The Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1885-1886, 1885-10-16
A CANAL CHAMPION,


There has been considerable of con-
troversy in New England of late, among
the papers of Boston particularly. con-
corning the IIennepin Canal, and the
PROJECT has been ardently assaulted in
| many instances, the Boston Jomnal being
particularly prominent in its hostilities.
1t urges the New England congressman
to oppose it-calls it ''Chicago sewer,
| and denounces it as useless for any other
purpose. Mr.. Edward Russell, of
Davenport, late editor of the Gazette and
Il prominent champion OF the canal is IN
New England and he gave the JOurAdt
some light on the subjec. in this letter,
which the editor published at the head of
Il first page column as follows:
To the Editor of the Boston journal:
1t will, | am sure, afford you pleasure
to publish a correction of an error nani>
fest in au editorial of the Jourah of re-
cent date, to which my attention has been
directed. Iou characterize that contem-
plated work of internal Improvement. the
| lIenncpn canal, ~ one needed in Chica>
60 'to complete its sewerage system.
This is seriously at variance with the
facts. The Illinois and Michigan canal,
| 100 miles in length and having u fall OF
| ZAP feet from Chicago to the slack water
| navigation of the Illinois river, might be
utilized for the Sewerage of Chicago
But the llennepin canal, which will begin,
at the eastern terminus, ut the slack
water navigation of the Illinois river,
near Hennepin, must make an ascent of
g. . Iaf., 1T
level, without crossing which it could not
reach its western terminus on the Misdis
sipp. 1t is difficult to understand. there
fore, how the Hennepin canal can have
any sort of relation to Chicago sewerage.
| Permit, also, correction of yet another
mistake in that editorial. The llennepin
canal is not desired rs II 'local conven-
fence" Six times, from 1864 to 1884
inclusive, has the general assembly of
Iowa specifically mcmorializcd congress
for the construction Of that canal, Dur
ing its last session the legislature of New
| York, by Joint action of senate and
house, appealed to congress in the same
behalf These pleas from far distant
states, whose soil would not be touched
by the IIennepn canal, emphasize to
public attention the central fact upon
which rests all intelligent desire for the
construction of that water way. That
fact is that in II competing water route
of transportation is ever found the most
potent and readily operative regulation
of freight rate charges by railroad Iowa
and the northwest seriously need and nr-
gently desire cheap frcights on Their pro.
ducts to the lakes, in order 10 II less ex'
pcnsive approach to the east than Is now
enjoyed From Chicago eastward low
rates of frcighlagc are ever secured
through the competition maintained by
the great water route of the lakes and the
Erie canal. Cheap freights to New Or
leans arc also secured by means of the
Mississippi. The great surprise of Iowa
men, as of others of the northwest, is
that any eastern publicist or reprcsenta>
tivcs in congress should oppose Efforts
to facilitate transportation OF western
products to the eastern Atlantic cities
and scaboard, while favoring liberal APP
preparations of public money for the
deepening of the Mississippi and divertng
western commerce from Boston aud New
York to New Orleans.
EDWARD RUSSELL.
(DfDaNcuport, Iowa. Secretary of the Michi-
gan and Mississippi Canal Commission.
| st. bloomsbury VI, oct S, 1888.