Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1907-01-15
What They Think of It in pes Moines

T.
A recent issue of plain Talks" pub
lowing article relative to Mr.. Miller
and the canal that he proposes:
canal from Des Moines to the
Mississippi river, the developing Of a
waterway from Des Moines to the
gulf, to the Great lakes and UP the
Ohio river, the making of Des Moines
a great grain shipping center and a
basing point for all freight rates, is
ercompassed by the plans suggested
Savings bank and president Of the
Des Moines Bankers club He has
studied the question of water trans
portat1on and believes that such a
plan is not only feasible, but can at
tract the attention of the Iowa dele
cation at Washington.
A survey for canal from Des
Moines to Keokuk which was made
many years ago is now being dug up
| the question of levels discussed anc
the probable cost being inquired into
1t is suggested by Mr.. Miller that as
soon as the building of canal car
be shown to be to the advantage o.
the commercial interests of the city
some steps be taken to bring abou
action which will insure it's construc-
tion. Mr.. Miller, who is, one of the in
| fluential members of the Greater De!
! Moines committee, the East De!
Moines Commercial league and othel
such organizations. has been fol
months corresponding with those wh'
have made a study of water transpor
tation and has at last come to tn
conclusion that such waterway will
mean more to Des Moines than an.
one single thing which can be pro
posed.
"a waterway to the Mississippi con
Meeting with the big canal at ST
Louis will mean more for Des Nome
than any one single thing" said MI
, Miller when explaining what the ca
nal would do. "The cost I do no
know. but am told by Isaac Brandt
who remembers more than anyon
here, perhaps, about conditions whel
waterways were the means of trans
portation, that a survey was made i
the early days. 1t was found tina
the ships from Des Moines to keokul
and that the cost of construction wit
so few locks would be comparativel
low. The cheapness of transportation
by water would result in lower freigh
rates by rail- and Des Moines woul
become one of the few favored cite
; in the country.
'In outlining the results that woul
be accomplished and conditions tina
, would be brought about by the con
, struction of canal fromaDes Nome
to the Mississippi, I would point out
The Advantages.
"First-The saving of hundreds c
; thousands of dollars to the farmer
. throughout the state in freight rate
J | think it can be conclusively show
that where the railroads come in com
Petition with water transportatio
freight rates are lowered fully one
half.
4Second-The developing of chea
power at the head of the canal in De
Moines and at the ten or twelve locE
that will be necessary at the head {
the different levels between De
Moines and the Mississippi river.
am not informed as to how much ia
there is between the outlet above tt
dam. where the water would have
be taken in, and the vicinity of tt
packing houses, where the canal wou
probably head. but it seems to me tn;
it must be sufficient so that. the fore
= of water carried through steel cond,
its would furnish sufficient and almo