Rensselaer Republican, Volume 16, Number 11, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 22 November 1883 — Monon Mill Dam Again. [ARTICLE]

Monon Mill Dam Again.

I see frem last week’s paper that another attempt to blow up the dam at Monon Mills has been made. That was an acf.of criminal violence against Mr. Crum bo and against the state that ought not to go unpunished. Mr. Crumbo bought his mill and mill site and paid for it. and; all in good faith and,should be paid for his, mill if it is a damvge to the country. But, as far as damage by back water or stagnant water is concerned, I think I have good reasons for saying they are far more fanciful than real. When the Rensselaer dam was removed, it was supposed it would help the river for 6 or 8 miles, but as yet the effects are scarcely noticeable as far as the rail-road bridge, some two miles above. But its effects will be more apparent from year to year, as the sand bars cuts out, but at Monon the ease is different. At aboye the ds®, the bottom of the river only lacks 2 or 3 inches of being on a level With the top of the dam, find the width of the stream at the point is only 75 feet with both bottom and banks, which are nigh and steep, are solid stone. The dam has a water clearance on top-, of one hundred and fifty feet, and at ordinary high water time while, the water rushes through a narrofr channel, some 3 to 4 feet deep, it pours over the dam about 1 foot deep. Here we have 2 or 3 feet clear fall, in about 1 mile just above the dam, which is more than there is for five miles above the narrows. Thus it is plain to any observing person that the immense swamps around the head of the Monon, are due to natural causes and not to the mill dam. The offer to “buy out (he mill site was on conditions that Mr. Crumbo would remove his mill -to Francesville. In other words the offer was this: If you will abandon a good mill site and come to Francesville, we will pay you a little, so yon will not be out more than two or three thousand dollars cleat, and because Mr. Cxumbo would not accept of such a money losing offer some N ihilists would try the ldark tricks practiced is half civilized countries of the old world, and because Mr. Crumbo was old, corpulent and badly crippled, they attempted to dro\V n him. While I would like to See all mill dams in this level country removed, I do not approve of the Nihilists dr assassins way of doiDg it ( Wfe set a good example to the country of how to get rid of an objectionable dam in a pea cable manner: in removing the Rensselaer Mill Dam, and 1 would suggest to the Monon citizens tc •‘go thou and do likewise. "

E. S. A.