Weekly hawk-eye and telegraph. [volume] (Burlington, Iowa) 1855-1857, 1856-06-11

POLITICS, NEWS. LIT
URIINGTON, IOWA, w
10 the Edaor q ti,e Hs~k-Eye Afeaexr.pa.
Nss.ttlasi the land grants hare been made y
different rail roads, and the selections for thei
purposes are shossiyto be made, il becomes q
interested, in the routes proposed and the bes
good Of the roads themselves, TO do what the,
can to obtain advantageous locations, therefore
can but consider the Burlington and Missouri
River road as the most important work proposed
though many think the Davenport and Council
Bluffs route BY far the most necessary; but con
slider the reasons advanced for its preference,
viz: that II is the shortest route to the Pacific
and MOST practicable, are equally cogent reasons
in favor Of the Burlington or Dubuque routes.
would offer few suggestions in reference
to the Burlington route. The present proposed
route from Ottumwa to the mouth Of Platte river
| co.lsiders Is by no means settled fact; it runs
througlf thscentr ofthe second tier of counties
to Glenwood in Mills county. This route is OBJ
Ijectionabe for more reasons than one; firstly it is
a moro broken country west Of Charlton than is
the country little south of it; secondly, all the
lands III townships II, 7s 4 7s have been culled
and nearly all taken by spectators, in expecta
tion Of this route being built thirdly, just above
the mouth Of La Platte-which is the present
proposed terminus on the Missouri, is very OBJ
jectonable as q terminus Of the road; the main
argument in its favor, that it is the only place
where the Missouri can be bridged, is simply RI
diculous, and no good engineer will stake his
reputation on such an assertion: the bridging of
| and great sand bottom, proves the fallacy Of any
such assertion; and the Missouri can be bridged
in similar manner. It may cost less to bridge
the stream at the mouth of La Platte than else
where, that I know nothing Of, but that is
matter of small Importance.
Iprcpose the following route from Ottumwa
west; after crossing the Des Moines and getting
out of the bottom at the best advantage, take
west by south course, instead of the proposed
due west one, crossing Charlton river in range
twenty or twenty-one and keeping along the
south bank Of the same, run quartering through
townships seventy-one and seventy rntil you
reach Page county; thence quartering through
townships seventy and sixty-nine until you strike
the east branch of Nishnabotteny, keep down the
same until the west branch intersects it, then
cross it and take the best route, to Nebraska
City = - @5Gaa
The advantages of this route are; firstly, it is
an easier country through which to build rail
road, there being tewer divides to cross, secondly
there is far more vacant land along the route
than by the present proposed one; thirdly, it
strikes Nebraska in the centre Of the best portion
Of that territory; the country south of La Platte
being greatly preferable to the region north of
that river, and already having the largest settle
ments; fourthly, by striking Nebraska as srgges-
ted the travel to Kansas ,could all haue to go orer
the Burlington road, while if it crossed the Mis-
souri, at the mouth of Platt this immense and ul-
have thus briefly stated my proposition, and
will now give my grounds for information. l
have travelled over the entire route from Ottum
wa through Charlton, Frankford and Glennood
to the Missouri; and have also travelled over the
route propose. Furthermore have examined
the township plots through which the two routes
would run and know the comparative amounts of
vacant lands on each route.
Another reason for arriving at the conclusions
have, is, that believe Kansas will ultimately
of <bo rnost q nd
of the western States; should such prove the
case, any road running to southern Nebraska
would necessarily have branch to Kansas, over
which all the business of the State with the east
would pass, and who doubts tina: such business
would be immense.
Besides, by making Nebraska City the termi
nus, the wind would be taken out of the sails of
the Ft. Madison road, which they propose run
ming through the lower tier of countless but if
the Burlington road runs due west to the mouth
OLA Platte, andi the Davenport road be COM
ple.ed to Council Bluffs, and continued from
there to Fonanelle, striking La Platte at the big
bend north, and the Fort Madison road be built
through the lower tier Of the counties, which is
better tier than the one just north of it, you
good people of Burlington will find the wind
taken out of your sails and your railroad with its
small local trade and travel, and the through Pa
ci6c travel in the hands of the Davenport people,
you will find, say, your road losing specula
ton. #-... -g
Toyou then who own stock in the Burlington
road, and who have subscribed thereto, and to
you who have direction in its affairs, and who
do not opm lands all along its western terminus,
permit me to suggest that you do not let interest.
ed land spectators, whether high in your conf
dence and Offices or no, foil you in the advanta.
ges of the late act of Congress, by locating the
road where there is no vacant land to be had,
but when they have already made their own very
extended selections; and by SO doing fill their
own pockets at your expense; making railroad
which will never pay, because other routes have
by far the advantage Of position.
ssrse-a Pro BONO PUBL1co.