The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1883-02-03
Our Note Book,
hold it truth with him who sings
To one clear harp in divers tones,
That men may rise on stepping stones
Or their dead selves TO higher things.

Or their dead selves TO higher things.
:.
Some time since tho Aurora Beacon pub.
lished an article by j. NJ. Gale, Of Yorkville,
Illinois, in which it is said: "There is per-
haps no more beautiful river, having such n
capacity for power purposes, (than the Fox, ]
and that has so fine an agricultural district
o: country for the support OF hundreds of
thousands OF manufacturing and other people
on its banks, on the globe. This is saying a
great deal, know, but not too much, think.
Hence, III my opinion, this latent power
should be utilized in manner commensu.
rate with the facts; time now, and time to
come"
The idea of Mr.. Gale is briefly this: "All
the water power between Aurora and Batavia
could be as we'll utilized at Aurora as not, it
would seem TO me. have heard it said that
there could be eighteen feet fall got from the
Schneider dam and let the water into the
present pond 1T Aurora. II such is the fact,
and the dam at Schneiders can be raised
three to five feet more, then there is an en-
tcrprlse worthy the consideration Of the peo-
pie of Aurora, and no cotton factory need use
steam, till several at least of the capacity of
the one now under course OF construction are
it is, or could be used at Oswego, making a
tremendous power there. A new dam could
be constructed two or three miles below Os-
wego, that would, if canaled to Yorkvlle,
give at least twenty five feet fall, there being
twenty nine between the foot of the Oswego
and Yorkville dams. Then the Post dam
could be reconstructed for the works at Mil
lington, as was talked OF few years ago, that
would give them twenty-five or thirty feet.
Sheriden could have another neSf ly as good,
il is said. Then there could be one more GER
tain, of similar capacity, between that and
Dayton; another ut Ottawa. Besides these,
the Blackberry, Rock Creeks and others
could be utilized to a much greater purpose
than now"
To this the st. Charles Chroaicle adds:
"There is no doubt that vast manufactur-
ing business can and will sooner or later be
developed in this valley. BY aproper utiliza.
ton of the water power its capacity can be
increased many fold. Thus at st. Charles q
dam could be erected ten feet in height that
would create grand reservoir between here
and South Elgin without interfering with the
power at that point, and the sum total Of
damages from overlooked lands could be sat
isted for few thousand dollars, as the banks
are generally high This would create a
power equal to at least four times the pres
ent one. Again, an equalizing reservoir
could be formed in the valley now partly
covered by Pistaka, Fox and Grass lakes,
equal to twenty five or thirty square miles in
extent, by building levee or dixie across the
valley above Mcllenry village, and the over
flow would be mostly of low or swampy lands
would hold in store great amount OF sur
plus water, which could be drawn upon al
most ad Hbitum in low stages OF the river, the
same as Manchester, Lowell and Lawrence
now draw from WinnepisseOgee in New
Hampshire. A continuous line Of railway
along the river from the coal fields to impor-
tant connections in Wisconsin is needed to
develop the latent power snd consequent
manufacturing interests"
Il
The New York Terra Gotta Lumber Com
pany sends us q pamphlet descriptive Of the
process of making "lumber" Of kaolinite. or
top clay, covering the fire clay deposits of
New Jersey, formerly considered of no value.
The clay is mixed in wet mush with saw.
dust, moulded into slabs and then fired. the
sawdust during the firing burning out. The
slabs are then treated like lsmber, being
sawed and turned into the shapes and sizes
desired. 1t is used for floors, walls, sheath.
ing materials for iron pillars or steam or
water pipes, roofing, chimneys, fire proofng
boxes, &c, and Innings, 1t is light and very
strong, hand made 5l4 inch cubes, half saw.
dust and half clay, according to test break
ing only al pressure OF l3,037 lbs. The
guaranteed breaking strain on floor is $50
lbs. per square foot. 1t seems to be really
a most valuable addition to the worlds build
inc materials; and il useful in New York
would be equally so at the west. We do not
know that the right 10 manufacture II could
b" Obtained for ne west but this might be
looked into by me Of our capitalists whose
money is earning nothing now, for the ma.
t-ria,s are here In vast quantities crying to
he utilized.
Aud. talking Of building, the great want OF
this city is q supply Of comfortable five or six
room cottages, with reasonable sized lots and
good water, in nciehborhoods away from the
glass factories aud railroads. Real estate
agents report an active demand for this class
Of houses, with no supply. The supply of
three and four room houses for operatives is
fully up 10 the demand, now the glass houses
are partly idle, but five, six and seven room
cottages out of the ueighborhood OF saloons
are not to be had. A dozen could be rented
at good prices to desirable class of tenants
within fortnight i they could be had.
The County Jail Racket" is becoming
quite animated. We published last week the
report OF the grand jury on the Jail, and an
outline Of the points Of the Republicans mer-
ciless attack on both the report Of the com
mittee Of the jury and the sheriff. Feeling
that Mr.. Fiske, of the jury, would be equal to