The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1896-10-16
9HB WORK
OPPOSED
DsIaWareans Do Not Want tho
River improvements.
RIPARIAN RIGHTS DAMAGED.
Senator Gray and Anthony Hig-
gir.s Present Delawareans'
Protest Against the Lis
ton Point Dixie Mat
| ter Before the
[ Commission
! To-day.


gineers having In charge the improve.
ments to the Delaware river at Liston's
Point met In the Builders Exchange this
morning, many Delawareans who are
opposed to the work because of what Is
considered damaging to the riprarianing
rights Of this state.
The visitors included: Ely Schemerhorn
of Philadelphia Board Of Trade; Z. r,
Sherwood, secretary of Maratime Elk
change; Geo. f. Earnshaw, president Of
Maratime Exchange; Thomas Winsmore
of the Harbor Commission; w. X. Tnck
or, soc etary of the Harbpr Committee of
the Board of Trade and also member of
the joint committee; Joel Cook chairman
of committee on Harbor of tho Exchange.
William d. Winsor, of the Windsor
Steamship Line; John &. Cranston, q
member Of the joint committee and also
representing the Philadelphia Manufact-
international Steamship Company all
having a personal interest in the improve
ments.
The Wilmlngtonians present included
Postmaster Moore, A. G.. McCausand, Il.
M Hopes. Il. Tatnall Warner George
w. Bush, General James II Wilson,
United States Senator George Gray An.
thony Higgins, Charles Pussy, Lindley 9.
Kent, Peter L. Cooper, Archie Reed,
Daniel W. Taylor, W. r., Carswell, John
c. Farra, William Lawton George A.
Elliott and II. Bayard Heisler.
There were from down tho State Colum-
bus Watkins, b, H. Gamm and several
others.
Colonel Horny NJ Robert presided He
read from the Congressional record the
clause of tho law relating to the proposed
river improvement and stated that tho
meeting had been called to hear the senti.
Of IA roe a
A blue print showed the proposed work
and it was explained plainly by the colonel.
Senator Gray said hs understood the
object of the meeting. Not only were the
riparian rights Of Delawareana concern
ed by the improvements but Its best bust
ness relations were seriously interfered
with. Within tho proposed limo of i'm.
provomcnt tho Senator held that there
were people Of some Importance and in.
terests large scope Of country. They
feel that their riparian rights bolong to
them by nature and therefore should not
be deprived of them. This suggestion ID
going to shut their creeks.
,,-They want the Dan Baker shoals remov-
ed, but not in such " manner us will in
jure them, Thoy want the river channel
widcncl and tho ocean bound commerce
of the river established, but not to tho dis
advantage of the people who live directly
on the shore. He therefore asked thut tho
committee give the most careful consider
alton to the matter before final action was
taken
Anthony Higgins represented most Of
the people along the river at the point Of
improvements. Along Appoquinimink
creek, which will be shut in should The
dixie be constructed, are % farmers who
own 56,35j acres of LAM. It was for
them that he also was Interested. BY
these figures tho committee had the mag
nitude of the interest which would b3
affected. On these farms $S56,jJO worth Of
produce is raised yearly
Not only on the Appoquinimin crock
would the proposed Improvements be
damaging but farms along Drawers
Creek and the river to Port Penn would be
damaged to considerable extent. Mr.
Higgins also hold that thu work would
damage the draining system Of the state:
several streams cmpryIng in the river at
this point. The change in this condition
would iniurc the health OF the people who
had lived along the streams for years.
To accomplish the object the ilow of
stopped or hiudcred, which would present
the water on the Delaware shore from
flowing over the land
He spoke only as II novice and Ind tbs
utmost Difference to the opinion Of the
men who had made the subject Il study
Yet he believed that the gentlonau should
not do work that would niure th@ir
neighbOr.
He thought Delaware gave UP much TO
the Government when she gave it control
Of the river from shDra to shore. Now it
Is proposed to fill this space III, to the dis
advantage OF the people OF this State
which seemed as though onn-thrd Of this
county was being lost, which was hard,
considering we have but three Mr.. Hig-
gins concluded his remarks with addition
al reference TO the health and personal In
tCrcsts Of people along the creeks which
Will be shut in by the proposed improve
mcnt and that the figures he had given
were not considering tho commerce Of the
Appoquinimink creek
General James II. Wilson talked with
some reluctance because he bad not given
tho matter much consideration. Yet he
knew Of the Disadvantage the improve
mont, as Phila,ic!phians consider 1t,
would subject Do!awarcans to. He be.
loved the channel could be dccpcncd tie
necessary ~ feet III some other manner.
W. X. Tuckor secretary Of tho Board
Of Tralc, was called upon by Senator
Gray to talk, but he withdrew in favor of
thc secretary of the Board of Port War.
dens of Philadelphia, who snid that there
was no maritime interest the people Of
philadelphia world deprive Delawarcans
OF. lnuy Werb perfectly friendly III the
matter. They wanted tho channel deep
cncd to the best interests of tho people
along the stream. HO didn't think they
had overlooked the fact. They wanted
the river rights protected and upheld. He
was u farmer himself and therefore knew
what interest they took in the matter.
He said that anyhow sufficient crops
could not be raised to pay the expcncc, in
ferring that the loss would not be 50 great
l,,t N;
live In Delaware. He remarked that upon
the question he stood corrected
Returning to the subject he wanted to
know if the people along the Duck and
Appoquinimink creeks wanted their in.
tercst4 preserved to the disadvantage Of
the people on the Now jersey shore and
Pennsylvania.
The conference will be concluded this
afternoon.