The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1926-01-22
MORE ABOUT THE
bACKUs PROPOSAL.
OPINIONS ARE THAT WALL
STREET is BEHIND THE
DAM PROPOSITION.
(By Paul B. Riis, President OF
Superior National Forest Recre-
alton Association.)

Rumors at Fort Frances and In
ternational rails have 1t that Wall
street syndicate rs the motive pow
er behind the BacKus PROJECT with
the latter its emiSsary.
The two cities have ample rea-
sons to SIDE with the project. Its
improved industrial and sustained
economical development. Many OF
its ciIiZens went TO the conference
OF the Joint Commission with APP
prehension, born of intimate ac-
qualntance with Mr.. Backus. This
gentlemaa, however, seemed able to
allay their fears and VIM opponents
over to his side, by frank state
nent that he would gladly do any
thing the Commission would ask OF
MN.
There We're many there who own
ed riparian rights. But far the
largest area to be hooded on a num-
Der of lakes Is owned by the people
OF the United States. This collect
I'VE ownership should make for
unity ana strength, individually de
1enaable against any encroachment
Wall Street is powerful but not i'm
pregnable AGAINST collective protests
at washington. The decision does
not rest with the International
Joint Commission but the will ana
voice of the people.
Extensive explorations of the
boundary waters, together with in
| vestigatlon and survey of the
tributary watershed on both side.
of the international Boundary, have
been made for several years by en-
| gineers of the Fort Frances Pulp
and Paper Company, which is locat
ed at Fort Frances, Ontario, at the
western outlet of Rainy Lake. The
city of International Falls lies OPP
| posite Fort Frances on the Ameri-
can side. International Falls, the
western outlet of Rainy Lake into
Rainy River, lies immediately be-
tween the two cities and has been
damned for storage purposes. A
toll bragg, Backus owned and con-
| trolled, Is the only connecting link
between the two cities.
Rainy Lake has been impounded
to operate this pulp null. Kettle
rails, a storage dam on the eastern
inlet INTO Rainy Lake, controls the
waters of Namakan Lake and its
tributaries, Kapetogama, Standpoint,
crane and Little vermillion Lakes.
these lakes, with combined length
OF over forty miles, are practically
on the same water level, and have
been used as storage basins for this
pulp mill.
In its present application, the
pulp mill seeks to raise the Level
of Rainy Lake three and one-half
feet, but leaves intact the present
level of Namakan Lake, as the rails
ing of its level one foot would SIM
ply mean a loss of four feet on
the tail race. -Four storage dams
are contemplated above Namakar
Lake. The four big basins now pro-
lected include Lac la Croix
Crooked, Eastwood and Saganaga
Lakes, each with its regulating
works and dams, controlling inter
mediate and smaller boundary lakes
The boundary waters spilling at
International Falls run eastward
through 81 townships, from Rainy
Lake on the west to Watab on the
east.
The present and proposed storage
of all these lakes combined, will be
1920 cubic feet per second for 31C
days in the year against the present
high minimum flow of 1,450 cubic
feet per second. 1t also increases
the dependable power at these sites
by over 71,700 horsepower at 8
capital cost of only 1894 per con
| tinuous horsepower, the cost to bt
assessed pro rata against abuttine
property holders as benehcIaries un
der the scheme.
1t is also minated that further
storage is practicable in this water
she'd on tributaries not along the
boundary, such development to bring
the run-off under absolute control
This, then, in a nutshell, lrepre.
sents the speculative interest OF
commercialism. The same waters
however, have greater lure recre.
ationally, scenically, esthencally.
Civilization has trampled under
foot our horderlands until little re-
mains of primitive America, usually
remotely situated, and unreachable
by the masses The Superior For
est lies within less than a thousand
mile quadrant of the. 25 million
people in the Lake States. No other
single public reservation of its size
is as conveniently located to a popu-
lation center; certainly no other
wilderness area lies nearer the front
door of civilization. Being of the
superlativo type, it has no peer or
equal and portrays the highest ma
tional character as water travel
playground. No other lakeland for
est in America can compare with it.
It's recreational development will
leave in the minds of the tourist
never-to-be-forgotten memories of a
country little altered from that of
it's earliest discovery, country of
heroic figures of romance and his
tory, a country challenging the met
tie of advsnturers.
These boundary waters were the
canoe trails of early explorers, who
coursed this unknown land in search
of the fabulous wealth of Cathay
and Cipango. They link the more
primitive wilderness of the Quetico
Provincial Park with the Superior
Forest. Merged into expressionless
reservoirs, they will form broad
water ways definitely and irrevoc-
ably separating them, blow at the
very heart of this wilderness. Com
merce and forest communities will
spring up everywhere and toil-worn
humanity will find its solitude for
ever banished by industry, its en-
chantment Knocked by mechanics of
civilization
The potential benefits to run-off
control, navigation, numbering, pap
err and pulp. general manufacturing,
fishing, labor, agriculture, railroads,
mercantile and public advancement
| &c +Ia <raoc fbror1nh h,1f