Muscatine journal. [volume] (Bloomington, Iowa) 1849-185?, 1854-03-17
Railroads.

m encement OF the Oskaloosa road to pre.V
rent them from commenting other projects
of equal Importance to our city and county.
We know full well that our people tave
labored long and hard for this western road, |
and we believe that when completed it will |
simply pay them for their four years labor
and anxiety.
The day has long since passed when tho
utility Of railroads can be questioned, and
all that is now left for us western people,
whose means are limited, is to lend our as.
sistance in tho construction of such roads
rs will be the most advantageous to our
interssts rs a whole. Having such an oh.
ject in view we have been very liberal in
our subscriptions to aid in building rail.
roads, and still our people consider them
selves stle to do more.
II was only three weeks since, that after
taking into consideration a very liberal Of
fer made hy the Lyons Iowa Central Com
pany, we resolved to furnish one hundred
thousand dollars towards The construction
OF road from this city, to intersect with the
Lyons road ut or.nsar De Witt. When we
consider that that road will cost $500, 900,
We can realize the liberalty of such prop
osition. Our citizens were we'll pleased
with the offer, and they signifed that pleas
ure by adopting the resolution they did.
But since that time nothing has been
done towards raising the above amount
We will not ask the question, can it he rails.
ed? for we knew that our citizens will never
permit so generous an offer to go by the
board on account Of their unwillingnsss to
move in tho matter. AL that it wants is
some one to take the lead and procure sub
scription. whs will do it9 There need be
NO public meeting called for the express
purpose Of appointing some person to that
post, hut let some puhlic-spirited individu.
al start the wheel himself. IIs will lose
nothing by it. Or les the city council np-
point some good and efficient person as they
have done for other roads.
1t is very necessary that something should
DO done Immediately. Mr.. Adams will he
here by the first Of April ready to commence
operations, and il will certainly appear as
though We were indi ferent upon the matter,
and cared bnt little whether the r lad was
built or not With such feeling exhibit.
Q upon our part. no company would feel
warranted in runnin, a ro,d into our city.
There is no one that lonhts that such a
road will he paving one; and i: is just the
road above all others that we want. II
places ia as near Chicago as Davenport is,
and that too without running tho risk Of a
bridge being hui t across the Mississippi Mt
the latter place. But this is not all the ben.
eft we shall derive from such road.
Already the Keoknk people are beginning
to move, AMI the Fates themselves would
hardly he able to prevent the roal being ex-
tended to that city, and perhaps to Saint
Louis. At some day or other this must be
done, md AS Saint Louis is beginning to see
that she must wars noW in self.defcnce,
there will never he more propitinns time
for snch an undertaking to he con menced.
We hope the city coancl will take this
matter under their own superintendent and
Immediately appoint ssms one to solicit
subscription for the Dc Witt road. We must
have that road, AMI by acting with that on
| ergy which has ever ch.racserizel US, we
em have il, anil that too in running order Ly
the 4th of July, 1855.