Iowa capitol reporter. [volume] (Iowa City, Iowa) 1841-1855, 1853-03-02
Railroads East. b


trail Rail Road company" This is perhaps as
liberal a response 20 the proposals OF that com.
pany as wo dared to anticipate considering the
suddenness with which they were presented
for our consideration. The attention Of many
has also been fixed for some time past in ano-
ther quarter-an attention not easily divided
or transferred at invitation from n new quar-
ter
But let the deliberate co 1sideraton Of our
citizens be fairly given to this question, and
the result will be, without doubt, Il generous
answer to the expectations of the Lyons com
pany.
What do they propose to us? And what are
the advantages on which they base the policy
of those propositions? The latter must be IA
miliar to most men. No one questions the ben
eft which already accrues to us from a commit
nication with the east. which in point of speed
and cheapness, il even insnuated twenty years
ago, would have been deemed fools chimera.
Neither does any one question the benefits of
still speadier communication to the same
grand markets. On this line, Chicago seems
destined to take precedence of all points as
she does to outstrip all other cities of the west
in her progress. She will be the eminent radi-
ating point of business and travel from regions
farther remote, as she is in herself already ia
king the most imporfsQ positive as the local
mercantile centre Of the West. In that city or
through her will the great commercial exchan
ges of our Mississippi states be made, and with
her we must inevitably and ere many months
be united
By the route proposed through Dixon Fulton
City and Lyons to this place. the distance is
clearly demonstrated to be thirty. five miles less
than by the Rock Island read. These thirty
five mi'es form no inconsiderable item in the
diminished expense 0: construction, of trans
portation and Of travel. The bluffs above Ly.
ons and Fulton City offer facilities for bridging
the Mississippi which are certainly unsu,pas-
sed ON the stream within the jurisdiction of
Iowa We. have heard the natural aid to be
derived at this point, spoken of repeatedly and
the pre- LECTION made that it would eventually
be turned to profitable use. The artificial ac-
cessaries are at hand and the prediction is soon
to be verified. We have personally witnessed
the specifications and plans of the road at the
point contemplated for bridging and they bear
evidence to the truth of what has been so often
remarked upon this subject.
The counties west of the river are known to
be rapidly acquiring desirable population,
and full of inducements to emigration which
the present project will enhance with wondrous
celebrity.
Such being brief state of the case, and the
road in Illinois being already in n considerable
stage of advarcemcnt,a proposal has been made
to our citizens to lend their material aid" in
the continuance of this road to Iowa City
lhey call upon US for two per cent. of the stock
Subscribed, to aid in the survey of the road
After twenty mules westward of Lyons shall
have been graded and laid with ties, and afte.
work has been actually commenced in johnson
county, they call upon US for ten per cent. of
stock subscribed, at intervals of ninety days,
until the whole instalments have been paid
They pledge themselves to expend every dol.
lar thus raised, excepting the two per cent in
staiment for preliminary surveys, in the county
of johnson; the road to be finished in two years
from its commencement. We are aware, fur.
thermore, from reliable authority, that capital
lists stand ready at this moment in the east to
take the entire stock west of the Mississippi, |
but if the necessary means can be secured by
individual citizen liberality, it will be "A con
summation far more desirable and consistent
with true home business policy.
We have stated this matter briefly, but with !
p'anness enough probably to be understood |
We have said that the citizens of our county |
will doubtless extend liberal hand in furthe. |
rance Of an enterprise so vastly important, up !
on more mature deliberation. The subject in
deed demands such deiberation. Railroad spe.
Gu alton is of all uncertainties the most dan.
gerous, wherein to leap in the dark Men have .
become suspicious of railroad enterprises, be.
cause they have seen capital irretricvably sunk
in their vortex; they have perceived the mania
which has at times attended their creation and .
shrink from becoming involved in the ruinous
web of such insanity.
But on the other hand they have but to look
around with cautious sagacity, to find in rail
road improvements all over the world, the elc-
ments OF that undoubted prosperity which Is
evinced by its own existence and which always
attends the course Of judicious public achieve
ments.
But look to the matter in hand. Here have
our ears been tiekled for months and months
with railroads land rumors Of railroads. Men
have talked of the great trunk road" and its
probable direction until almost deaf to voices
from elsewhere. Iowa City has been cited as
"pont-"a consunmation devoutly to be
wished'--on the Davenport and Council ulfs
ROAD. Muscatine has been cited as a point"
An appalling thought, thus to leave Us in the
luroh Of everlasting village hood Directors
have anticipated extending their line to Iowa
City from Camanche opposite Albany--an an.
ticipation which has no palpable demonstration
as yet in this region:" r ----a0a- ..oe
Bnt set aside all these IDEAS. Come to the |
only question that is put to US openhandedly !
and aboyoboard. And here let lis say tha, We |
believe all with whom we have had any idea of
railway connections, have acted in the utmost |
continue to do We place, for instance, i'm
plicit faith in the Rock Island road At the |
same time they possess the independence and |
sagacity TO perfect the continuation Of their en- |
Ierprse, solely as the interests of the Rock ISL
and road may dictate, without regard to what |
may be a"po!nt,' what is point or what
can he twisted into point" Tie expecta-
lions which our citizens have INDUCED from
hat source, however, have undoubtedly had