The Davenport gazette. [volume] (Davenport, Scott Co., Iowa) 1841-185?, 1850-10-03
. Traffic Of the railroad NAV be extended.

condition OF the country and what part OF lts oust-
ness the Railroad will command, when It first
goes into operation. Rock Island, Davenport;
Moline, Camden and the vicinity, containing
population Of 5000 inhabitants, occupy position
highly favorable for the commerce Of ihe M'ssls-
! sippi; thay need only Railroad extending 10
i Lake Michigan, 10 become at once a common
centre, which will receive the products and sup
ply the wants Of at least 10000 people residing
in Iowa, or the counties OF Illinois Immediately
bordering on the river. In order to understand
how far the influence ftbe Rock Island and La
Sale Railroad will extend upon the Mississippi
and into the interior OF Iowa, a comparison should
be made in reference TO other modes of Transport
tation towards an Eastern market On The liii-
ncis river, the lowest living prices for ew lead
ing articles Of freight, Gas furnished ny men en-
gagged in the business between Saint Louis and
La SaIle,) stands as follows: the average Tor a
barrel OF -four, salt. or meat, is IS cents, aid
| wheat cents per bushel; groceries from TO ~
cts per cwt; passengers $500. From their data
il is evident that all the trade above the f,es
Moines Rapids, (if not ron Des Moines River
and far below it) would find lis way 10 Rock Is
land, while the products Of the counties above,
to still greater dist ,nce, would also seek the
Railroad. From Rock Island to Chicago {ior the
Peru, Otowa, and Aurora Railroad will be sim
ultaneousiy in operation.) the passage will be
! made in eight hours, at cost of Ss5 90, and e.
ventually for S4,0O, and feisht, in "a hours, al
rates far less 10 proportion than the prlces before
designated, between Rock Island and La Sale
Within the area OF country now assumed as
prefefing the Railroad for their market, there are
/ mills which annually manufacture 25O.OUO barrels
of -four. besides which are also exported ,OO0,-
900 bushels Of wheot, and probably equal qf'anii-
ties Of corn, subject however, TO great variation,
as well a. the amount of pork and beef dependant
unon foreign markets. II is SAFE however 10 as
snme $4,000 barrels as within the actual amount; !;
all other products cannot be less than 90 900, ex-
4 elusive Of live stock, which would also ior'n an
important item. In exchange, large quantities
Of lumber will be brought from lake Michigan,
as it now is to ST Louis BY the canal and BY the
Illinois river, as well as goods and merchandise
for the supply Of the great extent OF country, al
lnded to- and ouli rendef the return trade, equal
" as productive to the Railroad, as the exporta-
ton OF agricultural produce. The whole weight
OF tonnage, derivable from these data, allowing
the traffic westward to be % cf that which pass
IS east~ ard amounts 10 $4,000 tons. the receipts
from which according to our data, would be 1885,
900; in addition to this must be computed all lie
business from Whi,esides. Henry and Knox coun.
ties which can reach the railroad mo,e convenient
" than the Mississippi; as well as that Of tark
and Bureau, comprising population Of Soouo,
with not less than $4,000 tons OF surplus produce.
Taking l-2 tie R,Iread, as the average distance
over which this freigh, will be transported, with
out reference 10 the customary increase oil charg-
es for shorter routes, the additional receipts
would be 5000.
In reference 10 passengers, the numberran on
ly be estimated By comparison The Cnicasf
and t.alena Railroad, derives its support pflnc''
pajly from nine counties in Illinois and the pas
sengers who collect at Gaena from the North
west These contain 10 all probability rnpula-
ton of 90. .OO0 large share Of whom, 1--we retno
from the present terminus at Egin and ST. Charles
The number Of passengers during the present sea-
son has averaged ovei 200 d"ily; II IS rot there.
fore asonable to suppose that the Rock Island
aid La Sale railroad. v hich az soon as u gets IN
r 10 operation will be connected with Chicago by
a branch from La S lie 10 Aurora. and c. minnni-
eating with population OF 10000 inhabitants
. 10 v hom its western terminus IS ea-iiy acces,i-
BILE. should command a large amount OF tfaffc ~
the outset.
