The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1897-08-10
WAS THE PROPOSITION OSTENSI-
BLY, BEFORE THE MEETING
OF CITIZENS,
BUT FLErcHER's AIDES RAN 1T,
And the Committees Which VIII
Be Appointed Will Be Named
by His Friend Hicks.

first revealed the political significance
of the gathering, the opponents of
Congressman Fletcher's denomination
were enabled to get there and show
their hand the Fletcherites had the
thing all cut and dried beforehand,
and the meeting will be reported in
the Minneapolis papers this morning.
no doubt, as a victory for your uncle
Loren"
The meeting was attended by 500
people, and was called for the specific
purpose of allowing Mr.. Fletcher an
opportunity to state his reasons for
wishing a dam like the one that will
undoubtedly be built in the near
future. EX-Mayor Eustis appeared
and spoke in favor of a single high
dam, which could also possibly gener-
ate some power. He believed that the
one dam site was feasible, but would
not urge it if it in any manner inter-
ferred with the work commencing at
this time.
The meeting was called to order by
Prof. A. M. Hove. w. K. Hicks was
elected chairman of the evening and
Prof. Hove secretary.
Congressman Fletcher was called
upon as the first speaker tc give his
side of the case The congressman
went over his story. which he had
evidentl carefully prepared, and stated
the many complications that had heSet
the path of those who were working
to make Minneapolis the head of the
Mississippi river navigation. The flow
age rights had been secured, the adj
joining land all surveyed, and with
but few exceptions all rights had
been so secured that contracts could
be let for the work during the coming
fall. What Mr.. Fletcher considered as
a great drawback to the whole matter
was the great amount Of red tape with
the government in securing rights.
These matters all had to go through
several departments, and be referred
to so many officials that great delay
had been caused. This is, however,
nearly run down at this time, and I'M
less unknown complications arise the
work will soon be under way. Mr.
Fletcher in his remarks called atten-
ton to the Importance of the reser-
voirs in the upper Mississippi river,
which, since July last year. had sup
piled 60 per cent of the water that went
over st. Anthony falls.
In speaking of the one dam project,
he states the uselessness of it, as the
present proposition was the result of
the observations of the government
considered. The whole matter was
now nearly to a head, and any change
in plans would seriously delay the pro-
ject. He characterized the difference
between the two plans; that the one
dam was infeasible and the two dam
feasible. He also believed that ST. Paul
would derive as much benefit from
the dam as Minneapolis.
Capt. J. c. Reno, the following
speaker, heartily concurred with MIR.
Fletcher in the proposition for two
dams, one near Meeker island and the
other at Minnehaha. He called atten-
ton to the fact that the proposition
was nearly as old as Minneapolis. 1t
was first started in 1856, the intention
then being to build three dams. 1t
had been labored for by the congress-
men from this district, and even by Ed
mund Rice, of st. Paul, who had always
worked heartily for the Minneapolis
dam. Mr.. Reno could not see why St
Paul could have any objections to the
proposition, which it seemed to have
recently. Mr.. Reno had, during these
forty-one years, been close student
of the dam, and stated that it's effect
would be of raising the water at the
Washington avenue bridge three feet
He most strongly. opposed the high
dam foolishness.''
ExMayor Eustis called attention to
the fact that the present question was
and taxpayer. He Endorsed all Con-
gresham Fletcher said with the ex-
ception of the two dam project His
argument was that two dams were
better than four DAMS and one dam
better than two dams. He believed
that it was feasible to build the one
dam, near Minnehaha, sufficiently high
to affect the water five miles above.
This would then only necessitate one
lock instead of two, which would be
the case with two dams, and would
be more convenient for the boats. Mr..
report, Which recommended the high
dam. One argument was that if the
dam was sufficiently high it would al
low at the same time the securing
of power from the dam. He did not
favor opposition to ST. Paul, but a
qulet discussion. If the one dam prop
cslt!on would cause any delay in the
work he would be willing to drop the
matter entirely
At the close of Mr. Eustis's remarks.
Chairman Hicks summed the matter
up as follows: THAT if one dam site
better"
Rev: M. Falk Gjertsen stated that
as it had taken Minneapolis forty-one-
years to arrive at the present stage of
proceedings without the assistance of
st. Paul, who, on the contrary, had
IuuSHC II. II the plans should be
changed at this time, Mr. Gjertsen was
Oh the opinion that forty-one more
years would go by before the dam was
built N''''i- =" 90
Congressman Fletcher then said the
government had decided upon two
dams, and it was the only feasible plan
The citizens committee. which had
considered and reported favorably upon
Mr.. Fanning's report, had never con-
suited him in the matter, and if thew
had, he could have given them yaIll-
able information. He had been in the
city May %, and could easily have
been seen. He stated that Mr.. Eustis
knew nothing about the DAM Mr..
Fletcher appeared to be considerably
agitated in speaking about the citizens
committee, and quite caustic in his
remarks.
Mr.. Eustis believed that the congress
man, if he investigated the matter and
found that the one dam was the most
feasible, would be able to make the
change within a week. In reply to
this Mr.. Fletcher stated that the plan
was by the government engineer, and
could not be abandoned. Even If the
engineer was willing, it would consume
great length of time in passing
through the different departments.
Upon motion of Aid. Phillips, Con-
gresham F'letcher's action was in
dorsed, and confidence expressed, and
that he would prosecute the dam pro-
ject, was unanimously carried by
standing vote.
Chairman Hicks was instructed to