Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1901-11-26
A Capital City business Ms
Springs New Scheme wits :
Immense Possibilities, :
i,
He WAS HERE sU' -
involves the Outlay of Many Millions
of Dollars, But 1t Is Believed 1t
Would Pay - System Of Locks and
Dams Projected.
From Mondays Daily.

From Mondays Daily.
A scheme of gigantic proportions is
on foot, that may result IN vast
amount of good to Ottumwa- This is
nothing more than the conversion OF
the Des Moines river, from keokuk
to Des Moines into deep water ca
nal, allowing the shipment OF freight
from the Mississippi river to the capl-
tai of the state. The scheme looks
big at first, but when it is known that
the same thing has been done in tother
parts of the county, it is at once seen
that it is feasible. Should the peo-
pie of Iowa take kindly to the idea, IL
is the intention of the originator to
bring the matter before congress and
ask for an appropriation from that
body for carrying on the work. Sew
eral of Iowas legislators have been
approached on the scheme and they all
look upon it with much favor. While
it would take many millions OF dol
lars to put the river in condition Tor
such business, there is no reason why
1t should not be done, and with the
large surplus in Uncle Sans treasury
it is believed by the originators OF the
idea that such an appropriation could
be secured Iowa has never asked for
anything of this character, and her
prominent men believe now IS the
time for her to get something. In
this idea the state has something that
! the benefits cannot be under estimat-
ed. John S. Emery, of Des Molnes,
was in Ottumwa yesterday and met
several of it's prominent citizens to
whom he broached the scheme. They
were one and all very favorably i'm
pressed. and promised to lend their
aid in pushing the matter if it was de-
cided that it could be worked.
Mr.. Emery Interviewed.
Last evening Mr.. Emery was inter-
viewed by a Courier reporter in re-
gard to the matter. He is one of the
most prominent business men in the
state, and is well known. He was for
merly partner of the great firm OF
Harris, Emery & Company, of Des
Moines, but retired from that firm
last April, about the time the firm
business was nearly wiped out OF OK
istence by fire. He has given the mat
ter considerable study, and while he
has not as yet any figures with which
to base his opinions, he believes the
idea is a good one, and he is just now
devoting a good portion of his time In
visiting all the cities along the river
and finding out the feeling of the cltl
zens. If he gets the necessary assist
ance that he hopes to, he will soon be
gin active work in preparing for a pre-
liminary survey in order to place the
matter in position where. the govern
ment can be asked to help.
Gets Much Encouragement.
Mr. Emery said the matter was II
embryo as yet. He tsaid he hat
thought of it for a long time, and nov
that he had the time he was investi
eating the feeling of the citizens along
the river, and If he received the neces
sary announcement, he saw no rea
son why preliminary survey should
not be ordered. He said it was prob
able that the cities along the rive
would have to stand the expense o
this although he believed that the
in the matter and prevailed upon t.
appropriate enough money to maxi
the preliminary survey. He is highl.
enthusiastic over the possibilities o
such an event taking place. He SAT-
it would mean the salvation of th
Wholesale business of Iowa. He SAT-
At would not only let our big merchant
get there goods here as cheaply as tn
firms along the Mississippi river,whic
is now used as basing point on al
eastern freight rates, but that
would open us a market for our graf
and coal that would allow us to con
pete with any market in the world,
A Great Benefit.
tits a fact, it is said that it costs
farmer nearly as much to ship hi
grain to market under present cond
,tions as it does to raise it. Shoul
we be able to get a line of steamer
run up into the heart of Iowa, w
could put our grain on the market q
about one-third the cost. Mr. Emer.
of course, expected that the railroad
would fight such an idea, as it woul
cause them to put their rates in
shape that they could be reached
ALL but he saw no reason why the PEI
pie should not work for the idea, an
see that it went through.
Build Locks.
The idea of the canal as conveJe
by Mr.. Emery was for the constru
ton of a series of locks and dams fro
Keokuls to Des Moines. Mr.. Eme1
said there was enough current an
enough water for such a purpose.
was his idea to carry freight
barges, and use tugs. In this matte
it would not take deep draught boat
and the many bridges along the riv,