Telegram-herald., 1890-03-25
TIE CANAL 81 ALL MEANS
As Waterway and 10 Lay Pipes
Tor Water supply
Percy snyder Eaiks VITA auskeson
a.R-Ehe heaiJh and Prosperity u
ths tlGy IheR Assured
. IL Elitor O u TslssEAa HrEAla-


t. the Eauer Qf ths Isrs sSEA4-HEKAlp
last week, when returning 10 the CITY
on the Chicago q West Michigan Ran
read. / Mas drawn INTO conversation
WITH business man or one Of our
Lake shore cities" ! spoke g. him ia
regard ~ investments here. lie sad,
Way should make investments in
Grand Rapids when the prospects are
80 much brighter IA my own ety.
VIII venture 10 SAY that in less than two
years ne viii have population OF TO-
ooe We already have large nanutae-
turing interests and during the winter
several large concerns have bought
sites and viii locate there n the
spring. We VIII not have 70 build
canal something Grand Rapids viii
never get Tor We have al excellent
( harbOr on the lake. We also nave
water power equal 10 that of Grand
/ Rapids. We have timber al our very
| door, and We can get iron and coal
Q {
+ and / have no doubt that many VI your
( manufacturing plants Will be removed
I % our cltY nl few years, for II
+ they remain ia Grand Rapids they can
I not compete with our Manufacturers
/ on account OF the extra cost OF the
I raT materials 20 which they are sub
Jected through the greedy freight rates
! Of the railroads
Ii viii be evident to every thinking
! mind that there are many grains of
truth in ms conclusions and il should
/ bring forcloly 10 the minds and hearts
( Ot public spirited citizens CT Grand
Rapids the necessity of united snd vig-
orOus acton IN pushing forward the
! commencement and completion OF
! ship canal 10 the lake. Upon will de-
| pend the future of the prosperity Of our
| city. We now nave over four hundred
manufactures, the plants are estab-
/ lshed and with proper encouragement
/ will always remain, and many more can
! be induced 10 locate here. ltls the duty,
I as we'll IS 10 the interest, OF every citizen
| to use all ms influence and AS much
/ money as he can conveniently spare
TO assist and push forward 10 a success
| full reality the commencement and
| completio- OF this public work, for
| every manufacturer, every business
| man and every owner of real estate in
| the city Will be benefited thereby far
| beyond their most sangune expecta-
| tons. Even the railroads will be bene-
| fitted and receive larger dividends, for
| what they would lose on the imports of
raw material will be more than counter
balanced by the exports of the manu-
factured articles, resulting from the In
| crease of manufactures that are sure
to follow. The passenger traffic would
also increase in ratio as we become a
metropolitan city.
The old saying, ave never miss the
water until the we'll runs dry" is a
true one, and is equally applicable to
our home timber supply. 1t IS evident,
with the enormous and ever-increasing
demand, that the timber used IN the
manufacture of furniture is rapidly de-
creasing in the radius where it can
be shipped by rail at the least cost to
the consumers, then of course freight
rates will increase, and taking that
with the extra cost of coal and iron
| which we of necessity are compelled to
| pay-can our manufacturers success
fully compete with those that obtain
their shipments of raw material at the
| lowest rates? 1t Is evident that they can
! not do IL without loss, or at the very
least, putting in their time and capital
just for living. With 4 good ship
canal, the cost Of all raw material will
be reduced 10 a minimum, every citizen
will be either directly or indirectly bene-
fited-for in the cost of coal alone, we
will save many thousands a year. In
another thing it can be made 10 contri-
butte materially TO the health and happI-
ness of our citizens, for 1t can be made
the medium of pure water supply
from Lake Michigan, for pipes can be
lald on the bottom of the canal-at
a comparatively small cost-connecting
with crib IN Lake Michigan, giving us
a purer supply of water than Chicago
has, for II Is not subjected TO the sew
age contamination OF that great city.
In regard To the cost ] would say that
1t would not begin to cost as much as
some of the works or filters of western
cities not muCn larger than ours. What
would the cost be IN comparison TO the
works that furnish New York her sup
ply, il would be rs nothing. The river
can now, even as It is, be used as me
dunn for supply Of pure water from
the lake at comparatively small cost.
In conclusion ! wish TO say that with q
just and equitable assistance from the
government-which the position and
importance of our city is entitled to
we can beyond the peradvcnture OF q
doubt secure a deep waterway to the
lake and become the first-as well as
the most beautiful and healthy-city IN
the state. Trusting that every citizen
will realize the importance OF the ques
ton in consideration. and unite IN con
certed and determined action n accom-
plishing the desired end, am
Respectfully,
PERCY SNYDER.