The Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1885-1886, 1886-02-18
THE ROCK ISLAND ROUTE
Will Undoubtedly be the One Pursued
by the Hennepin Canal-Pros.
poets for the Measure.
A WORD FROM WASHINGTON

WORD FROM WASHINGTON.
Tke ARGUS is in receipt Of letter from
Alderman G.. j. Larkin. who says the
Rock Island delegation are hard at work.
and letting no opportunity pass to STRIKE
a blow in the canals favor where 1t viii
be felt the most. The friends OF the
measure, according to the alderman's let
ter, are hopeful and growing more so
each day, and it is fixed fact that the
Rock Island route is 10 be the one report
cd and made part of the bill, and the
pne only to be discussed. The terminus,
If the canal is constructed, viii be al
Rock Island without doubt. 1t is in
deed an encouraging letter that Alderman
Larkiu has written, and it is to be hoped
he is rightly informed 10 his assertions,
as he probably is.
THE BILL FAvoRABLY REPORTED.
Today's Chicago Inter eceaH's WASH
ington dispatch conveys the following
important intelligence:
Mr. Murphy, By direction OF the COM
mittee, today reported favorably the bill
for the construction of the Hennepin ca
nal. and it will be placed on the calendar
OF the committee of the whole. The bill
reported is that introduced by Governor
Henderson, and provides for accepting
the offer made by the state of Illinois and
the Illinois and Michigan canal for the
construction of the work contemplated
from Hennepin TO the mouth oil
Rock river. The main canal would
be about seventy>fve miles long
and the feeder to Dixon. thirty sever
miles The report of the comu.ittet
presents comprehensive explanation Of
the enterprise, showing that it is in M
sense local and that Its construction viii
confer great benefits on all sections O
the country at large. rs it is held 10 b,
national lin character. it should be au
thorizad by congress. The cost Of The
work is estimated at $4,000, 900, o
which SG.G73. 600 is for the construction
OF the canal and feeders, and SO 29S 00t
for the enlargement of the Illinois and
Michigan canal. 1t is proposed to cal
up the bill at an early day and make it
special order Friends are hopeful thai
it will pass the house. All materia
points have been heretofore published.
BETTER BECOME POSTED.
The Heunepin folks are nov up AM
now down in hope Just now they ar,
up. They confidently claim that the,
will get an appropriation of some kind
even though it be small, and that an en-.
tering wedge Is all they require for tn
present; that with that they will ultimate
ly be able to split the treasury wide open
Such talk has been heard before. Tn
Hennepin fellows hold on with the peril
nacily of the democratic party, which 70
tweuty-four years hoped against hope
and finally had their hope changed int
gaddest fruition Hennepinners tax
courage from this and insist that thei
pertinacity will bring them reward also
The cases are hardly analogous, though
The democrats had the whole country t
draw from, while the Hennepiu scheme
being purely local one. should encounte
added opposition as the country grow
and there is consequent multiplication o
local interests appealing for national al
and comfort Sterling Gazette.
The writer of the above has evldentl
been trying very hard to say somethin!
but his total ignorance OF the subje'
which he seeks to discuss, prevents hil
from doing otherwise than making
transparent Ounce of himself. In Il
sense is the construction of the canal |
be local" affair. 1t is to be a prOjet
in which the entire northwest is partict
larry interested, and which will prov
national improvement to transport,
ton and commerce. OF the hundred
of streams which comprise I'll
Mississippi, 43 are navigable and in
tersect or border 81 of total of 4
states and territories These 81 state
and territories contain 81 per cent of tn
nations area and So per cent of its pop
ulatioD, and all the way from IS TO 9
per cent OF its sugar, coal corn, iron
wheat oats, cotton, tobacco, hay, tim
Der, wool, swine, horses, mules and ca
tie that are produced. The total mileag
of these Az rivers is 1880. The Hem,
pin canal will connect every one of then
by water, with our great ocean milan
lakes, 1000 miles more Of waterway
and with the oceans of the world bt
sides.