St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1889-05-01

was small, only forty-fve in 1910, but
increased so rapidly that the commerce
of the two towns at the falls was con-
sidered of growing Importance by the
river men, who never, probably, con-
templated the time navigation would
cease at st. Anthony entirely.
During the summer and fall OF 1856 con-
siderable work had been done between
Cheever's landing and the foot of Meek
er's island as we'll as at points between
st. Paul and st. Anthony by citizens,
and the river was considered to be IN
splendid condition for navigation. Ar
rangements were made by the boards of
trade of the two towns minneapolis
and St. Anthony Falls) and the spring
of 1857 saw four frst-class ste amboats
making regular weekly trips between
the Falls of st. Anthony and
Fulton City, Ill. They made their trip
in schedule time throughout the season,
and the head of navigation was in addl-
ton favored with calls from transient
steamers with good cargoes from st.
Louis, Pittsburg cargo in return. The
river traffic was at its maximum in 1857.
In that year fifty-twO steamboats, landed
at Minneapolis, bringing 1900 tons of
miscellaneous freight for this city and
its dependent valleys.
But the war came on and distracted
attention from peaceful industries, the
lower river was blJckaded and COM
merce from that source stopped entirely.
At the close of the war the railroad
building fever came on. Minneapolis
soon forgot she had been a river town
and her most important channel OF COM
! merce flowed unruffled, save by rocks,
toward the gulf.
Sipoo thn Oraot WatnpwovS POnVan-
ton held in st. Paul in September 1885,
which declared in its resolution, THAT
the Mississippi river, from the falls of
st. Anthony to the Gulf of Mexico, is
the
GREAT NATURAL HIGHWAY
for the commerce of the West" and
'sthat sufficient appropriations should
be made to give at least six feet of
water in the Mississippi river, from
Cairo to the falls of st. Anthony, at the
earliest practical day. the public has
been entertained with steamboat pro-
jects of various magnitudes, but as yet
the sound of the whistle does
not reach the Flour City and
the gang plank is not extended
toward her welcoming shores. The COLI
vention was not a legislative body and
had no powers beyond an advisory one
W CouSlOoo, hOnoo ~ was no Aau.o VI
the convention that Minneapolis did not
Immediately realize her hopes of res
toration of active, practical navigation
of the river. Neither was it the fault
of the city. The board of trade and
waterways commissioners, of whom
Col. Platt e. Walker is one, kept a
sharp lookout that no obstacle
should be thrown by the city in her own
way. There was, it will be re-
membered. a vigorous protest made
by the board of trade against the
building of the Franklin avenue bridge
on the original plans, because the
United States engineers and the river
commissioners declared the span of
100 feet too small to give play for navi-
CATION. The span was increased to 800
and ample head room left for steamers
of large size. AS result of that pro-
test in this and in other ways the city
testified it's desire to give the govern
ment a fair chance to do it's duty. The
convention resolutions resulted in con-
gress in the Mississippi being
DECLARED NAvIGABLE
from st. Anthony falls to the gulf, but
no money has ever been expended on
the strip of fifteen miles between here
and st. Paul, except for surveys. Min
uedpOllS Stlll awaits IlC luluy dCtlOA VI
the government.
There is a chance now that some &C
ton will be taken. The last congress
appropriated 100000 for the improve
ment of the Mississippi river from the
Washington avenue bridge in Minneap-
oils to the Des Moines rapids. The
expenditure of the appropriation lies
with Maj. Mckinley, a government en-
gineer, located at Rock Island,
and committee of the board
of trade has been of late in active
correspondence with him to learn what
proportion of that sum will be given to
Minneapolis. Maj. Mckinley has not
vet signified so, but it is understood the
city will get no more than S25, 1000.
That, however, will be start, and a
start seems to be what is principally
wanted.
Capt. j. c. Reno, of this city, vet
erap river captain. who ran his boat in
to the Minneapolis levee more than
thirty years, is a gentleman who has
taken an active interest in pushing
the claims of Minneapolis, afflrms that
something will now be done. 1.-The APP
epropriation of 100000" he says, sought
to give us 100000, but from my letters
from Maj. Mckinley l judge that he
feels called upon to improve some points
below st. Paul. before putting in much
money up here, but even S25, 600 will do
good deal toward carrying out the i'm
mediate plans for securing navigation
here. There is great misapprehension
about what needs to be done. 1t should
be remembered that the river has
been navigated to the falls
that is navigaDle now in high water,
without expanding anything upon it,
49, f,,H
in removing the boulders, which twenty
wears of neglect have suffered to accu-
muIate, the river would be navigable
again. We want, of course, event
ually
A LOCK AND DAM
at Meeker's island, to flood the rapids,
but the immediate thing to do is to
carry out the plans of Maj. Allen. He
surveyed the river and reported that
STAG, 900 used in cleaning the river and
in cutting off the heads of
c 1slacas ey all damS the 50 wate ss D
one channel would render the river
navigable. All the city bridges are
built to admit of navigation. The
Franklin avenue bridge came nearly
being built wrong. but it was fixed in
time. The Lake street bridge and the
short line bridge are both wide enough
and high enough. With 100000 we
would make an excellent showing. We
have not that jealousy between the
cities to contend with either, because l
understand that a syndicate which
has renamed it the st. Paul, Min
neapolis & st. Louis Packet line.
Minneapolis men were asked to sub
Soriba S,5 OOO of the stock which he