The Arvada enterprise., 1923-10-18


Del Of the Chicago Sanitary district with the Des-
PLANES river at that point. Bids were also re-
eeved at the same time for furnishing and erect
hs the steel gates for this lock and for the lock
1t Marselles.
The Marsees lock. begun November 20. 1870
now ready for the steel gates and operating ma
chinery. The contract bid price was $1.375.l15 at
he peak Of war prices. but William L. Sackett
superintendent Of the division of waterways re-
ports that it has been completed for 100000 less
man the contract price. Bids received last Feb.
"ary FOR the Starved Rock lock and dam were
SUBSTANTIALLY below the states estimate Of cost for
mai work. These figures, Superintendent Sackptt
points out show that the Illinois Waterway can
~ completed well within the 500. 600. 900 bond is
se authorized by the state
DeSotos bones lie In the bed Of the Niss,ssinnI
n'er kadissons are-who knows? Joliet's nre
Cannda Mnrquette's are at st. Ignace Mich
ASalles are In Texas
suppose one could wake these famous explorers
= ~" the dead and take them from tn. Great
1Se" to the Gulf through Chicago and Its drain.
canal, down the Illinois and Michigan canal
~ me Illinois river to the Mississippi and down
AiAnssppl to New Orleans Just Imagine
"sM they would feel and say!
,' o1 Desoto saw the Lower Mississippi In l54l
,.s".a 'n was on the Uppe. Mississippi about l85S
Ne.''e may or may not have creased the Chicseo
s..ssee Us early a. 1870 but he certainly In lss2
~ -" .or crevecoeur At Peoria. Then, descend.
n % @e Illinois and the Mississippi to the Gulf,
"" possession Of the region In the name Of
~. e ana named 1t Louisiana, after Louis XIV.
ana Marquette. In le7a. went by canoe from
y n"a use 10 the mouth Of the Arkansas BY WY
y " nay ana the Wisconsin They returned
-. OF the Illinois and the Chicago portage,
~ Marquette spent the winter Of. le74.s IN !. hu,
ne ste Of Chicago
osooto. after the failure Of nj, expedt,on for
Cses' was hent on escaping from the wilder.
~ marching across the continent. Radsson.
whose explorations cume the Hudson's Bay
~. a, wa' looking for furs. Marquette was .
s priest engaged In religious work.
~ ."s"ile and Joliet were empire builders and
s.,..s s~ IN the Chicago portage the key to water
y. a.. A!on IRON the Gulf Of ST. Lawrence 10
vs,iN =, y, r mexico through the heart Of the New
IN ~ VI north America. They said u few men
~ n'' novels on the Chicago portage could unite
N, ~ LAKES and the Gulf Of Mexico und they
4 a.. rarooned the exaggeration for In season
CAI.,.' was usual to travel BY csnoe over the
m =" ~. portage They had the vision to see the
Hi..snIn snIns OF this uniting Of the waters at the
n, r..,,p'hge p"''hge between the Chicago river and
,n. .a upon the heels Of these xren, Frenchmen
CI.lI "ee OF naton.buIlders who hnd like visions
IN the explorers now rsv,.,, ~. .s,.s,..,nn
,,.S. 'ney would stand aghast n, whnt hsx nj.
Naos r" ~. accomplished along the line OF theIr
Ass i.,s" ."ey would marvel at the xIowness Of
hle,,ion, ,' ".y"' They would he puzzled by com
hsh. WV" 'an'ncntions seemingly without
4 N, would would see Chicago Of iv.3-the third cir,
ssu ,.'.' me second city Of the wealthiest and
lasr ~ , nation Of earth the trs, city Of the
r.. .""' h"ti"n the MIssissIpp, valley
sssd ,,, n'.'u see the Chicago river turned pack.
"'"'hg Into the Illinois. furnishing sun.