Telegram-herald., 1891-10-01
DON'I Want Il OPENED
Property Owners Object to the
Tapping of the Channel.
BECAUSE n WILL wORK INJURY
To Their Private interests-sAsfgeas
Aast Bs Preserved Untatssraptsd-
Mr. Heaefman states Reasons
Why Hs Objects te H.

Another obstacle 10 the opening OF
the steamboat channel arises In the OBJ
jection of the owners of the river ware
house and owners OF the channel prop
er. Tie channel was exeavated by
White & sqaler for the purpose OF
forming = steamboat basin aud furn-
ishing convenient shipping point Tor
the commerce OF the city. Later. Cap
tain Canal, the owner Of the steamer
Barrett l.ecame interested and ut his
death Thomas Heiferman tded over
some of the debts tor which tEe boat
was liable, and induced some OF the
wholesale merchants OF the city TO III
terest themselves in keeping the steam
er on the river and preventing her sale
for debt. 1hs has been done; the Bar.
rett has continued navigation and
while Mcssrs. Muir and Crowley have
not made q fortune for themselves
they have by continuing their business
maintained a lower freight rate for tho
shippers of Grand Rapids by furnishing
a competing line with the railroads.
Messrs. White and Hefferman own 400
feet abutting on the channel at It's
northern extremity and they protest
against the opening OF the proposed
cut unless some provlsloa is made Tor
keeping the channel open after the ex-
cayation is made.
Ask For u Respectful Hearing.
The gentlemen are not IN a COM
batlve mood but they assert their
rights in the matter and ask for res
pectfui hearing of them. If the OPEN
ing of the channel is public necessity
they consider that they are entitled TO
some indemnity for the damage that
will be incurred by them by reason OF
the gradual filling of the water way
that Is sure to follow. They claim that
their abutting property is of more value
as shipping point than for building
purposes and If the shipping facilities
are destroyed their propertyi is damaged.
In conversation with reporter for the
Telegram Herald yesterday Mr.. Hef-
ferman said "Outside of any personal
interest l may have in the matter, it Is
OF the greatest Importance to the city
that a water way to the lake be main
tanned for even as matters are now,
the rlvernavigation is a great benefit.
x
however. For many years it has been
pet project of some of our farsighted
citizens to have lake vessels load and
unload at the docks IN this city.
The plan has been laughed
at by people who did not
realize its Importance, bitterly
opposed by the railroad interests and
even the government engineers Of this
department have reported adversely IN
the matter.
Government Surveys Made.
Matters have changed for the better.
Surveys have been made at private
expense TO show the feasibility of such
plan and Col. Ludlow the present
government engineer gave the matter a
careful investigation and he was most
favorably impressed. A government
preliminary survey followed and Col.
Ludlow reported favorably upon it.
The prospects are that the government
seeing the importance of the matter
and the feasibility with which it can be
brought about will make liberal appro-
priations in behalf of the improvement.
If however the continuance of naviga-
uon is discouraged and the boat
service should cease, 1T would be far
mere difficult to secure favorable con-
sideratIon for securing a permanent
waterway for vessels Of deeper
draught. We make no threats of any
kind but we do protest against the
filling of the channel and ask that our
rights be given consideration. Stuart
White who Is interested with me is out
of the city and will be absent until
next week."