government has been engaged in
the attempt to improve the naviga-
ton.
Large sums have been expended
in experiments, and it is the unani-
nous opinion Of the river men en-
gagged in running RATS and steam
boats, that no desirable result ever
have been, or ever can be attained
under the wing dam system Of i'm
provement.
Why should such vast sums OF our
nations money be yearly sunk in the
sand?
Gen. Warren says, it is probable
that the people could never be
brought to undertake the canal until
the other way has been tried and
failed.
When | say canal, I mean a broad
one that will carry the upper Mississ-
ippi steamboats, through its locks, and
allow them to use their own steam
power on the canal.
1t would seem to the most casual
observer, that the wing dam plan has
been thoroughly tried, and has most
failed. 1t would seem that
the plan advocated by Gen. Warren
is the only one at all feasible.
Why should not Minnesota urge
the abandonment of the present
method ofimprovement and the adop-
tion Of a plan which seems unques.
tionable.
The absolute necessity OF the trans
portation of our cereals to the sea
board at as little cost as possible re-
quires 10 argument from me.
1t only remains for our representa-
tives in Congress to make such appro-
priatons as shall secure the early
opening Of successful water lines, so
that we may be able to pour our lux.
uriant wealth into the lap oft east,
and to obtain fair remuneration for
our labor.
Since it has cost Minnesota so much
to ship grain to Milwaukee, a distance
of 400 miles, as it does from there to
New York, 1900 miles, why should
not our means be used to construct
and complete the work projected by
Gen. Warren at as an early day as
practicable, inasmuch as the Fox,
which covers three fifths of the dis
lance, will be opened to commence
newt summer
The State Grange has heretofore
taken action upon the subject of the
Improvement of the navigation of the
Wisconsin ant Fox rivers, and upon
the transportation question, and |
trust this body will pass such resolu-
tious in relation to these matters as
shall clearly, definitely and wisely
express its sense thereon.
R Shelby (Ky.) Sentinel takes
the floor and says "a gentleman
came up to US the other day whose
appearance made US glad The
dash board of his shirt was ornamen