THE STATE REVIEW 



15 



MICHIGAN POWER STREAMS. 



If you \vant to see the greatest transformation 



vrought in western Michigan by anv set of 



men in the same length of time, you should visit 



i and witness the erection of the second of 



the big dams by which the Grand Rapids-Muske- 



iipany propose to control the power 



of the Big- and Little Muskegon rivers, and which 



general o enough electrical energy to turn 



- of nearly every manufacturing indus- 



nd light the cities and towns in that part 



ys the Howard City Record. 

 The lie dams erected by this company 



wer into Grand Rapids and Mus- 

 urnishing the current by which the 

 Grand Haven & Muskegon and 

 the Grand Rapid>. Lake Michigan & Chicago in- 

 terurbans are operating. 



The calls for the completion of the 



dam at Croton by February next, but it is not 

 believed that the second power plant will be in 

 ;ion in so short a time. An army of men 

 work, however, and work is being pushed 

 as rapidly as possible, as the company has a mar- 

 ket waiting for the additional power to be gen- 

 erated at the new dam. 



At Cr 'I on the most optimistic of men would 

 see much to inspire them. It is here that the 

 nd Little Muskegon join forces. 

 "0 years these streams were used solely to 

 to the mills at Muskegon, but the 

 'i of timber that they floated in the half- 

 : y will be a mere bagatelle to the riches that 

 > derived from the harnessing of the en- 

 ergy of the two streams. Thousands have de- 

 plored the !o-,s of the lumber industry along the 

 rivers, and many have remarked upon 

 ities as a generator of power, but it 

 ned for the Erwin brothers, of Muskegon, 

 ike the attempt to develop this wonderful 

 r. It is questioned sometimes whether they 

 .iized the stupendous possibilities of the 

 r they were undertaking. It was about 

 three year = ago that they began acquiring flow- 

 -t reams. They realized early 

 to make a success of the scheme 

 lake the proposition attractive to capitalists 

 it would -TV to have practically a mo- 



ilie water rights. It wa- not long be- 

 <:i\v the possibilities 



[of the Erwins' scheme for developing the power 

 the rivers and for a time there was a merry 

 i though quiet scrap between two factions of mon- 

 men to gain control. Finally the Erwins. 

 by Grand Rapids representatives "f the 

 inpany. were victorious over those in- 

 tere?i- nted by the veteran William T. 



:md other Grand Rapids capitalists, and the 

 latter retired from the scene. 



Next came the real work, that of interesting 

 eastern capitalists in the project. This was ac- 

 omplished and the Grand Rapids-Muskegon 

 Power Company wa = organized with a capital of 

 ..f which ? was preferred stock, 



bond is~ue oi as authorized. July 



I HO."., the capita; was doubled, and the $2.000,-' 

 is equally divided between common and pre- 

 erred. Xone of this stock is on the market. 



Dam Xo. 1 was completed and the power plant 

 was put into operation early this year. The de- 

 mand for power was so great that its capacity of 

 h. p. was quickly exhausted, and it was 

 decided to begin work immediately on dam Xo. 

 .low the confluence of the Big and 

 Muskegon rivers being chosen for its erec- 

 iver winds about it develops a cur- 

 rent very swift at the place where the dam is 

 constructed. A new channel has been cut 

 ly for the roaring river to be let into 

 i as the wheels are ready. 



The dam proper will be 400 feet in length, with 



la retaining wall extending to the east bank of 



i. which will add another 300 feet to 



rthe huge structure, making it the third largest 



in Michigan. The Croton dam will develop 



:>o\vcr. The company owns live 



jmiles of its own railway, connecting with the 



tPere Marquette at Croton Junction on the line 



Between Xewaygo and White Cloud. One loco- 



motive and about fifty freight cars are in use on 

 the short line. 



Electricity runs everything at the dam. Pile 

 drivers, cement mixers, pumps for furnishing 

 water for all the company's buildings, band saws, 

 rip saws, grindstones, etc., are all driven by the 

 Muskegon's electrical energy. One feature that 

 impresses every visitor to the dam and gives one 

 a foresight of the convertibility of electricity to 

 everyday uses on the farm and everywhere else 

 in as the rapidly approaching new era 

 dawns, is the presence of perhaps two dozen small 

 motors mounted on skids and scattered around 

 the whole "diggings," some in use and some not. 

 When a new location is sought all there is to it 

 is to hitch a .team to the "boat," haul the machine 

 to where it is needed, attach the wires and set 

 the current at work. This greatly reduces the 

 cost of operations in building the dam. 



The dam will be 50 feet high from .the bed of 

 the river, and when completed it is figured will 

 have a 40-foot head of water. There will be eight 

 gigantic turbine wheels, six immense gates, eight 

 piers and a ''beartrap." 



A third dam will probably be erected at Davis, 

 further down the river, it being expected that 

 about '6,000 horse power will be secured there. 



The possibility for small towns being supplied 

 with power from this series of dams is thought to 

 be good after two or three years when all the 

 dams are built and the pimit of power needed in 

 adjoining big cities is supplied. 



The Boyne River Power Company is doing 

 some preliminary work on its dam on the Boyne 

 river, which will be located about three miles 

 above Boyne City. The site of the dam is an 

 ideal one from a power standpoint, as here the 

 banks of the river are high and the current swift. 

