Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1878-12-20


bled at Music hall between 8 and 10 o'cloc]
yesterday morning, and upon being called t
order by the president the following deleqate
we're found to be present in addition to thc,
previously reported:
Faribault--H. Wilson, T. B. Clement,
Fargo-A. W. Edwards.
Lake Ci'y-P. II. Rahilly,
Detroit-Geo. w. Lauson,
Several additional Ietters were reaa 81. f,l
lows: "es 90 A'i
FROM JOIN sPALDING.
SAULT STE. MARIE, MICH,
December g. 1878.
Hon. H. M. Rice.
DEAR SIR: regret very much that am not
able to attend your convention on the 18th
inst, and also to give YOU the contents IF +h;e
years report of the st. Mary's Falls ship canal.
MT. William Chandler, our collector, has now
gone to Lansing for the purpose of hasteninp
the publication, in order to get it before the
Legislature during the month of January and
VIII forward you several copies as soon as re-
celVed. Our receipts for the Falls this season
are S49, 49,, being an increase over last year of
S6,f06. The increase of the business of the
canal since it first opened has been on an aver
age, from year to year. about 10 per cent. and
see no reason why it should not continue
providing the United States government will
continue TO improve harbors and
rlvels. The Sault river improvement ia
the most required at the present time, as it
cannot be navigated with safety with over thir-
teen feet or water, and the new locks now being
constructed will give sixteen feet, which we
cannot reap the benefit of until other work ia
done. am well conversant with the old chan
mel of the river, having navigated it more or
less for the last thirty years, and am confident
Snat SlOu,Uuu Will give you a channel 300 feet
wide and sixteen feet in depth. I know of
good responsible parties that would take the
contract for that price and agree to complete
the same in two years. Then with range LIGHTS
at several points on the river it could be navi
gated by night well as by day. There has
been some talk by United States engineers of
shortening the river channel by passing through
hay lake, which would give us q more direct
route and shortening tho distance about thir.
teen miles, at a cost OF over u million and
half of dollars. 1t would take at least
ten years to complete the same. would adj
use the improvement Of the old channel as
with the vast Immigration flowing into the
Northwest both in onr own country and in
Chnada, We cannot afford to wait that legth of
time. Another matter that ought to be brought
before the convention is the connection of the
Nor hern Pacific with the Canadian at this
point. The Canada road is approaching this
point yearly They are building 100 miles this
year which, when completed brings them
within 100 miles of this point. Our State has
appropriated swamp lands to construct the
"a
yond or above Marquette could be revived, the
road could soon be built. | would recommend
also to keep. up your organization and adjourn
10 heeG during next summer at some point on
Lake Superior. Hoping to hear good results
from the convention, remain yours.
JOHN SPALDING
Snpt st. Marys Falls Ship Canal.
s. 8. GUTHRIE.
S. s. Guthrie, of Buffalo, President of the
Union Steamboat company, regretted that ill
health prevented his presence. Abiding in
complimentary terms to the Northwest, he
said:
Its extent and products, are marvels of our
new world. lt seems SO peculiarly adapted tos
mans energies and ready for cultivation that
IL will make no delay in it's progress, and if We
of the great commercial points Of these ex.
tended inland seas which open to it the most
direct and cheapest channel to the Atlantic.
remain inactive our neighhors on the north
will not. Already they are on the alert, and
with their Manitoba Western Colonization rail
way company, they propose building and
operating railways from Winnipeg, Lake Mani
toba, Red River, &C., which WILL if pre ssed
with their usual energies, bid defiance to our
great natural advantages"
CYRUS CLARK.
This gentleman wrote from Buffalo as fol-
lows:
AT meeting OF the board of trade of this
CITY l introduced series of resolutions,
which have been forwarded to the meeting,
which were unanimously passed, and rest
assured that not only the city of Buffalo, but
the entire State of New York, fully compre-
hend he necessity of the improvements Won
propose to advocate, and feel fully authorized
to assure you that any assistance you may ask
in any way will be cheerfully rendered and re-
spOnded to-
Mr. GRAVES STATISTICS.
Reports of committees being called for, Mr..
Graves, OF Duluth, read some elaborate tables
of figures which he had prepared, purporting
to show the business of the lake region AS
these figures appear to have been the work of
Mr. Graves, rather than the committee, we do
deem them of sufficient Importance to encum-
Der the columns Of the GLOBE, but presume
Mir. Graves will supply them to those sufficient
~ interested to call on him for them.
Upon Gen. Sibley's motion the report was
directed to be copied into the official proceed
lngs Of the convention in extenso
RESOLUTIONS.
Hon. Henry NJ. Rice, chairman Of the CON-
mittee on resolutions, then submitted the re-
port OF that committee as follows:
WHEREAS, The rapid settlement and fertile char
acter of the vast region of the country SOUTH north
and west of the head Lake Superior and its mex
haustible mineral and timber resources, calls for
such Improvement of our Northern water w,v as
will give tho largest sized vessels free and uuner-
rupted navigation through the great lakes and thus
secure to the producer the cheapest and most direct
route ana TO the consumer the products of this
gion at the smallest cost, and
"hEREAs The greatest obstruction to this water
way sin the Saint Aarys river between Lake Superior
and Lake Huron, the present condition of which
permits vessels of but twelve feet draft to pass and
although government has made large expenditures in
the construction of ship canal for vessels drawing
nf hn ;JnL
purposes designed until such further improvements
made to the river below will give the required
depth Of water and thus save the present loss of
thirty cent in the carrying capacity of modern lake
vessels and the annually recurring loss of SO much
of the public wealth; therefore,
heS0ftcd, That we respectfully urge upon Con-
gress the immediate acceptance by the United States
of the Saint Mary's canal, in accordance with the
offer of the State of Michigan of April 3, 1867 its
establishment as free canal and the speedy
petion of the new lock and its approaches.
ReSOiced, That ask of Congress an appropra-
ton for the further survey OF the
channels between Lake Superior and Lake
Huron, and SO much for the Improvement of
the present channel and the Saint Clair fats and De-
troit river, as i'll the opinion of the department
can be judiciously expended the coming season.
an appropriation to complete the survey Of the hn ar
Dor at the head of Lake Superior and its early i'm
provement, to meet the present and increasing
demands of commerce.
ReSotCed, That it is of the utmost importance that
the necessary harbors this northern waterway be
suitably improved
Res0tued, That committee Of nine be appointed
by the president of the convention to draft and pre-
sent to Congress memorial embodying the requests
of this commercial convention and our reasons there
for.
Gen. Il. W. Johnson, st. Paul, moved the
adoption of the report.
Mr.. A. P. Swineford, Of Marquette, Mich,
read all amendment to the resolution calling
for the improvement Of Duath harbor, saying
that while he did not propose to press it upon
the convention, he hoped it would recommend