The Rock Island Argus., 1884-02-15
RIVER IMPROVEMENT.
An Argus Reporter Interviews Major
Mackenzie this Morning.

Major Mackenzie, who has charge of
the improvements of the upper Mississip-
pi, with headquarters at St. Paul, arrived
in the city yesterday and was interviewed
by the ARGUS reporter this morning, in
the engineers offices. The genial ma
jor was very busy in looking over lot
of maps when the man of news entered
the room. On making known the object
of his visit the reporter was invited to
| take chair, and to ask any question that
he saw fit.
Reporter Major, what improve
ments are contemplated on the Mississippi
this year?'
Major MacKenzie-"That is a hard
question to answer at this time. The river
is now frozen over solid, and we cannot
tell the places that stand most in need of
improvement until navigation opens up"
Reporter When will navigation open
up, major?
Mackenzie is another hard
question, young man. II depends en-
tirely upon the weather. Here in Rock
Island it may open up by the middle of
March. Mind you, say it may, not that
it will, for do not claim to be prophet
In my country. St. Paul, the river is
hardly open for navigation before the
middle of May Some times. however, it
opens up earlier. have known it SO a
number of times. But there is not so much
attention paid to steamboating nowadays
as it used to be. The large number of rail-
roads accounts for this. The people in our
country have many things to look after,
and they seem to think that steamboats,
come about the last thing
Reporter: How about the appropria-
tions this year?'
| Mackenzie: 1T is hard to predict. l
think however they will be as large. if not
larger this year than last. About $400,
600 was appropriated last year. The
amount of this is to be expended on about
700 miles of territory. 1t is far from
being enough"
Reporter: major, will there ever be
a time when the improvement of the Mis-
sissippi can be said to be completed?"
Mackenzie: That is deep question.
twill take time TO answer it. hardly fee
at liberty to express an opinion. How
ever it will be many, many years ere the
Mississippi can be said to be thoroughly
improved 1t will be 2j years. 1t will
take S12,000000 to complete the i'm
Iprovements that are now needed, but
there is hardly any probability of getting
that much or an appropriation at one time
from congress-
Reporter: What is your opinion of ihs
Hennepin canal?"
Mackenzie: Now young man, you art
getting imprudent AS an official canno
Iexpress an opinion. Everything that
lwonld say would be taken as al
official declaration. You can say that
am neither for or against the canal. Be
sides, if you want information on tina
subject there are a number of men il
your town who have given the matte
deep study and are prepared to give al
opinion. and back their opinion with ar
Iguments, You ought to get Major Allal
to write you an article on the HennepiI
canal if you want definite information.
| Reporter: as there anything else yos
can think of that would be of interes
that you have not enlightened us on
Major?'
Mackenzie: There is nothing further
believe, any more than you can say t
your people that the Improvement of th
Mississippi is of vital importance to you
city, as well as to every city on the river
also that my best efforts will be put for
ward towards clearing the river of a
impediments to navigation.
I