The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1880-03-27

through the canal and the Illinois river The
Mississippi, the Missouri, Cumberland, len
nesscc, Ohio, Arkansas and red rivers all wait
ing to receive, shi p and tranship all the known
products of the civilized world, and only Il
channel less than three hundred miles long to
be dredgcd out, a. il We're at n mere nominal
expense to merge all these into
ONE GRAND WATER COURSE,
at once the most magnificent and important ~
existence. But, rctcrdtcs some one you don l
need tins ship canal Well then, blast oil the
rock at Stony Point and ill up the Hudson,
blockade the Lachinc rapids with sunkcn
ships, place dynamite under and blow up the
locks on the WeIand canal, for You domino
them rs much as you need this great improve
mcnt
1t is said tins great work Will cost millions
of money Suppose its completion viii IN iHC'
cost $tJO0OOOO the estimated cost by III"
most sklltul civil engineers docs not exceed
ST. 000,OOO,-what is Slj00OO00 to nation
Of fifty millions Of people, and the annual IN
crease of whose taxable property is $4,000
600? Why, there are railroad kings vino have
made money enough in one yearly compel
ling the people 10 pay cruel and cNorhIlanl
rates which if this great improvement had
been completed these railroads could never
have cXactcd irOm-thc farmers and producers
To pay all that ship canal from the lakes To
the Mississippi would cost suppose it does
cost millions, is
TIE MONEY
expended on this work going 10 be Osit No,
il will all remain right here, adding to state
and national wealth and prosperity. There
are twelve thousand ahlC.bodlcd men in tins
state today who are not only willing but anN
ious to obtain work, so as Ia get the ncccSS'r
les of lie for themselves and their families.
This fact alone, connected with the importance
and necessity of this improvement, warrants
the investment of fifteen times fifteen millions
Of dollars.
l. honest poverty a crime in this country 8:
1t is not so regarded in Europe. There, dcs.
potIC rulers, by stern edicts, order the making
Of public Improvements, so that the hungry
may be fed and the naked clothed. In Gods
name, ask, is there less charity for the de
serving poor in America than in oppressed Eu-
rope?
1t has been estimated by competent Judge
that the water power alone which would ut
cessarily be created along the line of this IN
provcmcnt could be leased for an amount sui
tcicnt to pay l1s per cent. yearly ON the sum
OF money expended IN Its completion, besides
increasing almost beyond limit the value OF
all kinds of property, and add beyond compu
tation 70 the beauty, health and prosperity OF
every village and city through which ii passes.
Our people are wild with excitement over
MINING sPECULATIONs
and | often think, to the great dctrmcnt OF
important Improvements like the one in con.
temptation. That there has been some profit
from gold and silver mines there can be no
doubt. But the entire annual products OF these
mines has a value less than onehalf rs great
as the agricultural product Of the state OF Hi
nols alone, and those who have given the sub
ect much thought estimate that the annual
net gain in Illinois from agriculture alone Is
within Is per cent. of as much as the gross
products Of all the gold and silver mines in
the United States. This is a startling tact, but
true nevertheless
In this connection it is said by the closest
and demonstrated by our best sta 3
ricians that the annual amount Of money n
Justly paid railroads over and above Il II
and which would be save, 10
the farmer, the producer and consumer if 10
canal was completed and IN operation, W, I'd
pay Z per cent. semi annually on the cost o. b
construction, and in less than nineteen y -
the amount thus actually saved would ore
than equal the original outlay.
For one, | never had and do not now enter.
tain any
HOSTILITY TO RAILROADS.
II Is the fact that they are managed for midi
vidual ACKNOWLEDGEMENT and not for the public
veal that cxctes my Indignation. 1t isan un.
deniable fact that for long years tins country
tant railroad charges, and the people have, as
peated expressions. And not satisfied with
,atI, ,N{ IL 4 l,n Snau