Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1889-11-25
THE HENNEPIN'S HISTORY.
Interesting Talk With One of the
Canals Originat0rs.
Congressman r. j. Henderson and
What He Has TO Say OF the Measure
IAN Entertaining Interview.


Hennepin canal project. at the general
home at Princeton, and in the correspon
dence which results the following SD
pears:
The earliest" advocates of Hennepil
waterway are strangely numerous Man,
oil them are dead. hut more of them alive
All but one should blush when the trutl
is told as it Is here for the first time in
daily newspaper. Six years ago Gen
Henderson was invited. among other mer
prominent in public life. TO Join Henry
Wizards Northern Pacific excursion
across the continent. At Seattle a crowd
OF ten thousand persons gathered to heal
the oratory- just before the genera
spoke stranger gave him a bit OF oapel
with pencil scratches upon it. There
and then was Hennepin proclaimed be-
fore its original Adam. Deciphering the
marks the note read:
am the first one that originated the
idea of the Hennepin canal in 1884.
Sept. 10. 1888. JACOB GAYLoR.
A short time sfterward, Mr.. Gaylor
since deceased. wrote q letter to Gen.
Henderson. He said that he came to
Illinois in 1884 from Ohio. where he
worked on canal. Naturally en- ou9h be
saw the opportunity nature had pointed
out for mans benefit. A canal from
Hennepin to Rock Island took tangible
form in his mind. Mr.. Gaylor went over
the ground on foot and satisfied himself
that his plan was feasible. Returning
to Putnam he nnfolded the project to his
older brother, and the two Gaylors went
over the country together. They called
on DIR. Lsngworthy and others, all of
whom became interested. Hand bills
we're circulated, public meeting was
held, and among Others who then advo>
Gated the building of the Hennepin canal
was DR.. Langworthy. VIM. Durley now
living a, Hennepin. remembers being
present at this meeting fifty FIVE years
ago. Gsylor, he says. had some prscti,
cal ideas, and these views have been con =.
firmed by surveys since. Before he died
he saw that the Rock river route would
be better than his own, which termins ted
at WATERFOWL. He proposed to feed the
canal by reservoirs on Green river.
From this starting point the Hennepin
canal has become. through long years Of
earnest agitation. a national project TO
facilitate The commerce of the country.
IL is Interstate in every sense and local in
none. The wrangling over terminal
points that has weighted down the meas
ure and defeated favorable legislation In
congress is disgrace peculiar to men of
narrow views who look to nothing beyond
personal gam. 10 future work this
curse ought to be lifted. and broad,
liberal view maintained. The nation
needs the canal, but it does not care for
Davenport, Rock Island, Moline, Water
town, Fulton or points below or above
them. Gen. Henderson is free TO saw
that he has been crippled by conflicting
claimants more than he has been helped
he knows how To meet opposition at
Washington If the line of support is kept
solid behind hin.
Everybody knows that SURVEYS and
estimates have been made over and over
again by private parties and by the gov
eminent. Ali possible information as to
plans, cost and routes is easily available.
The secretary of war has recommended
what is known as the Rock river route.
not in the interest of any locality but be-
cause, after considering all the evidence,
that is the most practicable. The last
congress authorized the appointment of q
commission TO finally settle details and
until their report is submitted all move
men:s must he made in the dark. Gen
Henderson admits that about all ode
ponds upon these reports as 10 what We
may or can do" He has no plan of op-
erations in view. A section of the last
river and hsrbor bill designated a COM
mission TO look after the Chicago end OF
the proposed national waterway" This
is the drainage scheme whose friends have
been multiplying of late. They have be-
come so strong that they cannot be ig-
nored. They want the canal from Hen
nepin TO Lake Michigan improved in cons
nection with the Illinois river. They
will work for this first; but they also are
awaiting the report of the commission to
be submitted to the next congress. OF
course the advocates of the Chicago
drainage scheme will turn mp in force and
demand priority of attention. But Gen.
Henderson will not consent to this as the
leader of the Hennepin enterprise. He
has given them to understand that the
friends of the Hennepin will not take
second place, but will Join forces with
them and make the fight for the two pros
iects a common one. I've no sort OF
objection" Gen. Henderson SAYS, ito
their project. will do what / can for
II; but | will not submit to have the Hen
nepin lost sight of or take any other than
equal place. The members from the
south ought to favor the joint enterprise
and think they will. But the Chicago
drainage plan would not accommodate
the people of the northwest at all. In
fact it is OF very little importance with>
out the Hennepin."
The speakersbip race must be run be-
fore any forecasts about coming legisls-
ton can he intelligently made. II is
charged by those who oppose him. that
Mr.. Reed, the favorite in the field. has in :
variably opposed all bills providing ap-
preparations for river and harbor i'm
provements. Indeed. SO it is claimed,
he Is held responsible for the failure of
all such measures since be became a
leader of the house. This is overdrawn
as Gen. Henderson thinks. and the part
he will take is yet TO be decided after a
full examination of the situation on the
ground where he will be as these lines are
read.
Another question ia that of changing
the rules. Ii they remain as they are
now II may be best to refer the Henne-
pin bill to the committee on railways and
canals. But of late this committee has
been barrier through which Hennepln
could not get with unanimous recon-
mendation. And so clause has been at
tached to the river and barbor bill, and
appropriations for surveys and commits
sions secured in this way. Among those
most likely TO be st the head of the river
and harbor committee in the next house
is Gen. Henderson himself This would
be q matter for rejoicing-s token OF
victory.
1T is hard to tell from this distance
what we can do" Gen. Henderson obs
served rehectively. The new members.
of whom there are a good many, are to
be looked after and their views learned.
Some warm friends remain among the
old congressman. and some have been
lost" President Harrison, he thinks,
would be friendly under certain condi-
tons to the Hennepin. He expressed