Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1881-05-28
Il GIG aNTIC FRAUD.

The convention called at Davenport to pro-
mote the completion of the Illinois and Mich-
gan canal from its present terminus at Hen
nepin to the Mississippi river at Rock Island
has concluded it's labors. 1t was not one of
these contracted conventions that are occa-
sionally held, cofning itself to any given sub
ject, but was a go-as-you-please gathering.
1t considered the transportation question from
the Garden of Eden to the Fourth of July,
and scattered all over creation like rusty
shotgun concluding by adopting series of
resolutions favoring the improvement of the
navigation of the Mississippi river and its
tributaries; favoring the connection of that
highway with the seaboard by means of arti-
fetal waterways; approved the barge system
on the Mississippi; and closed by advocating
the cession of the Illinois and Michigan canal
to the general government provided the gov
eminent will undertake to complete it to the
Mississippi as proposed by the commission
now having charge of the ditch.
Few people have any idea of the character of
this work, of its previous cost or of its ulti-
mate expense to the general government. If
they had they would arise as one man and de-
HOohSO ohO cShClbO PiOpOoCu ny tuC 0dSSupOlt
convention as one of the most stupendsus swim
dies and attempts atrobbery that has ever been
suggested. 1t is charitable to suppose that q
majority of the members of the convention were
ignorant of the character of the job, for many
of them have heretofore had the the reputa-
ton of being honest men. ~ e4
The canal was first projected in 1925, and
In 1897 Congress granted in aid OF it's con-
struction lands along the proposed route
aggregating 2S4 900 acres. Nine years sub
sequentiy the surveys were completed from
Chicago to La Sale, distance of hundred
miles, and work commenced. Congress ap-
propriated 5000 acres of additional lands In
1912, and in 1854 gave 50, 900 acres more. It
was claimed in 1s4S that the canal had been
completed at a total cost of six and half
millions Of dollars. 1t had been intended to
connect Lake Michigan with slack water navi-
cation on the Illinois at La Sale, but when
that point was reached it was found that there
was not water enough in either canal or river
to float canoe, and for years it lay idle and
stagnant-a ditch where the sewerage of the
towns..along its banks found Judgment, caus-
ing sickness and death for miles on either
side. Not a bushel Of grain was transported
upon it in any direction. From 1858 to 1861
an attempt was made to establish line of
grain barges on the canal, but it proved fail
ure and was abandoned. An appeal for aid
was made to Congress in 1858 and again in
1867, but Congress refused to listen to it and
further appropriations were denied. subse-
quently, however, in 1870, an appropriation of
about four millions was obtained and the work
of deepening the canal was recommended. The
State of Illinois and the city of Chicago
united, and locks and pumping works were con-
structed at the junction of the Chicago river
with the canal. .-.,-s.
The result was that an artificial current
was created In the canal by the opening and
closing of the locks, and the Chicago river,
without doubt the flthiest stream in the
world, was completely purified. The filth and
offal that rendered the atmosphere on its banks
almost as fatal as q pestilence, was sen.
through the canal and the Illinois river to its
junction with the Mississippi, and the people
for two hundred lmiles were subjected to all
the horrors of malaria. Fish died by millions,
and the waters of the Illinois river became SC
polluted that they were rendered unfit for use
even for cattle. Yet the canal was pronounced
grand success, and was formerly Opened
with great excursion of Chicago people ant
liberal flow of champagne. Since that time
an occasional canal boat has brought grain tt
Chicago, the arrivals numbering about three
day for period of six months. The State ant
city had expended the sum Of two and hal
millions, which they subsequently recovered
from the general government. 1t will thus
be seen that the canal has cost thus far, in ad
dition to 321, 600 acres OF the richest land il