Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1891-09-28


Whom Alone Rests the Blame of
the LOca i'm OF the Canal Ter
minus.
The Union makes vain endeavor to
shell the individual who is TO blame for
the discovery o. the southern route for
the Hennepin canal terminus By repub-
fishing so much of THE ARGUS interview
with Maj Mackenzie as pertains to the
discovery by the special board Of engi
neers of the deficiency of the water dis
charge at the head OF Vandruff's island,
which made the northern route mpracti,
cable from Turkey island TO the mouth of
Rock river. Not considering the stamp
of Inconsistency which the revelation of
this fact places upon the Unions con-
demns,ion of the engineers, whose work
it terms, IAN engineering wrong" it
uses it now TO excuse the property hold
er who directs its course in all its rela
tons to the public. But why pub
lish part of Maj. Mackenzie's views?
Why gsrble his words aud ut;erances 10
protect another from public condemns
ton? Why not publish all that the ma.
jor said on the subject in this same inter-
view on the subject? Perhaps this
part of Maj. MACKENZIE interview in the
ARGUS so carefully omitted by the Union
may throw as much light on the actual
situation as any part of it. 1t immedi-
ately follows that portion which the Union
copies:
1T is not fact major2' asked the re.
porter, that the south route was never
contemplated By the engineer department
until the trouble came up with the prop
erty holders along the north route?'
Why there is no secret about that, -
Maj. Mackenzie replied. Capt. Mar
shall stated il here repeatedly aud l think
| the engineers are all satisfied of the fact,
that the original engineers looked to the
south side of the river foT q club to hold
over the property holders who were OBJ
stinate in coming to terms with the gov
eminent. But in looking for the club
they found a route more practicable and
more economical for the government, THAI
any considered"
Then the original intention of the en-
| gineer department was not to locate the
canal on the south side of the river7'
Most sssuredly not. The discovery
Of the south route was purely accidental. u
"Well, major, do you not think, thai
had the engineers in charge of the sur.
veys not experienced the difficulty they
/ did uith hnllarc hot in
covering the deficiency of the water dis
charge the most likely course would
have been instead of following Rcck
river below Turkey island. to have GU
across the plateau to the neIghborhood
of the old distillery?"
such a course would have been very
natural. and individually, it would have
| pleased me very much"
Had the Union been fair enough tc
publish the important psrt of the inter.
view, it would have been obliged-in
consistent as the morning paper is-to
have omitted its own closing paragraph, bu
it is so highly entertaining that THE AR.
GUS will insert it for the amusement Of
its readers. Read it, and then compare
it with the part of the interview which
the Union omits. 1t will do your sou
good:
There is nothing of grab" or greed
| or combination" or property holder
in either the report or the interview, fol
the reason that all such allegations WERE
baseless and trumped up for purpose
And it is cruel and cowsrdly for THE
ARGUS to pursue. with mean filings snC
unfounded insiuualions a man who has
been from the beginning one of the
| Henuepius staupchest and truest friends
| just because it knows that il can rely OF
his magnsnimIty and forbearsnce not tC
| retail ate