The Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1877-1885, 1885-01-29
HELPING HENNEPiN.
Seine Lucid Points in Favor OF thu
Construction Of the Eiennepin
Canal.


nep!n canal Many eastern journals that
have heretofore opposed the measure, are
now among its warmest supporters, The
prospects for favorable action in the house
were never better, and on the whole the
people have just cause to feel sanguiue of
its ultimate success in both branches of
congress. The ARGUS has in the past and
will continue in the future to devote much
of its space to the cause of Hcnncpin, for
its construction would be Of incalculable
benefit to the city. We append an able
article from the Washington National
Rcoieac:
Nearly six hundred miles of the upper
Mississippi are deprived of full use by
reason of absence of connection with the
great lakes. Were such connection es-
taJlished the heavy products ofthe north~
west could be tloated on those six hum
dred miles and direct to the lakes without
breaking bulk That would save at least
six cents per bushel in freight charges on
wheat from river points to Chicago, The
wheat prodnct of Illinois. Wisconsin,
Minnesota, Iowa, Nebraska and Kansas
may be placed at POO, coo, 900 annually, in
round numbers. If only one half Of that
total were affected by the reduction that
saving would place 5000 900 every year
i'll the pockets of the wheat producers of
six states. These figures are but indica-
f14 80. Il, =,
presented to illustrate the very important
facts involved in the question of con-
structiug the uenncpin canal
Bat, the same barges which would
float wheat 10 the lakes By canal would
take back to the Mississippi river coal,
iron, salt lumber, heavy groceries, bAIcd
dry goods, machinery, cement, stone, etc.
from the east, For instance, the ship
ments Of Pennsylvania coal for use in the
northwest are becoming of great extent,
In 1879 $50 64G tons were taken, by lake,
from Buffalo to Chicago. In 1888 the
total swcllcd to l. PAS, us tons. Last year
not less than 100000 900 tons reached
Chicago from all sources. The average
freight charges from Erie and Buffalo was
81 cents per ton. Water transportation
made that low rate for nine hundred
miles carriage.
But on that same coal tie freight from
Chicago to Dubuque, Davenport, Bur>
lington, keokuk and other similar locali-
tics-distancc Of from $50 to 200 miles
the freight rate was two dollars per ton
Absence Of connection between the lakes
and Mississippi made that rate. Were the
Hennepin canal constructed that freight
charge could not have exceeded 80 cents
per ton. Ii only onc-tifth of the PEN
nsylyania coal reaching Chicago is talca
west. the canal would have saved $500
600 in freight charges on that product
alone in one year. Who would gain by
such saving? OF course Pennsylvania
would almost as much as the northwest,
for cheaper transfer of coal to the Mis-
sissippi would mean vast increase in
the number Of customers for Pennsyl
yania coal. aud more consumption of
such coal.
These facts illustrate the national char
acter of the Hcnnepin canal project. Its
success would benefit the cast as well as
the northwest.
Congress ordered and PAID for the
deepening of the St. CLAIR Flats, and the
removal OF the distractions at The Lines
kiln crossing near Detroit. Those i'm
provements rcvolulionizcd freight rates
from Chicago and Milwaukee eastward
Instead of cQrgoes of but $1,000 to %
600 of grain there now pass cargoes of
10000 to 100000 moved by one propel-
Ter The freight rates which We're 1910
ceuts per busbel on wheat in 1866, were
but $40 cents in 1888, and were at times
in 1884 as low as BE per busheI from
Chicago. For the len years ending with
1873, wheat paid an average Of 1854
cents per bushel from Chicago to New
York, and for ten years ending with 1888
only TO- 80 cents per bushel for same cars
riage-by lake and canal. The improve
ments on ST. Clair fats and Detroit river,
paid for out of the United States treasury,
thus saves IS cents per bushel to the
wheat producers who are on the lakes. aud
to others when they reach the lakes. But
for want of less eXpcnditure-for want
of the Hennepin canal-the producers Of
the Upper Mississippi Valley must suffer
and groan under high freight rates in or
der to reach the lakes. Is this right? 1t
is wrong. Therefore, the people are only
asking for justice in asking for the Hen
nepin canal. The friends of the people
in congress will therefore vote for the
Hennepin canal as it is now presented to
the house in the river and harbor bill.
MORE GOOD NEWS.
An Albany IN. " special to the Chi>
cago Times of today says that Col. Jo-
scph Utley, of Illinois, member of the
Hennepin canal commission, had con-
ference with the canal committee of the
assembly this afternoon. At his request
Assemblyman Shoemaker offered a reso-
lutioii that the house concur with the rep
resentatives in congress of the states of
Illinois, Wisconsin, Iowa, Minnesota and
Nebraska in asking congress to authorize
and provide for the early construction of
canal from Hennepin. on the Illinois
On this resolution Col Utley addressed
the committee, making favorable state
ment of the argument in favor Of the con,
gressional appropriation which is being
asked for on behalf of this project. He
stated to the committee the interest New
York had in the project, aud that. not>
withstanding this interest, the members
of congress from the state of New York
had been, during the last session of cons
gress, hostile to the Hennepin appropria-