 The length of the dam will be about 800 feet, 

 stretching from the highest point on one bank to 

 the other. Steel piles, 25 feet long and a foot in 

 width, mortised into each other, will be driven 

 down the whole length of the dam below the 

 level of the bed of the river. This is being done 

 to prevent water escaping through beneath the 

 dam. Over this a concrete wall, seven feet thick 

 at the base and tapering up 25 feet to a thickness 

 of two feet, will be built the entire 800 feet in 

 length. From the north side of the dam a pipe 

 -even feet in diameter and 74 feet long will con- 

 vey the water to the power house. There the 

 water after being used will fall into a reservoir 

 to be excavated of sufficient depth to act as a 

 cushion and prevent a strong current being 

 formed and wearing away the base of the dam. 

 Below the dam the river will be dredged to a 

 depth of eight feet for a distance of a quarter of a 

 mile so as to make a fall of about 34 feet all fold, 

 the river below the dam acting as a syphon. 



Between the flume and the present course of 

 the river a shute to carry off the overflow of wa- 

 ter will be constructed of cement the full length. 

 In this the concrete will be lined with bars of 

 iron so as to prevent the cement from giving 

 away and cracking and causing a leak in the 

 structure. 



The company expects to develop continuously 

 400-horsepower from this dam. 



The Boyne River Power Company was incor- 

 porated last September with a capital stock of 

 $100.000. The officers are : President. E. A. 

 Stdwe: vice-president. A. S. Musselnian ; secre- 

 tary. C. C. Folmer; treasurer and manager, F. C. 

 Miller. 



The company now own 640 acres along the 

 Boyne river. The contract calls for the comple- 

 tion of the dam by August 1, 190~. With the 

 exception of putting down the steel piles, no ac- 

 tive work will be done until spring. 



The power plant when completed, will mean 

 much for the future of Boyne City, and will 

 prove a strong factor in the future growth of that 

 city. 



CLASSIFIED ADVERTISING. 

 Advertising in the classified col- 

 umns of the "State Review" 

 will be inserted at the rate of 7 

 cents per agate line. 



Help Wanted. 



THE STATE REVIEW wants reliable subscrip- 

 tion agents in all parts of Michigan. Liberal 

 commission. Address State Review, 1406 Ma- 

 jestic Bldg.. Detroit. 



BOOKKEEPER and general office work ; sales- 

 man for gent's furnishing. 79 Home Bank, De- 

 troit. 



COLLECTOR Experienced collector, with best 

 of references, wanted at once ; good money for 

 right man. Business Men's Credit Exchange, 

 :;'.:, Hammond Bldg., Detroit. 



YOUNG MAN, good habits and scholar, position 

 to keep cost and material in sheet metal works. 

 W. J. Burton Co., 164 Lamed st. west, Detroit. 



Business Opportunities. 



; BUSINESS OPPORTUNITY Men of business 

 interested in a new field for making money will 

 find in our proposition what they are seeking. 

 We have a new plan in the Mail Order line that 

 will please those seeking a good investment 

 with large profits. A fortune for the right 

 person. The F. H. Alden Co., 163 E. Fourth 

 St.. Cincinnati. O. 



i FOR SALE or will exchange for good real es- 

 tate, furniture and undertaking business in good 

 town in Gratiot county, doing good business; 

 will inventory about $3,000. Montney & Jones, 

 49 Hodges Bldg., Detroit. 



IF YOU WANT a business that will pay several 

 thousand dollars annually, start a mail order 

 business; we furnish everything necessary; only 

 few dollars required. Catalog and particulars 

 free. Milburn-Hicks, 70S Pontiac Bldg., Chi- 

 cago. 111. 



RESIDENT MANAGER wanted in each city or 

 town to represent large manufacturer of com- 

 plete line high-grade automobiles; must invest 

 small amount of money, which is amply secured: 

 good salary, expenses and commission to de- 

 sirable party with Al references. Send applica- 

 tion and references to our general manager, H. 

 L. Palmer. 46 Dev ishire st., Boston. 



Real Estate. 



$1.00 

 per year 



State 



the 



si.oo 



per year 



GENTLEMAN'S country home of near 30 acres 

 in Bloomfield hills, on Orchard Lake gravel 

 road, near Pontiac; 10 minutes' walk to electric 

 cars to Detroit; solid brick, 12 rooms, with 

 every modern, up-to-date city convenience; can 

 be occupied winter and summer; on high ele- 

 vation ; splendid drainage ; close to bank of 

 beautiful lake ; orchard, fruits, flowers, etc., in 

 season: other buildings; a delightful, restful 

 and retired home to one 'able to buy such a 

 home. Price $16,000. HOOD, 27 and 23 Cleland 

 bldg., Detroit. 



FARM FOR SALE On account of old age, 

 365 acres,. part or all of it, about 100 acres 

 in cultivation, well located; three miles from 

 county seat, 1J/2 miles from smaller town, 

 with canning factory, railroad crossing one 

 corner of farm; a young orchard; crops 

 good, climate fine; price reasonable; tele- 

 phone in house. P. T. JACOBSEX, Erin, 

 Tenn., R. F. D. No. 4. 



Agents Wanted. 



A GOOD subscription agent wanted in every town 

 in Michigan for the State Review. Liberal 

 commission.. State Review, 1406 Majestic 

 bldg., Detroit 



