Chicago eagle. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1889-19??, 1900-02-17

Irct has been devised. and u bill intro
duccd IN Congress to carry II into ef-
feet. TO meet the dIminution Of the wa
ter OF Lake Erie by constructing dam
In the Niagara River near Buffalo, and
raising the level Of Lake Erie by about
three feet. such a dam would deepen
the water Of the Detroit aud St. Clair
Rivers. and would render more secure
and easy the navigation Of this great
waterway along which 30 important
part Of the food supply Of the nations
Is borne. But to raise the level Of Lake
Erie means to flood lands along its
shores. II means to food certain Cana.
dian lands. rs well as American; and
this would necessitate International ar.
rangement and costly compensation.
For this reason. ns well 40 for the rea.
son that great public enterprises always
NOV. slowly. the conversion Of Lake
Erie into vast mill.pond will proba.
thy he deferred for a long period.
The folly Of cheap and hasty rail-.
road construction has been dem0nstra-
ted In the result OF the hurried and
economical building Of the great Sibc.
rinn railroad. The Siberian railroad.
let u be understood, 10 to develop the
trade between China and Russia and to
reduce the time and expense Of travel.
ing from London. Paris. Berlin AMI
Russia to the ports Of the far East. The
general cost Of the road was $3.50. $780,
200 and. while part Of the construction
was by Joint stock company, most Of
the shares are In the Russian Govern.
ment's possession and the greater part
Of the money came from the Govern.
ment treasury. as will that needed for
the reconstruction deemed absolutely
necessary. Light rails and wooden
bridges were used In the original con-
structlOn and, under the conditions re-
sulting from the haste and economy oh.
served. quick and safe travel Is impos-
slble. Twenty miles IN hour Ii the
max!mum speed attained and this ut
| great risk 10 the patrons and property
OF the road. The heavy locomotives
necessary to climb the steep grades
have spread the light rails and dis
turbed the foundations Of the poorly
ballasted tracks until the committee
has concluded that complete reconstruc-
,lOn must he had. 1t 10 estimated that
this will cost not less than 500. 1000. 900.
and the Russian Government will be
asked TO make this appropriation Had
the work been properly done at the out.
set the development that the road
would have accomplished would have
been accelerated and not lmpeded.
%6A
We are told that a new emperor has
succeeded to the imperial dynasty OF
China, but II Is very clear that the
Empress D0wager, the grand old
woman OF the fowery realm. Is still
the power behind the throne. Some
ribald critics have sneered ut the So
called pctticoat government OF Great
Britain, but II they want to observe
the real thing they should study Chi.
nese political affairs. Victoria signs
state documents when her ministers
tell her to do SO. but the Dowager En-
press of China spanks the nominal En-
perOr and banishes him when he runs
counter to her wishes. As she still has
a large stock Of new emperOrs In re-
serve. varying In, age from one to ten
years. there Is no present prospect Of
the imperial dynasty falling.
The board Of geographical names has
decided that the people Of one OF our
nelghboring acquisitions are to b called
PuertOrlQueHos. As the name 10 OF
their own selection, 1t must be assumed
that 1t will be satisfactory to them, but
ULcle Sam may have trouble In twist.
Ing his tongue to meet the occasion.
%SA
Thomas Dunn English. the author of
ben Bolt" says mo person should
write poetry until he snail have reached
the age OF &c." He doesn't explain.
however. why any one should begin