Grand Rapids herald. [volume] (Grand Rapids, Mich.) 1892-1959, 1892-04-29
OPEN UP THE RIVER,
a General Demand that the
Channel Be peepened
CITIZENS GIVE THEIR VIEWS
And An of Them Point Out ths Inss-
timsbie Advantage to Accrue BY
. Permanent Improvement.

tne QuoetlOo o1 Improving sfaDQ T1ver
| were left 70 the merchants and manu-
fscturers Of tins city TIE work wonld
be begun At once. But il would be an
fair TO ask them to pay The expense
| when innumersble creeks and dry
channels are improved ~ The expense
Of the whole counIy. and hence sppli-
cation is made 10 the general govern
ment. which receives jurisdiction over
IL ~ navigahle stream. In lu present
condition navigation 10 but little more
than a bur.esque on what u ought 10
he. Numerous obstrucIons, easily rs-
moved. and shallow nlsoes, easily deep
ened. prevent the passage of any craft
except those OF very light drsught.
With q moderate expenditure of money
the channel for the entire oistance be
tween this city and the lake can be
made navgabie for lake vessels ana
steamers OF standard draught. TINS
| fact has been demonstrated again and
again, but the truth will lose none of
its force il II be driven home 10 the
attention of congress at every oppor-
tunity. Therefore, 10 JOIN m the effort
70 secure the much-desred improve
ment THK HERALD again solic.ts spoa.
taneous expressions of opinions from
citizens who are actively Interested, 10
the end that the inatter be thoroughly
agitated. Yesterday . reporter for
THE HERALD MET with the enblo,ned
words OF encouragement:
Benefits for Essrybsa
S. NJ. Lomon--Tne improvement: oi
Grand river world not oaly he hene-
1T 20 Grand Rapids. bat TO tho IA igil-
boring states az well, hence Il Is sCs :
matter of local bat of generai interest,
The people of Grand Rapids nearly
three years ago put their hands itsA
their pockets and paid ont nearly ssv0a
to defIay the expense for a survey of
the riyer, and again one wear sgo y
number OF the people here made an
other contribution 10 help deiray the
expenses incurred IN the public survey.
made under the supervision of Colonel
Ludlow, and the fact that the report of
that survey has been so slow IN reach
ing Washington is no fault of the peo-
pie of this locality. nor is IT sufficient
reason tor deierrlng the appropriation.
On the contrary, Colonel Ludlow's re
port Is extremely favorable. liz points
| out the absolute necessity for the i'm.
mediate improvement OF the river and
| the great benefits which wall naturaii,
| follow such improvement. IL is wei
known fact, admitted on all sides. tina
the improvement of Grand riser woulc
add greatly 70 the population OF oa'
| city and the developement of western
| Michigan, and l do hope that the rep
rcsentauves of thn state, both congress
| men and senator's, will realize the ne-
| cossity Of securing an Immediate sp-
| preparation, and 10 get the afnoua;
| asked for incorporated IN the river an d
harbor bill now before the senate.
| Wide Territory Iassressed-
III. d. {. Van Asmus, secretary OF the
board Of trade--All the territory that
looks 10 this market for Its supplies IL
! interested In the matter of improving
Grand river for commercial purposes.
| There is no doubt that u will cheaper
| freight rates wgihout detTimcnt 20 the
railroad companies. IL will increase
the number OF industries. thereby
making more business fer all lines.
One of the main objects IN asking that
the river he improved Is that we have
learned from experience that many IN
dustries have been turned from tins
city because we have no water com
munIcation. When the hoard Of trade
was first organized /, went 10 work and
advertised the CITY very extensively,
| and as the result many manufactures
came here expecting Il find Grand
river q navignbls stream. Nh.n they
learn d II was not they loested se-
| where. IL the river coali be made
navigabic MANY industries wouid
spring up Along lis bsnks fof miles out
| side Of the city.
| n sbenla re Improved.
Col. George G. BrigEs-i think there
ia nothing that would enhance the IN
tcrests oi Grand Rapids so macA as 20
have the river improrcd. The fact
that the suprcnle court ha. declared
Grand river 70 be a nav,gable stream.
| ought TO convince congress that IL
| sbonld be improved. The saving ~
| freight rates would be b,g item 10 tho
people OF Grand Rapids alone. the
amount saved In sbipplpC coal would
be 30 cents ton. The report OF tils
survey reached congress too late 10 en-.
stie Congressman Beiknsp 10 have tie
appropriation included in the river and
! baFbor BIZ when II was prepared N the
house of Representative. The biii 10
| now before The senate. and both MICH.
gan senators are on recof1 80 farofiDr
an appropriation for Grsnd river.
Every citizen of this city should enlist
/ himself for this purpose and express
himself by letter % our representatives.
G. II. Leonard--This is a Quesucn OF
vital importance TO every citizen ol
Grand Rapids. There 70 class of bus
incss IN this city that docs not tealHe
The great benefit that would accrue 10
IL from the dredging OF Grand river.
Those using vster power would alone
be benefited TO the amount Of the ap-
propr alton asked for. The river would
be lowered four feet, which would in-
crease Their power. making t entirely
ample for ali purposes ] sm glad "a
see THr HtHh9.D take MP ths matter.
because u isa subject OF great import
snce ana needs asifsting toioneI
Ludlow gives ~ hss ressen for the DE-
lay in subnlttinetbe report OF the sur
vey, that the appropriation vss &c
small that be could employ but one
man On the work. When the river and
hsrber bali we being made up M tbs
heuse Of representatives, dummy
ought 70 have been provided - take
the place ef the Grand river approprs-
atson, then whep everytk inG We ready
the amount could have been s1ds6 70
The bin.
TT. Mess}ey-1f ve esn secure IN
sppropriasisn Of tloe. 80 fer The i'm
provensbt Of erssd river II vii b. .
great benefit - business men IN thIs
locality. With . boat ruuning %
Grand river freight rates would ce
lowered enc of I've cents . hupdre1
and The ameupt Of The appropriation
vouId scon b Yeaisxed IN the saving of
4 t.~a k~~~~.