The Davenport gazette. [volume] (Davenport, Scott Co., Iowa) 1841-185?, 1852-01-08
prpoRT or THE PRESIDENT,

i ISLAND RAII.nOAp SomtA"s'
csxrrrMrS; About thirteen months ngo me
lRack Island and Lasale Rlilfoad Company wa
organized. ~
The suggestion OF capitalists, and motives @
lcommsrcial interest, induced the company "
lnpply TO the Legislature for an amendment y
i heir charter 10 authorize the continuance o.
l,hc road from Peru, by way Of Ottawa and Jo'-
lliet, to the City OF Chicago, thus making con
l,inuous line OF railway, under one organizations
Iron the great city OF Lake Michigan to the
head Or nav CATION on the Illinois river, thence
tto the city OF Rock Island Ut The foot OF he
I Upper Rapids OF the Mississippi, now generally
known 40 the only feasible point, from its
mouth TO The Falls Of ST. Anthony, where thai
river can be bridged.
The Legislature, in the amendments which
They made TO our charter, changed the name o.
the corporation to 'the Chicago and Rock lsiano
Railroad Company required additional SUD
scrip,ions Of three hundred thousand dollars 10
be made; the number OF Directors 10 be incrtas-
I'D, and certain tolls to be paid to the iil'nois
and Michigan Canal, upon condition thai me
Trustees OF the Bondholders should grant 70 the
Railroad the right OF way through the Canai
lands BY the fret Monday in June iar.
4 The act Of the Legislature to amend our char
tier became a law gu the 7lh Of February: was
assenied 10 BY the company on the 18th day o.
THAT month; the requisite amount o. new oce
taken, and the company reorganized on tho 8'a
dav Of April last.
The surveys OF the road, from fhe city Of Rock
Island to Peru, were commenced BY Ia hard {.
Morgan, Chief Engineer, in December last, ana
had progressed nearly to completion, between
those points, in April.
large engineer force, under William Jervis,
lappointed Chief Engineer on The 8'h OF April.
land Messrs. Read, Brayion and Henry, Assist
lants, commenced operations on the line OF the
lroad from Peru to Chicago, about the middle OF
April, and every effort was made to have the
whole line Of road ready for contract by the 26th
lof June, and meeting OF the Board OF Directors
was called In Chicago at that time, with the ex-
lpectaiion Of letting it, bu; the engineer corps
HAD encountered unexpected dela,s from high
water, and their work was not quite finished.
The Board Of Directors tbereupon determined
to refer the subject Of making contrae, tor
building the entire road to the executive COM
mittee, and have tina, portion OF the line be.
tween Peru and Rock Island revised, straight
enc6, and the road bed raised above the over
a Nv ofihe streams, which occurred during ihe
Iprogfess oil the work, and was the highest ever
known since the settlement OF the country.
The SURVEYS and estimates were finished In
August, and the executive committee me,
Messrs Farnan & Sheffield, Of New Haven, hy
Iappoinimeni, in New York CITY, on the 25th u
t,ha, month. On the 9th OF September confrac
was concluded with those gentlemen, for ih.
Iconstruetion and equipment OF the entire Inc oi
the road, from Chicago 10 Rock Island, includ'
ling all costs, except right OF way, station
Igrounds, fencing, and incidental expenses
The terms OF this contract were made know
Ito the Board Of Directors, at meeting held a
/ Rack island, on the 18th dny Of September, ans
received their unanimous appreciation.
Since that period Messrs Farnum T. Shefiiel.
have commenced and prosecuted the work IN
manner highly creditabe To them, and which
1--WE we're authorized 10 expect from their char
ac,er for promptness and energy. And perm
me to say, that il as fortunate for us thar incl
fsnch pecuniarv and personal worth were in
duced 10 embark in the enterprise, and we mus
ndeavor so 10 full, the eontruc, on our part
thn, the work may be completed at the enres
practicable period. Prompt payments on.,h,
lpart ofit,e stockholders will secure them rail
Irond 1870 miles long, finished in two years from
tihis time.
Messrs. Farnam and Sheffield have underle
1.-The grading and masonry of the road from Chica
u 90 TO Otsawa. eight, five miles, and few da,
will conclude contracts for the same work n
liza, as Indinntown, a disianc. OF one hundrct
land twenty miles. A contract for building I'll,
Rock River Bridge, the heaviest work on III,
line, will be concluded in a few days. Engage
Imen,s are also made for the iron for the whole
road: ten thousand tons 10 be delivered mex
wear, sufficient TO furnish the road TO Peru, ans
the balance the year following The track j
already laid IA iar-as -the Junction with 81,
Northern Indiana Railroad company, SIX mile
fromthe depo, in Chicage and about eight hun
dred men are laboring on The line between tina
point and Ottawa. Suffieien, force will be pu
on the road TO have il finished 10 Joily ny I'll,
first of A august, and 10 Ouawo, eigh,y-tve mile
by the FIRST of October.
! In June last n contract WIS concluded by ths
Chicago and Rock Island Railroad with m
Northern Indiana Railroad, by which the latte
came into The city Of Chicago, under or. chatter
: and complete commercial connection, TO III
mutual satisfaction Of both parties. has beei
made between them. As soon rs our road j
completed, passengers can go from Rock Islam,
10 Chicago in six hours, TO Toledo in fourteen
I hours 10 Dunkirk in twenty-four hours and /
II New York in foriy-fwo hours. BY way o
= Cleveland and Pittsburg passengers can go fron
Rock Island 10 Philadelphia and Baltimore i
forty hours.
Immediately on the passage Of The act of Eel
7, 1881. amending the charter OF the company
inclosed n copy OF il to The President of tn
p Board OF Trustees of the Illinois and M chi ga
b canp', and receiv, from him reply, that mat
.ers Of such grave import TO those whose interes
he represented, required serious deliberatior
: and that he would refer the subject to his asso
ciates a, their next meeting.
g The first Monday in June has passed, and tn
Trustees having failed TO assent TO the terms
the charter, our obligation to pay tolls on the u
linois and Michigan canal ceased by the term
ofthe act OF Incorporation.
q Considerable progress has been made in OF
4 aiming the right Of way by giit or purchase, an
some few appraisals have been made. Sue
) steps will be taken BY our agents as to have al
IS the land which may be wanted tor right of WI
under process Of appraisal in sixty days. Tn
amount given and already appraised will in
clude three fourihs Of the entire road.
!, Though the railway public are satisfied thu
II our road has great commercial advantages, per
nit me to call your attention to some items o
its traffic, based on reliable data, which shou
= induce US to complete it's construction at tn
d earliest period within our power.
y The number Of passengers on the Illinois an
Michigan canal, from May 10 November last in
elusive, as appe RS from The collectors returns,
nearly equal 10 200 passengers day. Past rail
way experience justifes the Inclusion that hi
number, as soon a. the railroad is completed I,
Peru. wonld be doubled Tor the whole year. L.
To-, however, assume number o way and throug
/. pa. sengers equal 10 400 through passengers 10
:, 200 days, and 200 through passengers for II
c days. $3.50 per passenger
e 400 Passengers, at $3.50, 200 Gays $2oO ,ooo, o
200 ll3 $4,000
82o6, SOC, OK
The Chicago and ~Galena railroad, 6nishe
il fory-two miles, carried, during the year end nj
. lsv,M 1..t