Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1890-02-11
HENNEPlN HISTORY.
An Interesting Letter from Hon. j,
Ii. Murphy.
The Great Waterway Traced from it's
Earliest lncIpiency--.strong Points
I'm 4 ta Favor.

trl-citY committee, an Interesting circula
Of an historical nature on the subject o
the Hennepin canal, and which the Ar
GUS has been furnished a copy of by Mr.
Wylie. Mr.. Murphy says:
In Lhese modern times and this age o
progress. civilization has but two mode
OF trs nsportstion-by water and by rail-
and it is an admitted fact that watel
trans oortation is fifty per cent cheaper
than by rail The construction of thi,
canal will connect the Mississippi
river with the great lakes. and thereby
make navigation continuous and complete
from st Paul to Chicago, and then BY
the lakes to the ocean, and thereby give
to the commerce of the east and the pro-
duceis Of the west, and northwest the
cheapest possible transport, which is by
water. And now I wish to call your
close and serious attention to fact that
is justly entitled to thought and consid.
GRAFTON, and that is that the Heunepin
cana improvement has received more
comrlendation and endorsement than any
waite Improvement 10 the United States,
and IN proof of this statement wish you
to I'd carefully the following. In the
year 1S45 water convention was held
In Memphis, Tenn. 1t was represented
by over five hundred delegates from six,
teen states, and the following resolution
passed that body unanimously:
RtsotOed. That the project of con
meeting the Mississippi river with the
lakes of the north by canal and with
the Atlantic Ocean, is a measure worthy
of the enlightened consideration Of con-
eress.
In 1872 the president of the United
States deemed it his duty to call the at
tention of congress by special message
to the Importance of this canal and other
water improvements. and suggested the
selection of q committee with power to
inve stigate and report. In accordance
with the presidents wish, the senate Sc.
lected seven out of that body. Senator
Winiom, the present secretary of the
treasury. was selected chairman. The
report made by the committee to the
senate not only endorsed the construc-
ton of the hennepin canal but furnished
strong reasons why it should be built in
the interest of commerce
On June 10, 1874, Mr.. Hurlbut, in the
ForJy>third congress- made a report from
the committee on railways and canals,
recommending its construction. The
of said report is as follows:
Upon full consideration of the whole
matter, your committee are of the opn>
ion that no improvement of the same
pro osble cost would he productive of so
great benefit. and the benefit to be
produced would not be confined to the
state OF Illinois alone In which the work
is tuated, but would directly and newt
ably embrace the states of Iowa, Wi con
sin and Minnesota. and indirectly affect
all the states lying west of these, whose
railroad lines would bring produce down
To ne shipped by the river and canal
Your committe, therefore, recommend
the passage of the following BILL" which
was bill TO construct said canal. At the
tirst session of the Forty eighth and
Forty ninth congresses, the undersigned
being member Of congress from Iowa
ano being on the railway and canal cons
miitee, by unanimous consent of said
made u report to the Forty
eighth and Forty ninth congresses in
favor of said canal, and asking that an
appropriation be made to commence its
The Forty seventh compress ordered
survey of said canal and the river and
hsrbor committee appropriated $50. 900 to
pay the expense
Major W. II. III. Benyaurd of the civil
en- yineers corps. made said survey; his
reports and estimates are on file, and |
su confident careful reading of said re.
port will convince the most skeptical that
tbs canal should be built without DELAY.
In 1884 President Arthur saw proper to
call the attention of the Forty,eishth
by special message to the inn
portsnce of this water connection, and
ID erein recommended action.
The general assembly of the state of
Iowa dId in 1854. 1870. 1874, 1880, 1882
1884 and 1886 memorabilia congress to
construct this canal, and for reasons
stated. the legislature of the state of IL
Iinois has repeatedly done the same, and
urged their congressman to vote an APP
therefor.
Every convention that has been held
10 the interest of western water ways has
gwen this canal favorable endorsement.
We will refer to some, one held in Quincy,
Ill.,, in 1879, in st. Louis in 1880, in the
city of Davenport. Iowa, in 1881. one in
New Orleans, in 1885, one in st. Paul in
September, 1885, one held in Washing
ton, ID. G, February, 1884. one held In
Memphis in 1887, and one held in Gin
C nnati the 4th and 5th of last September;
that convention not only endorsed the
Eennepin canal, but requested this, the
Fifty.first congress, to make an sppro-
pristion therefor.
1t has been twice endorsed BY the ma
tional board of trade held in Washington,
July, 1884 and 1885. and by the indus
trial congress he'd in Chicago in May,
1884.
The legislature of New York has twice
passed resolutions urging congress to
construct this canal, and requesting its
representatives in congress to vote an ap-
preparation therefor.
In March. 1885. a select committee was
appointed by the senate to investigate
and report upon the subject and reglla-
ton of railroad and water routes; that
committee made report, and a reference
to that report from pages 1877 to 175 in
elusive, it will be seen that that commits
tee, after careful investigation, con-
cluded this water Improvement was abso
lutely necessary in the interest of COM
merce. aud that the general government
should without delay construct it,
The commercial bodies of Chicago. St.
Paul. Minneapolis, st. Louis, La Crosse.
Duluth. Davenport, Muscstine. Rock ISL
and, Moline, Buffalo, Syracuse and New
York, have all memorialized congress for
its construction.
The New York board of trade and
transportation with a membership of over
one thousand business firms. has twice
endorsed this canal after careful investi-
CATION.
The produce exchange of New York
thnnao nd