Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1888-12-15
A FEW OF THE FACTS.
Maj. Mackenzie Gives Valuable In.
formation.
The Government Work On the Upper
Mississippi ExpIained-BeII and His
Ridiculous seheme-What Really
Has Been Done.

Maj. Alex Macker zie returned this ,
morning from Louisville, where he has ,
,een in session with other government
engineers, considering the improvement
If the falls of the Ohio river. When
'een by an ARGUS reporter the majors
customary composure and good nature
lid not appear to be-the least ruffied, in
of the unjust reflections in
directly cast upon him by the St. Paul
chamber of commerce recently, as the
ARGUS described yesterday. He was
pleased nevertheless, with the promptness
and force with which the charges. IN
founded as they were, were rebuked in St.
Paul, where they were started and without
any solicitation either. on the majors
part. The maj or's conscience does not
seem to be disturbed, though his sense of
pride may be wounded.
"The matter has caused me no annoy,
ance" the jor SAID, las far as its in
fuence on the minds OF practical river men |
is concerned They know the situation too |
well, and they realize, too, what has been
accomplished by the government on the
upper river. II is somewhat voking
though, to have such a report, bearing as
it does, the sanction of the St Paul chamber
OF commerce, going abroad and coming
before people who may not understand
the situation as experienced river men do,
and as it really is. The majoriGy of river
men know this Edwin Bell, who was iu-
stigator in the st. Paul chambers action.
as well as | DO. have full acQualnt-
ance with his project; indeed have quite
batch of correspondence with him on
this subject filed away In the office here.
Bell WAS in other days river man on the
Mississippi, but any experience that he
may have had in that direction dates back
beyond the limits of my personal
knowledge. He became very indignant
at the little over year ago because l
did not comply with request on his part
| to 90 up TO St Paul and observe the
workings of his scheme. He had preyi-
ously written me several times on the
subject, explaining it TO me thoroughly as
best he could, aud in such manner
may say. that think | understood it
quite we'll. l did not then. nor do l now,
take much stock In it. But it would not
have lntertered with my showing him the
respect of witnessing q test operation
could | have done so, without neglecting
my official duties. Bell few into rage,
however, and wrote me very vicious
letter, which I preserved for time as
curiosity but l can't find it now. 1t is
enough to say that his idea Is not to my
mind, at all practical, and is very apt tC
provoke smile on the face of every ex'
perienced river man who becomes &C.
quainted with it."
II am not prepared to say that the St
Paul chamber had any notion Of CRITICS
ing the government river work, in it
manner of endorsing Capt Bells scheme
but I need not reserve the statement
that the fact of that body having en-
dorsed the plan in the interests, as i
supposed, of 8 plan to benefit St, Pau
particularly, does not carry any psrticu
lar weight, as Capt. Bell himself ono
termed the Adams flume which the legis
lature of Minnesota endorsed as squirt
ing machine and the expression, vulgs
as it was, came pretty near putting it col
rectly, for IN my opinion the Adam
fiame is about as big farce as the Be
idea
But let me say one word in explains
ton of government work on the uppt
river. This season has witnessed for tn
first time in the history of the river, tn
continuation of rafting business unintel
rupted to the mouth of the st. Paul rive
at the lowest stage of the water. Tt
Mary Morton, of the Diamond 10 lin
the last packet of the season on the uppt
river, went through to St. Paul in watt
as low as il has ever been; and still lat
the big government snag boat Gen. Ba
nard came down from the head of nav
CATION without the slightest difficulty
Business on the upper river may ha'
suspended unusually early this seaso
but this was not due to any faults wi
the river; it was strictly owing to the ia
that there was no business. Low wal
of course impeded river traffic and ma
longer trips, but it did not cause a ST
pension of it. Business being quiet
consequence of low water, shippers I
the river found it more economical
send their consignments by rail to D
buque, and there have them loaded
steamers for the south, Packets t.
ceased going to the head of navigati
earlier than is usual because they
= lost so much time reaching even ST
points as Dubuque, that they regarded
as more advantageous to get back to
Louis and out again on time, than to
on through"
at strikes me as little surprising t
the St. Paul chamber, If it is really al
i ious to learn of the actual condition
L the river channel and the best means
beneHting, it should fail to consult the Z
who are navigating it, such as Mr.,
NJ. Dickey, the superintendent of
Diamond 10 line for instance, and
men of past experiences as Mr.. Bell
a and who has no motives beyond pat
which he regards as wonderful THU
A Plea 10 Santa Claus.
pho folln-,np lattar oddraaoad m ~