The times., 1899-12-29
: strictIr Amcricnn CnnaI.

All good Americans want the future
perhaps the far ture-interoccanic canal
correcting the waters Of the Atlantic ami
Pacific 20 be American. The little sister
enterprise Of the Chicago drainage canal,
which viii connect the clear fluid of Lake
Michigan with the Mississippi, and pour
into thar noble stream the sewage of the
Windy City. Is American already and with
out effort But this fact does not save it
from criticism or angry objections coming
from a vast population destined to be
drained on.
chicago is no country village 10 grudge
the price Of fresh paint for the calaboose
or cordwood for the schcolhouse. The great
Western metropolis has already spent
thirty million dollars on one of the most
interesting and locally exciting engineering
problems Of the age, and successful soiu-
ton is in sight. Il involves the spread OF
a solution over large territory in which
The people view it with an alarm in which
resentment is held ia constant precipita-
ton.
Through the valleys and within the
banks OF the Des PLANES and Illinois
Rivers the Chicago drainage canal viii de-
liver its frightfuI burden into the Missis-
sippi. not far above St. Louis, place which
4 the other town has long referred to as the
/ back premises Of Chicago" and is now
about to treat as such. The ditch is so
I near completion that an effort is being
made to finish it within the next few days,
( so that the food may begin operations be
s
authority 10 stop what all the denizens Of
+ the Des PLANES and Illinois valleys, and OF
/ the Mississippi Valley below the point OF
+ influence. consider a stupendous outrage.
I So the Chicago Canal Commissioners are
employing all the labor they can secure 10
] get the canal open during the first week In
January. arguing that the fact once accom-
plished it would be difficult to issue a pro-
I cess which would operate on the rushing
torrent as the injunction Of Chief Justice
/ Moses did on the Red Sea, in the case Of
I The Children Of Israel VS.. Pharaoh ct al.
Probably there are ethical as well as
sanitary propositions to be considered in
discussing the propriety Of a course OF
action by which a great metropolitan com
munity relieves itself Of its offal and so
on. by dumping the same over the lands
and hereditsments Of its neighbors and into
the hitherto potable water supply of d
hated rival: but We viii not stop to en-
quire into such matters now, the time for
useful opposition apparently having passed.
Chicago enjoys superiority in the directions
Of money and influence, and, il the St.
Louis beer OF the future is to be thicker,
heavier and OF a different flavor, as one
Of the consequences, it viii be easy for
those who do not fancy the change to move
up stream within reach of Chicago beer,
which. after the canal has been in opera
ton a few weeks ought TO show a de-
cided improvement.
What interests us is that there is dan
ger Of international complications growing
out Of this diversion Of the waters OF the
Great Lakes 10 a channel outlet never con-
templsted in the treaty Of peace with
Great Britain. the Elgin treaty, nor the
/ Geneva award. In ether words, since some
OF the aqueous content Of Lake Michigan
undoubtedly Is derived from rain which
fell ia Canada, It Is evident that the Do
minion has and viii insist upon its right
to that much Of the general water volume,
as separate and distinct-even if insepara-
bic and indistinguishable- Canadian prop
erty. II may be impossible for the au-
thorites at Ottawa to impound the water
thus justly belonging to the provinces;
but its value estimated according to the
liberal Canuek scale. most certainly viii
be demanded Of US through the British
Colonial Office. II would be well, then.
for the Government 10 hesitate about
allowing the city of Chicago to imperil our
relations with the great State to the
north of as. We need not worry concern
ing what merely domestic towns and cities
may do about the matter. They will be
fortunate IL they are not charged and sued
for go-and-so many hundred thousand tons