The miners' express. (Dubuque, Iowa) 1849-1854, 1853-08-31
For the Expire IS

For the Express
Mr.. EpIroR Much is now said. and the
enquiry is important, what will be the direction
Of the Dubuque and Pacific Rail Road from the
west line Of this county, AS it is now fxed
fact that we are to have Rail Road to the west
llne of the county, it is time to enquire where
next-Shall it be West, or North West? The
answer is of the greatest import .nce to the
business prospects of the The Road and of vital
interest 10 the city Of Dubuque. propose in
the prt sent communication TO give the advanta-
GEES of line West as far as the Iowa River, in
the county of Grundy, and if required, thence
| TO the South West of st. Peters River. In
giving these, will not disparage or lessen the
other, but hope to elicit from those best ac-
quainted with the country the advantages Of the
North West Inc. To make Rail Road West
erly to the county line from this city, is of it
self an enterprise worthy of those who have
labnred SO ndusirious'y and successfully, and
will always place them in the light Of public
brnefactors, bu! to stop there would be fatal to
the inter ST of the road, and Iuinous to the COM
mercial interest of our city. Where then shall
we go' answer, West near as possible,
and will now give the reasons
! 1St. BY West line of road, we reach the
Coal fields, and North West they are passed.
| 2nd We secure the agricultural products of
three organized counties in a distance of sixty
miles, which by the North West line are passed.
Sd. We secure by going West the trade OF
the Cedar Valley from the centre of Benton
county to the North line of the State North
west line, it is gone forever from US.
4'h. The West line TO tie upper rapids OF
Cedar, is the natural line for the Road.
5th By this route you secure the aid of three
wealthy organized counties in their corporate
capacity.
9th. By this line you traverse an agricultural
country unsurpassed in the world for richness.
healthiness and abundance of the purest wafer
draining il for 80 miles south of the line, and
80 in the north, of its surplus produce.
Let these suffice. Now for the proof ofeach
By glance at the map, it will be seen thai
the mouth of Black Hawk Creek is 80 miles
west of Dubuque 1t will be seen that thi:
stream runs North East, peculiar course fo
streams in Iowa; that its head streams inter
lock ,he.tributaries of the Iowa river that by
reference to Doctor Owens report, we herr
have the most Eastern cut, cropping off thu
Coal in this latitude 1t will also be seen tina
IS b,yo
country for Road north along the valley of thu
Cedar River, for in distance Of 80 miles, WI
find the Southern line of the great deposit 0
: of drift of our Slate, giving us the lake coun
, try south of the great bend of St. Peters
i. Again we find at the mouth Tor rather just be
: low, the mouth of this creek, the upper Rapid
f, of Cedar. The river here falls in a distance &
IA of a mile, some feet, and runs over
smooth ledge of lime stone rock, with fine hig
/. dry banks from this must we traverse the CO;
field of the State, and will be on the direct lin
! to the Missouri ask then, will the Compan
d neglect the great Coal INTEREST," No. Til
It North West line you will find passes from til
!, Cliff Lime Stone formation of the Mississip,
!. Immediately to the drift formation, and th
IS from any point in the county of Fayet:e to ii
=: Coal Of Grundy, is farther than from the Yves
;. ern terminus Of our {" County Road.') Iwi
), not dwell on the value Of Coal to Prairie cour
i try, nor of its importance to the road and tb
/ city. This is apparent to all but will take U
= = the second proposition. We secure the trac
:, of Delaware, of Buchanan and of BIac
: Hawk. 1t is easy for this road to lose the.
y counties by Northwest line. Let the ma
- answer for the route Of the Tete des Morris, f
1t the Galena, for the Lyons Roads. You see the
r b, ilding them, and what have we to rely u
!" on? Nothing. Again, the same map wi
IS show by going North West, you must cross Il
y valley of the Cedar as high up the Northel
'f part Of Bremen county. Will this Road, the
Z draw any thing as feeder South of that cou
: ty? No. Shall Black Hawk, Benton, Cru,
e dy, Tama, and others be neglected? Ii
E. te.est and sound policy forbid The valley
! the Cedar is to Dubuque city (or must be mac
d SOY what the Upper Mississippi is to ST. Loui
ST Let it 60, and we shall ever have beautif
: hamlet upon the Father of Waters, and not IL
d Commercial City of To prove thi
It we need only look at the increasing and flou
l. ishing town of Cedar Rapids, in the county
e Linn. What, ask, has made it the most in
. portant inland town in Iowa. She is now Il
IS market for the Cedar valley north of her, ar
IS will out-strip us if she retain it, ,oith all o,
:. boast Of position This trade must, then, /
4 secured for this Road and the interest of tn
: place.
Il Again, by this west line you pass very net
r the centre Of Delaware, Buchanan and BIac
:. Hawk, and thus secure their corporate inf,
y ence and aid; and finally you pass by, goin
= West, the heart Of our country, and in no wa
!, lengthen the route, if the end be the Bend
d the St. Peters. Hoping 10 hear from those VIII
!. are better informed upon this interesting sui
! ject, leave the honor TO be yours.
j. CEDAR.