Daily Davenport gazette. [volume] (Davenport, Iowa) 1854-1855, 1854-12-25
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The Mississippi Bridge.

| The Mississippi Bridge.
In the rise and growth Of various places
and cities. we can generally 6nd some pc.
culiar advantage. which though compare
lively email has turned the scale ofempire
or prominence in favor OF some particular
locality.
D venpart and Rock bland have exhibi
ted an instance Of r4psf yrpssh. AL al thu
same sine OF stable increase, which may
we'll excite the hopes of the sangulne Tor
the future eminenea Of this point.
Let US dispassionately examine the cause
Of this progress. I, has been the energy
and activity ofthe officers of the Chisago
and Rsck Island Railroad Co. in being the
| first by several months in completing COM
munca,ion from the Lakes to the Missis-
sippi.
| This work was at first The cause Of the
advance OF Davenport and Rock lsiand,
and has since for several months been fully
adequate to sustain the city in its growth,
had that growth been twofoid what it has
| been.
This charm, however is now broken
Thu Road to Galena 80 niles above Us cuts
off the trayeland the trade that has lstterly
passed M the river from this place. 80
miles below us the Central Military Co. is
fast approaching the Mlssissippiat Burling-
ton, and will cut off the trade from that
neiphborhood, whilst nearer yet the Lyons
straight Line from Chicago will make the
distance from. Chicago little greater To
Muscatine, than that from Chicago to this
20 Mt.
These are the circumstances surrounding
US which the energetic citizens OF rival
points around are enleavoring to render
available TO promoting their ownimmediate
ne yiIbo.hood to the advanced sition now
occupied BY Davenport and Rock Island
W. need assurediy to avail ourselves OF all
our advantages to keep cur present position
and still! more so TO keep pace with the times.
Whist i. orr chief slvanta.a here! We
can Bridge the Mississippi.
This our Railroad Coz. are engaged in
doing, and in doing it have had regard on.
ly to present economy in advancing their
own special interests. But they seem, or
at eastthe citizens seem, to have overlook
ed the fact that by making the Bridge sim
ply Railroad, they have introduced other
localities the advantage of having Bridge,
whilst they are actually destroying the in
tereit and ad antage that rig htfully belong
to Davenport and Rock Island. The travel
that crosses a Railroad Bridge has no ne.
cessary connection with the pla ces on
which the Bridge rests, and i. will pass TO
Chicago on the East or Museatine on the
! West without hindrance over this Bridge
In this respect, therefore, the Bridge may
draw away customers both from Davenport
an Rex Island
Bnt iettha BFilge be public Bridge as well
as Raiirol Bfijge, and shat NiI b the
result Spt;iers rom Maine to Georgia,
seeking the west With their aocks and herds
ana families, viii shape their course for Rock
Island point, weeks before the ice has begun
to tsrEi on ,ile river in the winter, and TOR
weeks Alter j. has disappeared in the spring
X 10 this class Of persons that coming w st
are likely to need their SUPPLIES Of ourc.-
~ dealers. Such being weary Of their trav-
81 will stop to recruit whilst, the more Wig
orons go on 10 prepare the prairie home and
the result viii be to make Davenport such
an entrepot Is shall keep the C. &'R / R.
R. in possession Of that trade which other
wise will run in other channels during the
period of open navigation.