Ladysmith news-budget. [volume] (Ladysmith, Rusk County, Wis.) 1907-1927, 1911-04-14
OUR WATER POWERS
SUBJECT OF ADDRESS AT COM
MERCIAL CLUB BANQUET
A VALUABLE ASSET IF DEVELOPED
D. Buchanan of Chippewa Falls In
spires a Hundred Boosters at
Baker Hotel last Friday

The first of the banquetS under the
new plan, which welcomes all who wish
to come and makes the price SO cents a
plate, was held at the Baker hotel last
Friday evening. 1t was real booster
and every one present seemed to have
nothing at heart but the good of Lady
smith and the discussions were confined
exclusively to means of helping to i'm
prove the great natural resources of
the Chippewa valley, especially that
part dependent for its greatest devel-
opment upon the water power of the
principal branch of the Chippewa, the
| Flambeau.
After a time of greetings and con-
versation, the dining room was thrown
open and the bountiful tables prepared
by Mrs. O'Brien were quickly surround
| ed by hundred of our progressive
business men. While they captured
| the tables, it was plainly seen by the
way the good things were cleared away
that the hostess had captured their
hearts.
When every one was feeling at his
best, j. w. Carow, POSTMASTER, intro
duced the chief speaker of the evening,
to address the assembly on the subject
of Water Power, Mr.. D. Buchanan Of
| Chippewa Falls, who said:
Il have often heard of Ladyamith.
The reason for her growth and prosper
the company here tonight. AS
walked from the depot today | was re-
minded of story. In 1881 two balloon
lists started from Chicago to go in their
balloon to st. Paul. The morning after
they started they were seen near
Sparta, then nothing more was heard
of them for a week and they were
given up as lost. But they had landed
in great swamp in the woods Of the
Flambeau, subsisted on porcupine till
they found logging road leading to
the Flambeau, and made their way to
the Bruno Vinnette farm now owned
by Hon. T. NJ. Thomas. This was only
thirty years ago, and upon the spot so
isolated there is now a city of 5000
inhabitants.
1.-THE subject Of Water Power is
about as wide as the universe itself.
But | am here to address you tonight
upon the power Of water in driving
machinery. Wisconsin is peculiarly
favored SO far as the opportunity of
developing water power is concerned.
There are only two other states so
favored and only the northern part of
this state, and none more favored than
the Chippewa and Flambeau valley.
"Water cannot be destroyed, you
may change it's form but it comes back
again to water. When you use ton
of coal, you consume it, but water you
may use and there is as much after as
before. When water can be used it is
waste to use coal, which will be
needed, and we should not rob future
generations. Along this river $4,000
horse power can be developed, the pro-
duction of which by steam would cost
hundreds of thousands of dollars per
annum.'
Mr. Buchanan then gave history of
the development of some of the power
of the Chippewa; of the long delay till
the pine was cut. He then took up the
legal aspect Of the riparian or bank
owner. There are certain things that
must be had in order to use the water
power, as the bank and bed Of the
stream. The owner Of the land has
the right to use the water as it flows
over his land But the right of the
state to the water is in the plank of
the platform of the Republican party.
Mr.. Buchanan said that you should
see that you own the land where the
places are for potential water power,
as the bank and the river bed are the
elements to control with. Here there
is the market for the water power that
|
usually create the market for it. This
power has been most used to make
paper. The wonderful adaptability of
electricity in transmitting power will
make greater market.
The great fluctuations in power, so
that at times there is a surplus and at
other times shortage, is one of the
hindrances in development. The Chip
pewa and Flambeau are peculiarly sit
uated so that this difficulty can be
easily overcome by building reservoirs
that will hold the water to be released
as needed. There is a bill to give
authority for the Chippewa and Flam-
beau Improvement Company to build
dams that would more than double the
minimum horse power of these rivers.
! 1t is hoped that this bill will pass, but