Wausau pilot. [volume] (Wausau, Wis.) 1896-1940, 1908-03-10

ton of the Northwestern Electrical as
sociation was held in the Coliseum
building at Chicago. At this time a
most valuable paper was read by Ernest
Gonzenbach, on the Electrical Posi-
bilities of Wisconsin Water Powers"
The pamphlet containing the proceed
ings was received in the city the other
day and the PILOT is therefore able to
give to its readers the paper in full.
All interestg 4 in the future of the cities
along the Wisconsin valley should
read Mr.. Gonzenbach's article; it is as
follows:
There has been an awakening lately
to realization of the fact that the state
of Wisconsin is one of the richest in the
Union. At the present time its chief
claim to fame rests in its agriculture.
Its manufacturing industries and its
transportation facilities take second
and third rank. The lumber industry
which at one time was the back bone of
Wisconsin, has practically made its
final farewell Such numbering as is
now carrieds on is not on the grand
scale of the old days, and to an old
lumberman it seems like working in a
grave yard. If, then, the state of Wis
consin wants to make rapid strides TO
take its place where it properly belongs,
in the front ranks with such states as
Massachusetts, Pennsylvania and Hi
nois, then it must develop its manufac-
turing possibilities.
'The old New England states, which
were for years and years the backbone
of American industry, and today still
occupy one of the first places in the
manufacture of certain classes of goods,
derived their Importance principally
from the utilization of one of the cheap
water powers which could be found in
many places in these states. Look at
any mill or factory which has been
established any length of time in one of
the New England states, and it is al
ways and invariably located on or
driven by water power. 1t is an old
saying that the Merrimac river, in its
short course of les, than 200 miles from
its source to the ocean, turns more
wheels than any other stream in the
world, fact which may be readily sub
stantiated, for the stream has very
rapid fall, and mill after mill is located
at each ole of the falls. The chief
reason of the Importance of the Merri-
mac river as power producing stream
is that at it's head is the grand lake
Wjnnepesaukee, famous for its scenery
and summer resorts. Of more value
than its fame as summer lake, how
ever, is the fact that it Is the one great
regulator which makes it possible tor
the mills between it and the Atlantic
ocean TO be profitably operated. An
association of manufacturers, jointly
with the government, controls dam
at it's outlet, and in the early spring
the water is stored, and drawn from the
lake as demanded by the manufactur-
ing facilities lower down the river.
The lake is so large that about 100 days
water supply may be stored, and the
Merrimac river could be maintained
at its normal flow for that length of
time provided not drop of rain should
fall This lake is in the mountains of
New Hampshire and the short river
which forms its outlet have produced
millions and millions of dollars for the
manufacturers of New Hampshire and
Massachusetts. There are other rivers
in New England which have done their
share to produce New England's capi-
tai, for instance there are: the Con-
necticut river, the Hoosatonic, the
Androscoggin, and half dozen others.
1t may be safely assumed that the cheap
water power of New England was the
mother of all the wealth which is now
available for investment in other sec
tons of this country. Of course all
this wealth was fathered by the enter
prising Yankees who happened to be on
hand to take advantage of the facilities
which mother nature had provided.
"In looking over the situation in Wis
consin, find there is close analogy
between the water power situation
which prevails in New England and
the conditions existing in the state of
Wisconsin. The water powers of the
East are duplicated in Wisconsin on a
or,a N dar scala a,d ora Cana bIa Of r,uoh
greater development, and of produc-
ing infinitely more wealth than those
of the East. For some reason or other
the Wisconsin water powers have been
allowed to lie dormant. Perhaps it is
on account of the absence of the ubiqui-
tous Yankees, for as a matter of fact
the Yankees seem to have had a small
hand in the development of Wiscon-
sin so far.
"These views serve perhaps very
well for visionary speeulations, but get
ting down to hard facts, think probab-
ly the real reason the water powers of
Wisconsin have not been developed as
much as they deserve to be, has been
on account of the use of the streams
and rivers for logging purposes. Lum-
bermen and associations of lumbermen
have built and maintained dams on the
various rivers and regulated the flow OF
the rivers in such way as to produce
sufficient depth for floating logs, re-
gardless of the value of that water
when turned into power. As above re-
ferred 10, l believe it can not be dis
puted that the lumber industry of Wis.
consin is on its death bed, and only 8
few feeble struggles may be expected
from it before it finally gives up its
ghost. OF course the loss of this indus
try is loss to Wisconsin, but it is an il
wind that blows nobody some good and
the loss IS accompanied by tremendous
gain, for it win mean that the numerous
water powers of the Northern part Of
the state, which have been unproduc
tive for so long can now be utilized fol