Iowa capitol reporter. [volume] (Iowa City, Iowa) 1841-1855, 1851-12-31
Improvement Celebration.

Henry, jefferson, and Washington, celebrated,
by a public festival at Mount Pleasant, the
completion of the Burlington and Mount Plea
SAINT Plank Road. They seem to have enjoyed
time o: great hlarity. In addition to extern
poraneous speeches from several distinguished
gentlemen, an Grafton was pronounced by j.
c. HALL, Esq, the concluding paragraphs of
which We subjoin, as follows:
Iowa has turned over all subjects of internal
improvements to private enterprise Associa-
ted capital must do the work or it must remain
undone. The completion of the work we have
met to celebrate, is conclusive demonstration
of the wisdom of her constitution and internal
policy. This work was commenced before the
State had seen the fourth year of her political
existence. The company was Incorporated under
an unfavorable law; they were circumscribed
in their powers and had no means of enforcing
pay ment from those who subscribed stock
they had no legal enactments in their favor to
enable them to compel the right of way--they
had to beg and pay, and vary and meander in
order to get along in any manner. But the
work had been undertaken and the inherent en-
ergy of our citizens found the means to go
ahead. They bought and plead, and paid and
meandered and cut across lots, until they found
Burlington and Mt Pleasant united by road
the first of the kind ever made west of the
n'SsiSoipPi iNe', ana perhaps Inc pest ROAD on
the continent of America. And look at the ef
feet which this example has produced Fair
field has ga antly slept into the field and in one
year more the completion of this road to that
place will be celebrated in that flourishng and
beautiful town. Brighton. and Lowell. and
Fort Madison, and Salem, and olumbus City,
and Wapello will soon follow in the cata
iGaain6I = triumphs. @s -a-.--aa"
keoKuk, young and gallant keokuk-urged
on by our example is stretching out her plank
road toward the Des Moines river. And not
outstanding the wretched season that has just
passed, she has effected wonders in the work
that she has dccreed shall be accomplished
In every part Of the State Il e peop,e are
moving onward to carry out this great system
of public hghways-to lay still deeper and
broader the foundation for the success Of the
farmer-the merchant--the mechanic and in
fact for the prosperity of the who'e body poll
tic.
Let no one fatter himself that these improve
mcnts will ever be superseded by rail road
We sha | have our raiiroads--our improvements
by slack water--and by canal--but our plank
roads will still be the roads for the farmer and
the people. The plank roads will invite and
facilitate those other more expensive and exclu-
sivc improvements, They will make the
whole country tributary to those great chan.
nels of commerce. but they will never be
thrown aside by disuse until cheaper and
been discovered. They will ever remain as trib-
utaries to the navigahle riyers-they will sup
PLY tide without which the buoyant waters
would be bed of sand.
Fellow Citizens be Of good cheer There is
good day coming--abide your time A few
days longer and the sharp shrill whistle of the
rail-roa engine will echo from the Flint Hills
Of Burlington. The iron-horse will leap across
the Mississippi and Mt. Pleasant, and Fairfield
and Ottumwa. aye, and the distant shores of
the Missouri will catch the sound as it passes.
The inviting plains that lie beyond our wes-
tern borders, will ere long be found by the f.
cry stecd. and products of that young and ris-
ing empire and regions beyond the western
main viii here seek home or still further cas-
tern destination.
Remember there is not quarter section of
poor land from the Mississippi to the Missouri
on this route. Every rood will support its man
OF all the improvements that have ever been
made none ever traversed country like this
no spot on earth is Superior to it in fertility
and ability to sustain and support denser
population. 1t has every element Of wealth,
agricultural and mineral. 1t has iron, salt and
coal in great abundance.
We have right to rejoice in this little be-
ginning we have made in this great work and
enterprise. have no doubt but our children
when the time arrives that they can pass from
river to river in day, will smile that their fa-
Tiers with much joy and enthusiasm ccie-
brated the completion of plank road from
Burlington to Mt Pleasant. To them, when
they see plank roads in every neighborhood, i,
will appear a little strange that their fathers
should have assembled to rejoice over the &C
complishment of few miles of common road
But when they learn that it was the beginning
Of system that has produced all that they SEE
and enjoy, they will venerate the men and an
nually celebrate this day, as othe defendant
of the Pilgrim Fathers the landing of the Ma,
Flower at Plymouth Rock.