The Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1877-1885, 1885-01-20
HOPES FOR HENNEPIN i.
An Able Article From an Influential
JOurnal...The Canal Interests
and What Should be D0ne-.-
The Time to Strike
Has Come.


The New York Graph,c, one Of the
spiciest and best dalies in New York,
and the only daily illustrated paper in the
world, on last Friday published hand
some map of the United States, showing
the course of the proposed Hennepin ca>
nal, and the incalcuable benefit its con-
struction would be to the nation. The
map is the most complete one that has
ever been produced in the interests OF the
canal, and reflects great credit upon the
enterprise of the Graphic. Accompanying
the map is the subjoined able article on
the canal, and why It should be built,
which we feel assured every reader of
the ARGUS will take pleasure in perus>
ing:
The Graphic presents to its readers to-
day map illustrative of the great inter
state systems of water route Transports
ton which distinguish the United States
above any other nation in the world
These are only two in number. but they
are in extent without parallel They float
a commerce which is exceeded only by
that of the oceans of the globe. They
touch the territories quicken the indus,
tries and swell the wealth of states which
are, in amplitude of domain, yastness of
resource and numbers and character of
population, each entitled to respect as a
nation among the nations of Christendom.
One of these systems of interstate com
munication-that of the Hudson, the
Erie canal and the lakes-has directly
contributed to the development of the
state Of New York and to the enrichment
of the city of New York to an aggregated
extent beyond compute. To its constant
ly operative and far reaching influence,
indeed, much more than to any other
cause during the last half century, have
this city and state been indebted for their
marvellous growth and magnificent pros
perity. Far sighted as was the Sagacity
anu brilliant as was the genius of Dewitt
| Clinton, he builded much better than he
| Dor to Chicago by uniting the waters of
the Hudson with those of lake Erie by the
great and yet simple expedient of his
then much derided ditch" In complies
ing that work he set in operation causes
| which were destined to affect potentially
yet another and very different system Of
transportation not then thought of as of
possible existence. In building the Erie
| canal Dewitt Clinton did much more than
connect two great waterways, He estab-
lished on foundations broad and deep the
power which to this day controls and alb
| solutely determines the maXium rate of
| freight charges collectable upon the pro-
| duCe of the northwest and the cOmmo-
| dities of the east as these are exchanged
| between Chicago and other of the lake
ports and New York and other of the
harbors of the Atlantic seaboard. More
than all possible efforts of the legislative
power, the free waterway has proven it
self to be the ever operative and resistiess
regulator of freight charges.
Yet the free water route is exactly the
opposite of an antagonist to the railroad.
| The free waterway opens up, develops
and enriches the countless currents which
constitute the life blood of the railroads
| The agriculture rendered more remunera>
tive, the industry made more profitable,
| the commerce quickened to more sure re
turns, build up the communities which
furnish the increasing passenger travel
and the frcightage of Ihelighter and more
perishable goods which the railroads alone
can and must carry. So the best friend
| of the railroads is he who is the most ems
lightened and ssgacious advocate Of a
| constantly wise extension and improve
ment Of the free waterway.
Thus much we have said in enforce
ment of the lessons which experience has
taught concerning the influence eXerted
/ by only one of the two great systems of
American water route transportation.
Very similar, even though in less degree,
| have been the experiences attendant upon
| the operations of the Mississippi system.
Stretching from St. Paul and Fort Benton
and Pittsburg to New Orleans, that sys-
TEN has proven of vast Importance and of
| incalculable value to the country Con
gress so regards it, and has per couse
| quence made appropriations for its degel-
opment with munificent liberality.
The map of the Graphic, however en-
| forces attention to a singularly unfortu-
nate omission on the part of congress
| As directly, also, that map presents an
! object lesson not alone to our national
| legislators but to the vast constituency of
these in the eastern Atlantic states of the
Union The map shows that the two
water route systems Of this country are
without any navigable connection, al
though such could very readily be secur-
| ed. The attentive examiner of the mar
will see that between the upper Missis>
sippi and the Illinois rivers, from Rock
| Island on the former stream to Hennepin
on the latter, only very narrow strip Of
country separates the Hudson, Erie canal
and Lake system from the Mississippi
system; also, that it is proposed to end
that separation and connect the two sys.
tens by a short canal This is the so
called ''Hennepin Canal, which, how
ever, would be more accurately designated
were it entitled the Michigan and Mis-
sissippi canal" The construction of thai
canal and its maintenance as a free cana
under the control of the United States j.
what has appeared before congress and
the country as ''the Hennepin Cana
project" so called. Such a work wheI
completed would extend to the Mississip'
pi the all water and free transportation
route of the Hudson, the Erie canal ant
the lakes now having its western terminus
at Chicago 1t would thus unite the wa
tiers of the upper Mississippi with those
of New York harbor as really rs ar
the latter waters now joined tt
those of Lake Michigan at Chi
cago. 1t would connect, by water
way free of toll charges, the great inter
nal water route systems of this continent
the Mississippi system and the Lake
system, now separated only by a tongue
of land seventyfour miles in width, OF
the route of the proposed canal. Cross
ing that strip of country only the cana
will supply the sole link now missing il
the long chain of American internal wat
erways Already canal 100 miles il
, length (the Illinois and Michigan requir
ing only slight enlargement extends iron