Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1879-01-04
LAKE IMPROVEMENT.

Voice of the Memorial Committee of the
st. Paul Convention to Congress--Cursory
but Forcible Review of the National Adj
vantages to be Derived from the I'm
provelnent of the Great Inland Water
Route.
The Lake Improvement convention held
here on the 18th ult. appointed committee
to prepare memorial to Congress urging
the improvements on the lake water route
advocated by the convention. The COM
mittee have been engaged upon the work Of
preparing suitable and comprehensive doc
ument, and yesterday finished the following F:
MEMORIAL.
To the Honorable Senators and ReDyesentnt;,es
OF the Congress Of the United STATES.
The committee appointed by the lake i'm
provement convention-held at St. Paul De-
cember IL, 1878, composed of delegates from
the dl1terent trade centers of the country in
terested IN the commerce of the great lakes
present to your honorable bodies this me-
mortal, and beg leave to refer to the follow
ing resolutions and extract from the report
adopted by the convention:
Inc most prominent feature of our inland
water system is the great lakes which pour,
through natural and artificial openings, their
waters to the sea. These lakes extend from
near the northern boundary of Minnesota, a
Instance OF l,4OO miles, to the Atlantic
ocean, nearly one-half the distance across
tne comment from ocean to ocean. Between
| the head OF Lake Superior and the Pacific
Ocean, distance of LOO miles. and inside
of the limits that will mainly seek this wafer
outlet we speak of American territory alone
lis large portion of Minnesota. Wiscon-
sin, all of Oregon, and the Territories Of
| Wyoming, Dakota, Montana, Washington
and Idaho, making an area of over coo, 600
square miles, and more than three times in
extent the great States of New York, Penn
sylvanla, New Jersey, Massachusetts, Marv-
land and Connecticut. This region of coun-
Try Is capable of sustaining, at the present
rate OF population in the Eastern States, over
2O,OOO,OOO OF people. Itmay be further and
safely SAID, that this vast region, as deyeI-
oped, Will, IN the production of the cereals.
stock, capabilities Of sustaining population.
wealth OF minerals and salubrious climate,
fully equal and favorably compared with any
like extent of territory on the American con.
tlnent. AS this region develops and be-
comes the homes of millions of people. the
bulk of its exports will move for distribution
to the cities OF the East, and via the Atlantic
ocean to the markets of Europe, while its
imports must mainly come from the Eastern
centers and from Europe, through the same
channels for distribution.
That these imitless productions which
will greatly contribute to supply the wants
OF many millions of people shall be carried
from the producer to the consumer at the
lowest cost of handling and transportation.
will not be aissated. That this commerce
will find its most direct and cheapest passage
through the great lakes, is equally plain to
all. This important result, however, will
not be reached till the people of the coun.
try fully realize the deep interest they have
IN the question, and the government re-
spends with the help required. This work
IS easily accomplished and at cost that.
commensurate with its importance, is mere
y nominal. What is imperatively demand
ed IS the right improvement of the harbors.
especially the harbor at the head of Lake
Superior, and the waterways, straits or
canals connecting the lakes with each other
and with the ocean. This done, unbroken
navigation is furnished to full-sized vessels
through the lakes, and 1,4OO miles of water
naVlgatlon IS extended towards and reaching
into one OF the most fertile sections of the
continent.
Wheat can then be carried from Duluth or
superior to the Eastern cities at less than 6
cents per bushel; -four at % cents per barrel.
wheat and our respectively to Liverpool, Is
cents per bushel, 80 cents per barrel, and
otner tonnage In like proportion; thus will
the consumer and producer receive like
dement's from the reduced cost of transpor-
tation.
e.
to settlement the country west to the Mis-
souri, river; section of the same road is
completed at the western end, and 600 Mills
OF the line is now in operation. Thus. if the
lake Improvement asked for were completed
more than two-tsirds of this great con-
tlnental highway by rail and water, would
to-day be open to the profitable uses of com
merce, While the extension of the line is
steadily progressing to the Pacific ocean.
Inc st. Paul Sioux City, the Sioux CITY &
st. Paul, the ST. Paul & Duluth, the St.
Paul d Pacific, Minneapolis & St. Louis.
and st. Paul, Saltwater & Taylors Falls
railways, are now reaching to and traversinp
the country we are describing, yet whatever
may come by way of business or usefulness
to these lines, the benefits to the people
1rom their construction, can be but partly
realized till they can carry their tonnage to
Lake Superior, their natural and cheap out
let to the markets of the world.
Ihe country referred to and tributary To
these roads is being rapidly settled by hardy
and industrious populations, while its pres
ent. productions and future promise are
awakening the surprise and COMMANDING the
admiration of the country.
Emigration from the crowded cities and
agricultural sections of the East, as we'll az
from Europe, is moving in to occupy the
section we have described with unprecedent-
ed rapidity. It is not possible that our gov
eminent will much longer permit the few i'm
pediments in the lake connections to fatally
hinder and obstruct the movement of it's
present and future production to the mar
kets of the world.
The distance from head of Lake SUPERIOR
to Montreal via the lakes, the Welland and
st. Lawrence canals, is 1850 miles, while
from Chicago or Duluth to New York via the
lakes. Buffalo, Erie canal and Hudson river,
it is l, 400 miles, a distance of 139 miles in
favor of the St. Lawrence route. The dis
lance from Montreal to Liverpool via Belle
Isle straits, $3.50 miles, and 1900 via Cape
Race; against 3,04O miles from New York to
Liverpool. The distance from Chicago to
Liverpool via Montreal and Straits of Belle
Isle, is 4,051, and via Montreal and Cape
Race, 4,259 miles, against 1859 miles via
New York
The rates of freight from Chicago to Kings
ton in 1876 were from six to seven and a
half cents bushel, with additional charges
of three to three and half cents for the
barge transportation thence to Montreal: an
aggregate of nine to eleven cents bushel,
equal to $500 to 1857 per ton from Chica-
go to Montreal. The rate in 1877, including
freight from Chicago to Kingston, and barge
charges of three to three and a half cents a
bushel from the latter place to Montreal,
Yves 1862 on wheat, and $3.50 ton on
corn, including all expenses.