Telegram-herald., 1890-11-16
me Projected Improvement of the
River Grand 70 Lake Michigan.
AgRll 10 col. lTplONS REQTESI
secretary sasAslnas Faraiehs. kaata a.
- ths Nseas &ha fstUrs Prospects ~
GfAaa flApiasft Neoie sAts
NeAEls hnlf = 2ailiieR Aaanaiiy-

from time 70 time, a. they occurred,
published Their pFAiseworthy doings in
this direction. lhe late Trip BY water,
10 Grand Haven. taken ty Grn. q. h
Poe, Col. Ludlow, members Ci tht
Board II Trade AnG otheu would seeul
90 have borne trult. The faCl thai cd
Octohsr ST., Col. LUDLOW Mote 60 Seefei
tArY Van Asnlus, ot the Board oi Trade
for additional aStz would seem 10 ht
evidence that careful consideration Il
being gwen 10 The proposed Improve
ment. Col. Aan Asmus reply Is
printed IN full below and vii lar0a
some hight Oh TIE present status OF tAe
project:
onAND RAfIns, Mich, Nov. s, 1890
Col Wm. Ludlow. Engineer g. :. A.. Detroit
Aich.,
Dear sir-ln reply 10 your favor q
Oct. 81, requesting data relAilnS 10 lile
improvement ol Grand river. . low nle
10 present the following Iacts ana "a
afes:
!. The ponulation of the city Of
Grant Rapids ~ shown by the recent
census Was 64, lf3-lhe population OF
| the sO-called half-mlie strip north, east,
| south and west which al tie next sas-
SION OF the Legislature vii be added 10
| the city, Is l0,5of, or a total Of nesriy
| : ), ,0OU-haNug more than doubled oar
| population IA ten years.
,. The statistics gathered by the
| hoard will show thai thls city Is pre-
emnenily manufacturing town, hav-
lng 9sg manufacturing establishments
of ali descriptions, producing goods 70
| the value OF SIS ,s82, i6s per annun .s5,-
! 16s 900 OF the above ls furniture
3. our furniture finds a market in
| every State OF the Union and many for
eign countries; our factories, IN that
branch OF industry, being The largest IL
| the world.
4. Since the enactment of the Inter
| state Commerce law, railroad ireights
| to the West have been largely IN
| creased, forcing our manufacturers IN
| sharp. and IN several instances.
| ruinOus competition with centeis sltu-
ated on our lakes and navlgable sivers
| compelling some 20 remove their
| plants 10 cities where water communl-
| cation with Lake Michigan Was had.
| and some 20 change their line OF manu-
| lacture. Iron industries having their
! attention called 20 our city through It's
| well earned reputation IN the wood
| working lines, have passed as by, need
| ng cheap water transportation, at
| east for their raw material. and have
| located at lake ports. The hard wood
| lumber, of which we AT present use -o,-
| 900 900 Of feet annually, becomes each
| year more difficult of access by rali-
| road, and the fne oak timber lands IA
| Manistee, Benzie, Antrim, Chsfleyoix,
| and other counties N Northern Mlciil-
| gan, are rapidly invaded 10y manuiac-
turers from Chicago, Milwaukee, Ken
| Osha, Racine, Cheboygan, and other
| manufacturing cities situated On the
| opposite shore OF Lake Michigan, and
we. tor the want OF water c0mmunlca-
| ton. are powerlcss 90 clam our share
Of tins wealth 20 much needed for our
future prosperity.
| 5. The iobblng trade with an invest
ment of shout four million dollars,
ieels the need OF low water transporta-
ton to meet the favored competitors Of
Detroit, Chicago and Milwaukee. We
need more jobbng houses 20 meet the
demand Of the rapidly growing towns
of Northern Michigan and the Upper
Peninsula. Capital Tor investment Ia
such enterprises is ready, provided Il
can get lts wares from the Eastern
markets snc from foreign countries by
an all water route. Grand RI pids "a a
port Of entry and we import direct.
q. That the manufacturing and com.
mercial interest of Grand Rapids are
growing, Notwithstanding our many
| aifiicuties, is evidenced bv the fact
| that the combined tonnage OF our Iall-
roads and one small river steamer foI
1859 was ,l20 S23 tons. as against
6ss 90 tons Tor 1855. and the year
| business from data 81 hand, 30 date,
| Viii show stii Larger amount.
The passenger ta1ic for 1889 over
these lines shows 500 .216 persons in and
ont. These figures are obtained by ui
| from the official records furnished our
board or the railroad companies
:. The future Ct our city VIII depend
largely on such improvement 0l or
river ss viii permit lakc vessels - load
and discharge freight st ouT port
| Every business man 81 the city is alive
- that project The counties 8l OuzWa
| aud OF kent. through fheir representa-.
tves. have indoTsed this ldea hy euit
| able resolutions presented 80 Congress
Rapidly growing Northern and Western
, Michigan and toe Ipper Peninsula afe
Depending on Grand Rapids for 2
market. and their nexsps pers have Fcc
ouded our efforts ~ that eisci Iht
iobbing interest. With bat 8 small in
crease ~ capital. has increased is selp
from 81. .4s9 500 n lss7 60 nesfiv SIS.
GOO .o01 IN 1870. showing more tAan any
( thing else the eroatn 81 such seCtioul
. Of cur Siate - look to Grand Rap dI
for Their supplies. Hardwood t8 be.
iards beng cleared become fine farm
Ing land and ~ taken up IS fast az i i
rrf on The market. Manufactures d
various kinds iu woodeuwsrs have So
the nsst two years been started s.
; tosrns north of B, 70. and are success
failv operated. al tending - large lu
Z erpsse of popn lstlon. and 8spsuaHg of
, Grand Rapids i0r support.
ThKal Wi show the probability o
3 large Increass 81 freight and passengs
, frsfic - Grand Rapids. and 8 u far =
urssums that fbs nfrssse shown in q
ever =. vI hold god for tbe nsr
fen vesfs - cone. xoiCn vlH & 70 us
g tonnsge r 1870 n 5 559o .poe
Bot. sntic pstiug scFne osprsss.o'
ard fs8 wears of DBs ness. and aaru ri
, - ira tie sTsrsEs annusl neress
- - eu 8 I92 900 tons. Vhica r. one
ssf q ths lsst lncrssss we sfi
6 s1cws toansE. n 1sa huu1yad ~ ofH
+ trree n.1l aon. rlskfng tee average -
tie neFt tsn vesys 80 200 tens
9 WITH - srsrsgt saving - Only on
cent PEP hundred pounes 81 tills srsit
Fl represents ths fuorroa8s aTnnur.t g
g $50 10 pef Vesf, thst vgais - save.
% frtent acre. gong Ed and o1t 2
f4ran8 RAPIDS