The Bemidji daily pioneer. [volume] (Bemidji, Minn.) 1904-1971, 1913-10-16
INVESTIGATE NEED
OF REDBY HARBOR
Col. G. I. Potter, Construction Work
Engineer, Visits Redby For Pur-
pose Of Ascertaining Need
WILL CONVENIENCE SETTLERS
As Conditions Now Exist Northern
Farmers Caused To Travel Many
Unnecessary Miles

In accordance with9the appropria-
ton of Congress calling for IS, 900
which will be used in INVESTIGATING
the building of harbor at Redby
and Red Lake Agency on Red Lake,
Col. c. L. Potter of st. Paul arrived
in 1Bemidji yesterday and at once
left for Red Lake to Investigate the
feasibility of such a construction.
Col. Potter is an engineer, whose
ability on water construction work
| ranks among the first in the United
Estates and upon whose Judgment
Congress will greatly depend in ma
king an appropriation for the con-
struction of navigable harbors on
upper and lower Red Lake.
The country north of Red Lake 10
settling rapidly and the urgent and
immediate need of first class freight
and passenger boat service across
the big body Of water to Redby lis
becoming more of necessity each
week.
LAT present the homesteaders,
farmers, and townspeople residing in
this rich farming section of Beltra-
mi county, are compelled to go up
into Canada. by way Of Baudette and
International Falls4aor through sew.
eral counties. by way of Crookston
in order to reach their county seat
Bemidji.
These settlers are compelled To
come to Bemidji several times a year
to attend to business matters and
the outrageous, expense to which
they are put in : paying railroad
fares at present, imposes a hard
ship. } y
Not only is the passenger service
all that is needed,:sbut the freight
service thus established will be OF
inestimable value to the entire Sec
tion of Beltrami county.
The present BOAT service is the
best that can be installed under the
present water conditions, launches
and rOwboats being unable to come
within several blocks of the shore.
Is Crying Need.
The construction OF several har-
bors on Red Lake has been crying
need for the past five years and to-
day the demand is greater and more
urgent than ever.
The fact that thousands of set
tiers have flocked into this undevel-
oped country during the past three
years has commanded the attention
of congressman Halvor Steenerson.
who has brought the matter before
the Washington session and as re-
suit secured the appropriation OF
$4,000 for investigation purposes.
The investigation is now on and
Col Potter's report will be an Inn
portant factor when congress is
asked for an appropriation. His re-
port will also contain the amount of
money advisable to be spent upon
the construction of necessary har-
bor4
Present System Expensive.
The system in use at the present
time Of shipping freight into the in
land towns in Northern Beltrami
county is an extreme hardship upon
the residents of this section. Any
one making shipment by freight
must either have it sent by way OF
Crookston or Thief River Falls and
from their hauled by team disc
lance Of from so to 100 miles; or.
by way OF International Falls, over
the Canadian boundary and back In
to the county: or. up the Red Lake
railroad to Redby loaded on to thu
push cars and carted on a. narrow
gauge track several blocks into the
lake, from which the freight is load
ed on to rowboats and barges and
then poled out to the waiting launch
several blocks into the lake.
What big saving it would he
both to the settlers and to the town
folk in that section, as well as to
towns and villages south Of Red Lake
II freight could be loaded right
CONTINUED On page r.