The evening times. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1906-1914, 1912-07-19
PLANS REVIVAL OF
RED RIVER
ROUTE
Navigation Association Ad-
vocates Resumption Of
Ancient Trade Line.

The second session Of the Red
River and Hudson's Bay Navigation
association convention vas held in
Winnipeg in the board room OF the
Industrial Bureau. with Mayor
Waugh in the chair. The program
consisted of an open and free dis
cussion by the delegates OF the need
for a better waterway. both in Ma MI
toba and North Dakota. and the best
way to proceed to secure the same.
Mayor Waugh. after expressing the
the delegates from Grand Forks.
called on Mayor Murphy of Grand
Forks to outline to the convention
what had been done by the ~associa-
ton since the last meeting in re-
gard to the scheme for the improve
ment Of the Red river, to make 1t a
navigable river.
Murphy Talks.
Mr.. Murphy said: 81 am .particu-
larly glad to notice the Improvements
that are going on in Winnipeg. No
other city on the American continent
has such a future before it. The city
is destined to be the Chicago of the
west. and the improvement Of the
river will mean a lot to the city. But
the Improvement will mean a lot to
us, the people of Grand Forks. We
have obtained a grant fro mour gov
eminent Of 100000 for the purpose
Of having a proper survey made
This will be done shortly. The in
stallation of ono lock, by you. has
shown us what can be done. Let us
keep agitating. and by working to-
gether we will be sure Of success.
G. II. Bradbury. NJ. P. of Selkirk.
explained what action the Dominion
government had already taken in the
matter. Il realize that the improving
of the Red river is a matter of great
est importance to us. and the people
on the other side of the line. The
Dominion government has already
spent n million dollars in building
the dam and sixty thousand dollars
for further improvements of the
river. There is now uninterrupted
navigation from Winnipeg to the head
of the lake. and to be Of any great
benefit to the farmers Of the country
there must be a canal scheme from
the head of the lake to Hudson Bay.
The government have constructed a
channel at the mouth of the Red
river. making the entrance safe and
sure for all time to come, and have
also charted the lake" In conclusion.
Mr.. Bradbury stated that the govern
ment was fully alive to the needs Of
the people along the Red river, and
that any aid he could render would
De cheerfully given.
Wahpcton Represented.
That the swamp lands of Mime
sofa in being drained into the Red
river. through the Otter Tail and
Boisdesouix rivers. might be put to
good use in raising the water. was
the suggestion of A. G.. Divet Of Wah-
peton. He also urged the projection
Of the improvement scheme beyond
Fargo to Wahpeton. stating that the
importance of the surrounding coun-
try as an exporting district. demands
this.
ut is by slack water in the Red
river that the stream a be made
navigable through every season Of
the year." said Prof. f. F. Chandler
Of the University of North Dakota.
who is assistant engineer Of the water
recourses branch of the United States
geological survey. The only means
that l can see of giving the stream
navigahle depth all year round is to
hold the food waters of the spring
by means Of dams n reservoirs and
allow 1t to move down through the
dry season when there would other
wise be insufficient depth of water to
float crafts"
Professor Chandler also put for
ward the suggestion of making Red
lake a reservoir to hold up floods and
equalize the flow. Both would help
but the first would give navigation
the entire year round.
n. P. O'Neill of Red Lake Falls.
Thos. D.. Robinson and VIM. H. Nc.
Grawn also spoke on the feasibility
of the project. j. H. Ashdown. who
is an old Red river navigator, told
of his experiences in 1858.
The convention came to the con-
clusion that the best thing to be
done was to find the attitude Of
he Dominion government in regard
as far as the international boundary.
The delegates and members of the
association in attendance were among
the best known old timers on the
Red river.
A. E. Logan. Grand Forks: E. F.
Chandler. University of North Da-
kota: WIN. Henry McGraw. president
of the Red River Transportation COM
pany. Grand Forks; S. r. Henderson.
kildonan. Man: N. T. Macmillan.
Winnipeg: D. p. O'Neill, Thief River
Falls: Lars Racke (mayor). Thief
River Falls: Leonard Peterson. Thief
iNiNel Fdls' u. L. heiu, NlnnlpeS.
Aid: Potter. Winnipeg: F. Eberley.
Wahpeton. N. D.: c. j. Divit. wahpe-
ton. N. D.: Aid. Davidson. Aid. Bond.
Winnipeg: r. R. Sutherland. Vic
toria. B. c.: j. o. L. Macbeth. Vic
toria. B. c.: Mayor Waugh. Winnipeg.
The revival of the ancient glories
Of the old Red route was the object
of the gathering of many prominent
citizens from western Canada and
points in North Dakota and Mime
sofa in Winnipeg under the auspices
of the Red River Navigation ~associa-
ton.
1t was a most interesting crowd,
Red river navigation party. for
they were almost all "old timers in
and could recall the days
when they depended on the old Red
for their supplies from the
south and east. Little groups would
stand chatting yer the arrival Of
Of dmud scow of the early
days and then someone else would
chip in with a statement Of the pas
senger list.
Mayor Waugh called the meeting
to order in the board room. and in
a few words told Of the formation
Of the assciatin thrugh the interest
Grand Forks citizens.
1t was last March that the associa-
ton came into existence and at that
Mayor Waugh and Mayor
to be present at the first meeting
which took place in Grand Forks. At
his meeting the scheme for making
he Red river navigable for deep
boats from Grand Forks to
he International boundary was taken |