The Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1877-1885, 1881-04-29
ROCK RIVER.
Its improved Navigation again
I agitated.
The claim that a few dams
will improve it.
Prospect that thu water way will re-
csive Congressional attention.

The following communication is taken
from the Dixon Sam
few wears ago there was considerable
talk about improving Rock river by Sc
riec of dams. so as to make slack-water
navigatinn The talk at that time was
nerb9Y,s premature, as there was then no
chance 10 ship farm products to tlc sea
hoard nv a southern water-route, on &C
count of the sediment in the mouth of the
Nicsiesi,,ni river But now the sediment
has been driven far out into the ocean by
Fod's ietties. and ocean steamers have no
trouble in landing at the wharfs in New
Orleans It will require but three or four
comparatively inexpensive dams to make
ROCK RIVER.
navioahle for transportation purposes,
from lis mouth to Dixon; and then grain
co,,ld he shipped from Dixon to the south
ern seaboard for about what the railroads
now charge for carrying it from Dixon to
Chicago, and the freight charges from New
Orleans TO Europe would be but trifle
more than they would be from the eastern
scaboard to the same place, and the extra
cboroe from New Orleans to Liverpool
wmd certainly not be more than half
as much as the charge would be from
Chicago to the eastern seaboard and
several cents on every bushel Of grain
raised in Rock river valley would there
bv be saved in freight to the producer
and the consumer. AS & rule there is
NOT MUCH COMPETITION
between railroads and water routes from
the same point to the same destination, for
they are very apt to pool their business at
the expense Of the producer and the con-
sumner But when transportation routes
from the same point run to different
destination there is always more or less
competition from the starting point, and
the producer WILL as a rule, get all his pro
duce is worth, and will not have to give
two bushels of his grain TO have the third
bushel carried to market,
There were more than sixty million
bushels of grain shipped to Europe last
year by the way of New
her docks ready to transport all that came
to that city. 1t will be but a short time
before there will be strong competition be-
tween the eastern and seaboard steamers
for the transportation of the cereals of the
Great West to the place of their final con-
sumption. Now should Rock river be i'm
proved so as to make slackwater naviga
ton, the water power on the stream would
add at least twenty-five per cent, to the
value of every acre of land within fifteen
miles of the river. Then the Valley of the
Rock would occupy the proud position of
being not only great manufacturing dis
trct, but of having two competing routes
to Europe-one by way of the Mississippi
and the southern seabOard. the other by
way of the eastern seaboard-and both
routes would be in constant competition for
the carrying trade of one of the richest and
most productive valleys in the world.
There is no reason why the manufactured
wares of the old world should not follow
in bulk, the same
CHEAP WATER ROUTE
to the valley of the Rock, to be exchanged
for the products of our farmers, and save
the numerous commissions that we now
have to pay 10 the middle men, that are
scattered along the route between here and
the eastern seaboard. Now since the sedi-
rncnt has been removed from the mouth of
the Mississippi and produce begins to seek
that route to Europe, every intelligent
person of discernment will admit that it
will be but a short time before q good
share of the grain raised that is tributary
to the upper Mississippi, will follow that
river to the old world. And, if that be so,
can any good reason be given why it will
not be profitable to ship by water route,
the products of Rock river valley down
the Rock and the Mississippi rivers to New
Orleans, and from there by ocean to Europe.
CONGRESS
has been quite liberal of late in furnishing
funds to improve some of the water courses
of several of the Southern states that are
not near as deserving of help as is the inn
provement of Rock river, and it is right
and proper that we should ask the govern
ment for few thousand dollars to improve
4 river that drains one of the richest and
most fertile valleys in the universe. And
if the people that live near Rock river in |
The states of Wisconsin and Illinois will
unite and make the improvement common
cause, and ask for moderate appropriation
for that purpose, it will be coming forth |
with. And said improvement will add at
east five cents to the value of every bushel |
Of wheat and corn that is raised in the val |
ey of the Rock