Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1891-07-17
MATTERS OF MOMENT.
The Improvement Association Dis.
cusses Them.
Proceedings of Last Nights Ad-
jeurned Mee,ing-The Cana,
Route Again-Tbe Joint Col
umbian Cele brati on-Com.
p.iments TO the Press,

| ular monthly meeting last evening.
President Jackson called the meeting
to order, and on motion the reading of
minutes of the previous meeting and
the call of committees in order as has
been the custom, was dispensed with,
and the association devoted itself to the
discussion and consideration of special
topics.
THE CANAL ROUTES AGAIN.
President Jackson spoke of Capt. Rob.
inson having called at his office in COM
pany with Gen. Gilchrist, the engineer.
who surveyed the Rock Island route for
the Hennepin canal-and the chief advo-
cate Of the northern route being present
at the meeting-Mr. jackson asked him
if he cared to state to the association any
thing of his conversation with Gen. Gill;
christ.
Capt Robinson replied that he had so
much to say that he hardly knew where
10 begin in order to confne himself to
| facts within the time limited for a dis
cussion-It was already so late. If we
expect to do anything about the canal
route, though, he said, we ought TO COM
mence. Otherwise it Will 60 BY default.
! BE SAID Gen. Gilchrist. the original
Surveyor OF the Rock Island route, and
who was now engaged in railroad sur
veys in Texas, had called on him during
the last week and emphasized the ad.
vantages of the northern route. Gen.
Gichrist the speaker explained, was en-.
gagged by ;he government 10 properly To-
cate the survey of the canal TO the mouth
of Rock river, when Msj Benyuard. who
was appointed to make this survey
switched off on a line through the Mere
dosia bottoms toward Wa,ertown. The
general, the captain said, had been sn
engineer since Il gears old, and his
opinion might be quite as good as Maj
Wheeler's or anyone elss's, and he had
n de the Watertown route first, startin g
his son on the Rock Island line, and after
he had flushed that helped his son
through. The route was through the
Sears canal and below, and al the Schind-
Ter farm ne found that a basin could be
obtained for mere bsgatelle. BE re-
garded basin as being as necessary to a
caaai as turnout or switch 10 a rail
road track. The present engineers-and
here the speaker expressed regret that
Mr.. Wheeler was not present-seemed
TO have ignored this necessity, their
whole action having impress>
ed the speaker SIS study of
how not TO do it," There is no real diff
| fculty about the northern route, the
speaker persisted. Any lawyer, he con-
tinued. can draw contract that will
meet the governments views and leave to
the property holders what is left, and
right OF way Can be secured at price low
enough fer everybody. The property
holders want the government to take all
the land and water il desires. and simply
leave them the rest. They don't ssk the
government to do anything for them; all
! they ask is that il shall not needlessly in>
commode them. Gen. Gilchrist he re-
| pested, pronounces the north route not
only feasible but easy. and he is supported
by Ex,CsuntY Surveyor c. II. S,oddard
who is thoroughly familiar with the
ground. Il sm still for the canal the
captain assured the association, Il am
not working for myself. l am for the
canal. want to see it commenced. If
Wheeler was here l would say more, but
don't want to talk against him, especial.
| ly in his absence"
d. D. Folsom asked if agitation of the
route question might not jsopsrdize the
canal, and the captain replied that he did
not think it would; the delay had not
been caused by friends of the northern
route. He thought we had exercised
mastery inactivity long enough.
President Jackson then called attention
to the letter of Secretary Of War Proctor
to Congressman Hayes. of Iowa. appear
| ing in last nights ARGUS and tie state-
ment therein contained that the location
had been decided on the 25th of March
and the subsequent delay was to give the
district attorney time TO secure right of
way papers and institute condemn alton
proceedings.
DR.. W. A. Paul thought the great
question. locally speaking. was the pres
ervatien of the water power. What eff
feet does the established route have upon
the water power, in his opinion was of the
greatest interest in this locality. Can
the government, by pursuing the north
ern route, build up the Rock river water
| power2