The Superior times. [volume] (Superior, Wis.) 1870-1912, 1889-08-10
tPERiOR, WIS.,. SATURDAY. Aug. 10. 1859
TEE WATERWAYS CONVENTION.
En:huiastic Speeches Made and Good
work Done.
A Large Attendance Of Delegates.

haps the most important day in our
history. While we might become, or
might already claim to be an import
ant Lake town, yet we can never
attain to-Our true position and antici-
pated greatness, without the aid and
general assistance Of just such con-
ventiOns as assembled in this city on
that day, which took the form, and
was in fact almost national in its rep
resentation and work.
The non-semical idea promulgated
by the little minds across the bay for
the past two months, that the conven-
ton was an idea evolved by diseased
imagination to get little cheap puff
fling for a one horse town over in Wis
consin, was most brilliantly exploded
when the committee on credentials
made their report. Everyfoot of ter
ritory and every shipping interest
lying in line between the Missouri
and Jim rivers and Buffalo of both rail
and water even going as far south rs
Dubuque and southeast to Milwaukee,
was represented by The very best men
the included territory could find.
When such an array of business intel
lect and push as was here asst mbled
become Interested in q common cause,
they viii succeed, they know no such
word as fail and the result of this
and kindred conventions Will termi-
nate in giving us what we want, an
open deep water highway from Quebec
pier to Liverpool where the largest
vessel made may go Oh her way with
out fear of accident.
The convention was called to order
at about $50 by Judge S. II. Clough,
president of the local management,
who in very happy way narrated our
wants and needs, and alluded to the
work about to come before the conven.
ton, and then called for nominations
for temporary chairman of the conven,
ton. Mr.. Speaker nominated Mr.. f.
p. Bacon, of milwaukee, who was
unanimously elected and who on tax.
ing the chair thanked the convention
III few well chosen remarks.
On motion committee of on Gre
dentialS and one of y on permanent
organization were appointed by the
chair, it being left for the chairman
on permanent organization to appoint
the committee on resolutions.
While the above committees were
out the time was occupied in making
short speeches. We have not space
for all that was said, but probably the
most weighty one made was the one
made by the Hon. J. J. Hill, president
of the st. Paul Minneapolis and Mani
toba railroad. Mr.. Hill was greeted
with cheers and when quiet had been
restored, he spoke III substance as fol.
lows:
at gives me pleasure to contribute in however
small degree To the object that has brought you
together. Transportation is matter of vital i'm
portance to all the people. Next to the cultiva
lion OF the soil 1t Is of more Importance than any
other matter that effects the people This has
been the case far back as history gives any
record OF what man has done in this world The
gent have almost invariably been those which
have controlled commerce, and in controlling
that they controlled it through transportation
If we look back twenty-five years We Will find
tnat, through the opening lines OF transportation
We nave mleie more progress IN that time than il
hundreds OF years before. | do not call mysel
an old man but can remember when all Yves
of FreepOrt, Ill was an unsettled prairie. We
have opened an imperial empire extending from
here 10 the pacific, capable If sustaining i'm
mcnsc populaiion-aud it viii all be needed.
Il would call your attention most earnestly to
the Importance OF deep water TRANSFORMATION
The tIst ten years of my residence III the Nor III
west was spent in connection with auspoTtatiol
on the Mississippi river The time was wheT
this was an important waterway. But it doe:
not seem to rain enough TO keep it full. In the
language of an old steamboat captain, transpor
tation on the Mississippi has struck twelve
never 70 strike again. five could lath ana plas
Ter the BOTTOM OF 1t We might improve the Tlvel
lEom =. Paul to It. Louis. The government Hp
proprlates large amounts of money annually for
the improvement of the rivers, but believe that
fully one third of all the approximations might
ust as well he given to King kalakaua to enabl,
him TO visit the Paris exposition. | have beer
IN steamboat mp the Minnesota river far Il:
fellow Medicine but the boats can't go there
now. have been connected also with the trans
p9riation on the Red river. made good deal
of money III a small way on the Red river at one
time. own ali the steamboats, on the Red river
now, but viii give all the steamboats, for one
nall the annual appropriation. Yet the govern
ment keeps on gathering up somebody's money
and pouring IL ont in appropriations. Ii is q
pity that il could not be spent where it would dc
feet OF water which can carry 5000 tons at /
miles an hour, at a cost of $40 Il day. If we haC
full Is feet of water would have the courage t.
build boats Of 1000 tons which would carr!
freight III bali that cost. | am sauguine abOu
That. am always S.g"uine about a thing WheI
have had time 10 consider il carefully. The
best form Of transportation that can be devised
IS n COOL steamboat ana plenty of water To float
n II you shall ut this convention drive the en-
tering wedge fox Is feet OF water. You will serve
the country better then you know. ycice-
make it -0.l Twenty feet would be better but ",
can do great deal on IS. There are a great
many places where the charts Indicate Is fee
NOW. but ctfe,Hl measure shows only lii2.
We celebrated our centennial not Ing ag'
and we all felt proud and 40 1T II feet high, bu
We have not done much. We once had an ocean
commerce, but II is all gone. and now we have
commission travelling about the country 10 Sc,
we can't preserve our internal commerce from
the lines north OF the boHHdry The time wa
Shcn American enterprise could sit down and
feel sure that il would reap the fruit of Its owl
labor But now Il is temporarily bound and
manacled. hope the time viii bc very short
would Ike the railroads 10 practice eXtor
non. but beyond that TO have simply fair field
and see what su:eipIisc and ingenuity woult
evolve
"reu years ago a Eoat that would carry from
1000 70 100 tens WAS q good boat. Nhcat rate
used To bv cents per huShyi then they droppct
70 cents. ana guess today Steamhoatmen coGlt
Ne i"und VINO would be glad to charter Tor tht
season az 3 cents Voge-yes for cents WheI
was ready 10 build the lire of boats that ar
now running here. wanted To bulld them -
feet long. Bur my friends and the builders Sail
WAS too tlSt-thut could not get them into thu
hIrharS and ont again. \ harbOC that l. built OF
50 small q patti eru that trSt-cld>S bout cannO
be gotten IN and out must he content 10 aCcep
ae situation. 10 must play second, third q
fourth fiddle, hat the music viii 20 night on
Laughter aua applause
II r., aiIs.i,. that before We get our canal en-
lar-cd We viii be @viug tribute Ia Canadian
canal. We must wake UP ai:i march in the col
llInu or We snail ret lCit. oar cOiauercc is ieay
M rs SAW 20 uarloaiS OF cotton Goods IN,
either day hound from the mills OF New E2glan,
u ASIA but II E&S consigned by the CauaGigI
IacI"c road because IL was the Only line tina
could give 8 through bill ot ia3urs. They hnv
some steamships over on he Pacific. We huv
money enough They tell us there i Surplu
81 large they don't know what 10 10 with il.
,eiieye Il would be a good plan If the govern
meEt. Instead of putting up - many buildings
W"Htd give million dollars a year for "A 'ev
Years 10 Il lHe Of steamships TO south AEeria
ami another million U line 10 Asia, just 10 SCI
what would come Of IT," lAPplapssj
Mr.. Hin was followed by Mr.. St
CroiX, Of london, England, Il repres
entative Of the MiIIers Association
Ignatius DoHnelly, ami Col c. II
RDaIaS,T n I,,I