River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1880-01-22
{ a fair compensation therefor

terlal Tor volume ~ Is IN stereotype
plates. Volume ], which, by the terms
of the law, must embrace q summary
of the general geology and the leading
iacts and principles relating to the ma
terial interests of the stale, and be so
arranged SO to constitute key TO the
more perfect understanding of the
whole report, must necessarily await
the completion OF the other volumes.
TIE manuscript for this volume is,
IoHever, in part prepared, and the
present year may witness the ma
summing up OF this work.
Tue expenses for tue survey from
October /, 1878, to March 81. 1879, the
date of the cessation OF all fixed salsr'
les, were 5000 Since that date there
has been paid the sum $95S.s5.
FISH CULTURE.
The report of the Commissioners OF
Fisheries is made direct to the Leglsla,
ture. The report OF the past year, pre-,
pared by the secretary, will be found
unusually full and interesting, and, /
trust, satisfactory. Oar efforts IN re.
stocking lakes and rive.s with the kinds
! of FISH best adapted to them, have been
eminenuy successful. and the expert
mental stage OF the enterprise has been
! safely passed. 1t only remains for the
| Legislature to determine from year to
year how much shall be done, and the
results can be predicted with as muck
| certainty as in any other branch of in
| Gustry. The expenditures for the last
calendar year were $5,305 50, tho
amount on hand for the present year
is 50 1880, and an appropriation of So
600 is requested for next year.
RAILROADS. !
From the report of the Railroad Com.
missioner, it appears that 5000 miles
of new road have been completed In
Wisconsin during the present year.
! making the aggregate of miles now IN
operation 1928 10, inclusive Of 10Y AZ
miles of narrow gauge track. The total
| number of miles of road operated by
| the companies reporting to the conn
missioner is 4,76503. The cost of these
roads and their equipments, as repre-
scented by capital stock and outstanding
bonds, is $205, 1876 SOC So, and the ret
| Earnings are reported at $12. 691 0O6.oe
/ DSIDS all 6fGiGEG vi " - pei
| cent. on the assumed cost. The
total number OF passengers carried on
all the lines was 5,336,686, and the
freight carried amounted to 1897 800
! tons. The number of personal casual
ties in Wisconsin was 1873, as against
1856 the previous year. On the eutire
lines of these roads, in all the states,
there were 284 casualties. The mum.
Der of passengers killed were two,
either of them in this state, and the
lumber injured was eight. 1t seems
.lmost incredible that of the whole
number of passengers carried only ten
were injured; and this fact reflects tie
highest credit not only upon the care
nd vigilance of the managers and SUI
perintendents, but also upon the skill
and fidelity of the thousands of me-
chanics and workmen in the shops and
along the line, and upon the conductors
and engineers, and their assistants,
| who run the trains.
RIVER IMPROVEMENTS.
During the past year, two important
! delegate conventions have been held,
one at Quincy and the other at Louis
vile, to consider the important subjects
connected with the improvement of the
navigation of the Mississippi river and
lis tributaries. 1t is of vital Importance
to the northwest that these natural
highways should be protected from I'M
necessary distractions, and their capac-'
ity increased to the utmost attainable'
limit. To accomplish this, it is neces-
8ary that some comprehensive general
| system of improvement should beside
vised and then pressed upon the atten-
ton of congress, to the exclusion OF
local clamor or prejudice. The con-
yentions referred 10 were attended by
practical men, interested in the matter
under consideration, and their conclu-
sions and recomm endations should be
not without influence with congress and
the people, in arresting the perniclous
practices which have hitherto obtained
1t has become quite the habit recent
| ~ to refer to the improvement OF the
Fox and Wisconsin rivers In any but
complimentary and assuring terms.
Nevertheless, the work progresses and
we'll be completed. Despite ali claims
and assertions to the contrary, The eX-
| perinents by government engineers IN
charge, have demonstrated that 1t Is
practicable so to guide and control tnI
waters of the Wisconsin that they shall
dredge a navigable channel from Port
age to the Mississippi. Tue United
| States has undertaken this work; the
| Chief of Engineers has been instructed
| by congress to prepare and submit final
| plans and estimates, and under his d.
rection board of engineers has made
careful survey and fled their report
which will soon be published. Con-
gress should be urged by this legislature
and by the people, to go on with the
work more vigorously than ever before,
by placing money enough at the dis
posal of the engineer in charge to COM
plete it without deley.
PUBLIC LANDS.
The report of the Commissioners OF
Public Lands for the last year has been
prepared with exceptional care. All
the books have been carefully reviewed,
and calculations made showing the ex-
act condition of the trust funds and the
public lands.
The number Of acres Of lsnd hold by
the state September 5O,ls7o. was -
wear yeaT. 24,O51.8a
Increase by error in former reports. ~ 55J5D
Increase from school land indemnity 31Ue9O
-, l,6:z, SIC SIC s. s;
Decrease by sales during the year. 81 s27.2l
Held by the state September so, 1879 1,574, 81
The total expense of securing the 81
08909 acres of indemnity school lands
was $677. 81. Of which $4,000 was paid
as fees to the registers and receivers Of
United States land offices.
Encouraged by the success OF the
methods adopted in the prosecution OF
the claim for indemnity for deficiencies
IN school lands, determined, with the
advice and cooperation of the commits
sioners of the public lands, to adop'
similar methods in presenting the claim
Of the state for deficiencies in swamp
Itnds. These methods were, In brIea
to obtain accurate information in re-
gard to the extent and merits Of the
claim, and then present it, and the evil
dence to sustain It, in such plain and
concise manner that others may under
etand it. The preliminary work, now
about complete, has required much ex-
ira labor from the clerks in tho land
department, which it is due to them to
say has been most cheeIfully rendered.
MILITIA.
I esteem it q greet misfortune that
Tho jo0isIatt,ra r. Wisconsin haa mt