Demoine courier., 1856-03-27

merciai has a Communication over the
signature Of w. NJ. Allison, from
which we make the following extract.
The Italics are ours.
"Edjyvills and Ottumwa now stand on much
the same footing that they would il the TIVE
roads were completed 10 the two points, ex-
ceptthat the advantages 10 Ottumwe from its
being a COUNTY SEAT are now COMPARATIVE
Ly much greater than they would be in the case
supposed; yet, al this time the trade of Eddyvil-
lie Is perhaps four or ffue hundred per cent the
greater; tie causes are substantially those al
rea'y pointed out; and they would continue to
operate with equal force after the completion
o, the roads to the two places. g8GsFs.8ats
From last April until November our Mer-
chants paid out for hauling alone over THIRTY
THOUSAND DOLLARS. 1t may be questioned
,ehether the entire exports and imports of Of
fumUa, including the hauling, will much ex-
coed that amount.n
There j, is, and isn't it rich on the
face of iI The entire exports and i'm
ports Of Onunwa no. much exceeding
$50, 900, and the trade of Eddyville four
or five hundred per zen, the greater!
Whew!
Bui let 10 see what the Assessors oil
the two places have to say on the sub
ject. The capital employed in mer-
chandise in Columbia Township, led
dyvills), as appears BY the assesmens Of
1855. wal s26,70O. The capital EN-
ployed in merchandise in Centre Town.
ship. (oaumwa), for the sane period &C.
cording to the same authority, was $3l,
975. That is. the Merchants Of Ouum.
wa, on a capital OF s3i .975. did the as
tonishlng business Of s30, 0 while the
Merchants Of E~ddyville, on q capital Of
$26, 700, have been doing a business -four
or live hundred per cent greater! II
this be the state OF the case, Ouumwa
must have been a remarkably cheap
place to trade, and the customers OF Ed
dyville mus. have been fleece6 most out
rageously.
We nigh, extend this article. to much
greater length, and finally perhaps work
~ourself into quite an excitement over the
comparative impor,anc, Of Eddyvil.e
aud Ouumwa. But We have no dispo.
si,ion to do il. Not, however, from any
fear tina, the business of Ottumwa would
suffer any thing by comparison even
with the m trade of EddyviIle.
From our population. from the number oil
our dealers, from The diversified charac-
ter Of our trade, from our central posi-
ton and from actual figures before US,
We are satisfied that the per centsge
would be greatly in our favor. No one
acquainted with The two places can
doubt i. for a moment.
But cui bono. The progress and pros.
perity Of our place is based upon the
positive advantages Of our central and
commanding position in the very nea.r
of the best county in Iowa, midway
between Keokuk and Fl. Deuoine, a,
the junction OF TWO, and quite possibly
more railroads, and not upon the com
~arative i~nferiori.y of Eddyville. We
never entirely favored tina. spirit which
in order to false mor,als 10 the skies
would pluck angels down.
lie communication 10 which we have
referred, as may be surmisec from the
above extract, 10 about the X. and F.. D.
r. the remarks about Onumwa being
merely incidental, and thrcwn inio Illus.
,rate the subject. Now we venture 10
suggest that the directors of tina, com
pany. in.portan. as they may deem the
cooperation Of oar neighbor up The riv-
er.are doubtless aware that the assistance
Of some few more ;owns. and a county
OF W perhaps. are essential TO the sue
cess OF that truly magnificent enterprise.
We will further venture to say, bul
without the design ! impair the high
authority Of the Commercials cores
ponden, on the subject Of divides. the
nature Of the country west OF Quinn wa.
and the topography of The region gsner-
ally, that we do no. understand II to be
strictly true that in going vert il . in.
d~ispenssbly necessary 10 pass through
Eddy vile. We beliere that occasionai.
iy a traveller, and even a team has been
known to work = way through by way
Of ~B,akesburg. Chilico'he, and o,hs,
route, south Of that place, that despite
said correspondent, the country between
Ouum Wa and Abba is a ,olerabIy good
one, not very mountainous, that i, ha.
been deemed entirety practicable for Raj
or any other roads. and thai all the di.
vides don. terminate a. Eddy vile by .
jug-sull.
The most smusing part Of the Com.
inercial's correspondence ~sr,i,le, il the
conclusion. He KEEP. the bes. 10 wint
up with, Il il in lhis wise;
L Lxr