+ Assuming 800 daily for 3l3 days, which is 93,-
500 per annum at SO 60 each, the receipts OF the
company would stand as follows:
. For freight from the Mississippi
DO from he AL lacent counties l5,vuO,yI
, From passengers ls',ooo'oo
Total S34! No,U
According 10 data assumed and sustained by
actual results, q half the amount at least con-
stitues profits, and IS equal TO Sl73,oO0, orr She!
more than 20 per cent, or $So2,0uO Inc totai cost
OF the Rlilroad
To form an adequate idea. however, ofthe immense
resources by which is Railroad will be sustained, II
pecessary consider, Sd. Its prospective
in connection with the great natural fertility OF the
soil Of Illinois and Iowa, well as the raPldl'y WIN
eishts of the land can rendered 1T for the prodnc-
ton OF wheat simply by the action OF the pousn. he
slow laborons process by which timhtrea country
reduced TO a state cultivation, does not here IN
teryene before large surplus Of agricultural produce
ready Tor Market the settler plants bis haba'
ton in the midst Of wild and desoate expanse, GOV.
with vegetat ION, luvNink
efforts and gromis Dg ample reward 10 INDUSTRY
but Of what aya e thst me r,cn 'ui hin .hs frst
year. so OF wheat are brought to maturity, yiso
ing from twenty TO thirty bushels 10 the aeie-o,
threshing hall the crop absorbed IN Transporting
il TO mark.t2 At present, the crowd which
to the west, scatter its wide limits, IN every "a
they fix themselves near the shores OF navisa
BILE the edges Of groves, through ever! par.
of Illinois and Iowa, and negsctlng shs anss'
instances, many hundred miles up the MsSsspfi aha
its tributaries Construct Railroad from some porn,
in Illinois Iowa, which has good rommuncaaon AZ
eastward, and all the Inducements required oy te
new settler al once created, market IS openeu;
fuel and building materials, as well as ths llapo.sn
item Of fencing stuff brought 10 the farmer al
small cost, and the tide Of emigration receses nc
direction. If railroad were sommencso ana p,o.ei posi
hiring about on the route from Lasaile to ROCK isao
and assuming instead Of the dourshing seuemsM'
which no v beantiy large section Of the lnteTmeul
str country, that all the land still remained IN us ote
inal wild Condition, it could scarcely De compe.so
Land in full operation, before tueIO "
mutation OF wheat corn, lumber, coal and
at ever, station the line; an active business ~ou.S
be created by the constant influx Of new settlers ano
this would again react TO swell its permanen!
cess An illinois farmer, owning l6O acres o. land hss
an annual surplus averaging at ieast 5O pasns "a ~
wheat as much corn, with beef, pork, live STOCK sna
other articles in proportion; he IL frequently
10 haul his wheat so or IS miles before nc can
of il to the least advantages he brings back merchan
disc, groceries, lumber, etc., bs.g in the aggssass
about 30 tons. The amount Of money ne pays o.s
10 detray his erpsnscs The road srould eotep tae
uiioie cost of send.g his crops to markell va hoh-
read ,cere vihin ten miles Of him Improvements. u.s.
public as veil a. private, would be placed WITHIN n
reach: various new sources Of business would grow
up, and articles, which wers o.ioss 70 o. Wv Nv
ry low estimate to say, that BY means Of the rstoa,
leo dollars in cash, 10 the annual benefit pes0m
Railroad would command the business Of an area =.
country, al least 40 miles wide, towards its Msss,s ~
extremity, and gradually diminishing Ia w.a'H rso
, asIls its eastern tsrminus 1t would CONTAIN A'-1'