Des Moines courier. ([Ottumwa] Iowa) 1848-1854, 1852-09-09
The River Convention.

"as oui soou ioitoHc W ue pTeseHi
at this important gathering of the peo-
pie on the LIST inst, at Iowaville. The
attendance was not quite so large as we
had been led to expect, bu, was consid-
cradle, and from most of the River coun.
ties; besides, the delegates were men of
the right stamp, enterprising, practical,
and full of the go-ahead spirit of the
age.
The Convention had for one of its
most pleasing incidents, that of meeting
OH Board Of the Steamboat building by
the enterprising citizens of Iowaville, and
in which some of those true friends of
improvement at Pella, have taken a
large interest. Getting aboard of Boat
in this age is expressive of going ahead
and doing something. We hope tie
omen will prove favorable one in this
instance; that the River Improvement,
will go ahead; that the Steamboat will be
finished shortly, get up steam, and 60 a.
head, sending life, hope and prosperity
all along the Des Moines; and especial
ly tina, all engaged in this noble enter
prise will go ahead on the road of pros
perity and wealth as they mos, richly
deserve.
There was great deal of talk at tina,
meeting, and a. the same time considera.
bic action, TO the purpose. The promi-
nent feature, and the basis, perhaps, Of
lis proceedings, was verbal report of
Gen. Van Antwerp, made in reply 10
letter of Committee Of the Ouumwa
Convention propounding to the Improve
mens Board certain inserrogatories.--
This report would have pleased us and
the public better if il had been in wri.
ting, a, least the Convention say itwould
have pleased them better; but small ia
vors thankfully received, and large ones
when we can get them.
The Gen. in this report furnished us
very few crumbs OF comfort. He gave
us. however, pretty full accoun, of the
improvement, from beginning to end, in.
GLIDING the funds, expenses. debts, past
and present plans, contracts, hopes and
disappointment. He stated If we heard
him, and recolect him Alright. the origi-
nal amount of the grant to be some
100000 acres; OF which sales had
been made to the amount of some $780,
600; that the present Indebtedness of the
improvement was not far from 500, 600,
including liability on account of Bangs
contract, of 5000, besides inte est
He entered in detail into the history of
his several visits to the East and .heir
results; the Bangs contract; the numer-
Gus contracts attempted but no, effected
with other parties; and various contracts
that might yet be secured il the capital
lists could be found, of which he did not
express any very great hopes. The fail
ure of his efforts among the capitalists
he placed upon several grounds. the
Homestead Bill, the alledged want of
confidence in the value of the security
offered, and the want of backing up by
the credit of the State. The Gen. gave
confident assurances that the old dams
would be cleared out as soon as the three
new dams are completed, to-wit: about
the Is, of October. He also informed
US that he had contracted to clear the
snags from the lower part OF the River,
at an expense of about $500 we be.
lieye. The Gen. stood cross fire of
interrogatories from The Convention with
that bravery expected from Generals, and
finally retired with the honors of war
Thus ended The first chapter.
The Convention then went to work,
with the verbal report of the Boarc be-
fore them, as basis of action; appointed
"a Committee on Resolutions, and ex-
pressed its views through its members,
most of them men of practical expert
ence. The Resolutions will be found in
another column and speak for themselves;
for the rest there was but ore opinion
so far as we heard it, and that was indig.
nation in regard to the management of the
business from beginning to end, and a
settled conviction that nothing could be
expected from the same source in the fu-
ture. unless seconded by the strenuous
and united exertlons of those interested
in the work.
The Resolutions reported by the con-
vention were not strong enough, and the
meeting held in the evening adopted 9th.
ere. Those in relation to the treatment
Of the Convention by the officers of the
De- AZ Il