Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1891-01-10
pENDERCAST'S PROJECT.
- is TO Build a Waterway Com
Meeting the Lakes With the
Mississippi.
The Enterprise Has Its Beginning in
the Proposed Chicago Drain
age System.
II Would Serve as a Stimulan, for
Commerce and an Invaluable
Aid in War.

CHrcAeo. Jan. 3.-Judge Prendergast
delivered his inaugural address as presI-
dent of the board of trustees Of the Chi
cago sanitary district today In the De-
Ginning he saws that from the tone of the
objections being raised to the existence of
fine district and the prosecution OF ITS duty
Nv the board, it seems plain that some
people do not comprehend the
meaning Of accomplished facts and the
people of the state Of Illinois. Although
the legislature and people OF the sanitary
district of Chicago 10y an Overwhelmingly
popular vote decided and determined the
propriety, necessity and feasibility of the
project. the board is called upon to
executetheir request.
If the parties interested in and about
the Calumet region at their own expense
or with federal assistance make progress
toward an independent waterway the
board will have no quarrel with them but
it is unauestioned the duty Of the board
to see to it that what has happened to
the Chicago river and Calumet
river will not happen to
the detriment of this district or
it, interests. Judge Prend -ast makes
little of the alleged hostility on the p TT
of the railway interests to the construc
ton of the waterway After outlining
the present status Of the enterprise, sug-
gesting the immense water power that
will be created at the western edge Of the
city on Des PLANES river the commercial
possibilities, etc. Judge Prendergast says
the general subjec, of such waterway as
this it is the policy Of Illinois TO cooperate
in constructing includes branch which in
peaceful and profitable days of commercial,
industrial and agricultural activities, is
not borne in mind by the masses of the
people and yet which is important to all
of them The Judge refers to the restric-
ton of our naval force on the great lakes
by treaty with Great Britain made
when the lakes and territory
tributary to them were mighty
wilderness Now the lakes are bordered
with regions of dense population, and
great cities are all along their shores.
The British Canadian authorities at the
expenditure of more than two hundred
millions of dollars, have constructed a
series Of waterways between the lakes and
the Atlantic Seaboard of such dimensions
that over one hundred and twenty-five war
vessels on the British navy
list can pass into the great lakes, and in
addition it has been the policy of that
government to foster the construction of
steel vessels for commercial purposes to
navigate the Canadian waters, susceptible
of use as armed cruisers in case of hos
tilities. He mentions the systems of ar
mameuts on Vancouver Island, command
ing Puget Sound, and says that in addi-
ton to all this as well as the British mill
tary and naval stations that circle our coun-
try in other waters, we
have upon our northern fronyier a rich,
strong and vigorous country and people
bound by many ties as England present
ing all along our borders magnificent
system of offensive and defensive utilities,
and up to this hour the government of
the United States has done substantially
nothing to meet or cope with the
hostile demonstration from this source.
The federal government has surveyed Lake
Peoria which is but a widening of the
Illinois river near the city of Peoria and
naval experts have pronounced it an adc-
qulte and available site for the govern
ment station for the construction, man
towering and storing of torpedo gun
boats indeed most of the
Investigations and expenditures made
10y the federal government IN Illinois
never have had any relation to the subject
of ultimately perfecting the accessibility
from the Mississippi river to Lake Michi-
gan, But Of course, such a station would
be an absurdity 50 far as it relates to the
lakes, without channel for the passage
Of vessels from the lakes, and
there is no doubt but the
construction Of main channel added to the
logic Of the situation and of the events
which will compel the construction of the
remainder OF the water way by the federal
government with, among other things,
the construction Of such a naval station
near the city Of Peoria.
After resume Of what he considers the
tremendous probable effects Of the canal,
Judge Prendegast in conclusion said:
When Marquette, Joliet, IaSalle and
Henuepin made their marches to reach
the river of De Soto they walked the rest
Of the way of their destination This
valley region was formerly the highway of
waters and has become land and must once
more become the highway of commerce. y