The Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1877-1885, 1884-04-02
THE CANAL MEETING.
What was Done Last Night at the
Meeting Held in the Opera
House.

The interest manifested in the
Hennepin canal by the people
of Rock Island is steadily increasing. 1t
is meet that this interest should be great,
and that it should increase. A meeting
was held last night at the opera house,
and the meeting was fairly attended,
though not as large as it should have
been. DIR. Stewart, the president
of the Business Mems associa,
ton, called the meeting to order
at eight o'clock, and Mr.. II, G. McCon-
nell was elected secretary pro tenn The
object of the meeting was then stated by
the president after which Alderman
Reimers made motion that Mr. W. H.
Gest address the meeting. Mr.. Gest re-
sponded and said that he believed that
everybody in the city was in favor of the
Hennepin canal and many had given the
subject more thorough attention than
himself, and he would pass all questions
of its utility and great commercial value
and necessity. He took ii that the par
ticular purpose at present was to ascertain
if it was desirable to do anything locally
at the present time the better to ensure
the passage of the bill now pending in the
house of representatives.. The gentlemen
who recently visited Washington made
highly favorable report on their return
home, and the people were much gratified
at their representations of its prospects.
Since then it was understood that the
cities of Clinton and Dubuque had been
moving to secure the substitution of the
Meredosia for the Rock Island route. The
| people of this city are in favor of the canal
| for the benefit of the entire northwest.
They are also in favor of the Rock Island
route, no. merely because of their business
interests, but because it is really and truly
| the best route for the canal, having all
natural and commercial advantages except
| the one item of first cost The Meredosia,
according to the estimates, can he built
somewhat cheaper, but it would be built
| in morass and away from the centre of
business and concentration of railway and
manufacturing establishments - so far
| away that its benefits would be to large
extent neutralized so far as the centre below
the rapids is concerned This movement
in favor of the Meredosia slough route is
calculated to divide the friends of the canal
and kill the project. Whatever the orr
gin, nature and extent of the Meredosia
movement may be-whether it was insti
gated by the railways or by local jealOusies,
it should be antagonized. 1t may not be
necessary to send delegation to Wash
ingtan, but if it is necessary one should
assuredly be sent. He suggested that the
president of the association telegraph
INQUIRIES to Gen Henderson and Mr.. Muir
| ply If delegation can do good by all
manner of means let it be sent. Our
people have waited, hoped and labnred
for this canal for twenty years, and it
must not he allowed to fail through any
| failure of cooperative effort on the part
of this city. If the bill is not passed by
the present congress many would feel that
their efforts were useless and that the
cause of cheap transportation could not
hope for a majority in congress.
Ex-Mayor Carse stated that he had
met a gentleman from Dubuque. and from
him learned that there had been several
meetings held in Dubuque, and that it
was intended to send men from Dubuque
to Washington and try and get the route
of the canal be changed.
Major j NJ. Beardsley was called upon
for speech, and responded in his well
known manner. He said he had com
mon interest with the citizens of Rock
Island and the Northwest in the coGstruc.
ton of the canal by the best route. He
spoke of the recent deputation to Wash
ingtOn TO meet 700 business men who
were called together in behalf of the i'm
provement of Western waterways as a
means of cheapening transportion, and
the signal victory they achieved for the
Hennepin canal over those who proposed
to limit the movement to the improvement
of rivers. No route other than the Rock
! Island route was ever known before and
this morass called the Meredosla route is
wholly impracticable-a delusion and a
cheat If the enemies of the canal can
not defeat its construction they will do
what they can to impair its usefulness.
He urged prompt and determined action
to forestal the new and dangerous move
ment. The present should not be ne
elected
Capt Robinson spoke little while,
after Beardsley sat down. He said that
he had been working for the canal for
twenty years. The prospect for success
was never better than now. He believed
it would be good idea to send delega-
ton to Washington.
Mr.. A C. Dart then read the following
telegram:
WASHINGTON, D. c., April l, 1884
Albert G.. Dart
In our opinion it will not be of any
service to send delegation here. The
House has been thoroughly canvassed and
nntsidn nersnns can do hnt little