The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1856-04-21

II eokuk and her Eastern Railroad
Project.

For the Gate City.
Keokuk and her Eastern Railroad
Project.
/ 1t has been matter of some surprise and
much speculation to me, that there has been
SO little interest manifested by the citizens of
keokuk in the project Of an Eastern road
and its connections. AT present | propose
to draw the attention Of the public to the
city Of keokuk, her important position, and
to show that she has the elements capable Of
ultimately sustaining system Of railroads
equal in extent to that Of any other city in
the valley Of the Upper Mississippi.
The geographical position Of Keokuk is
well known to most persons, but TO be able
to form particular acquaintance with her,
| il seems necessary to examine some of the
peculiar characteristics of the State, so far
as they appear TO have direct influence
upon her future growth, as there are 80
many persons, non-re ident, who are deeply
Interested in the projected railroads and 9TH
err internal improvements OF this State, rs
well as those Of our neighboring States, IL
linois and Indiana, which are more directly
interested in this link of the great chain that
Inow propose to examine, who have not the
necessary reliable data before them upon
which they can safely rely as to the capabil-
itv Of this section Of country TO sustain the
railroads already built rs well as the great
leading ''through'' East and West line We
now propose to build.
k3okuk is situated, geographically, in lat
itude 40 degrees 20 minutes; New York,
Philadelphia, Harrisburg, Pittsburg, Wheel
ing, GAINESVILLE, Columbus, Springfield, Day
ton, Indianapolis and Lafayette, are all with
in one-half degree Of the same line, New
York being the grand terminus, the other
places, the intersecting, converglng and di-
yerging points Of this great East and West
central chain and to continue the same
"Grand Trunk in the same westerly line,
we have tho territory Of Illinois unoccupied,
and find in our route, Danyille, Crbana,
Clinton, Havana, and St. Marys, on the
Quincy and Chicago road, and also other i'm
| portant places which are but short distance
| either TO the north or south of the cities last
above named. She is also at the foot Of the
Loper Rapids of the Mississippi, which is
toe head Of navigation for first class steam
ers, and a. the mouth Of the beautiful Des
MONIES. draining q country OF unrivaled
agricultural productiveness, Astounding in
rich mineral wealth, susceptible of extern
size improvements of high character, and
capable of sustaining as dense population
as almost any other section of the globe Of
the same extent.
| The general features Of the country east
of us are those which pertain to all coun-
tries where prairie has large preponierat-
ing portion there is no portion Of any con-
| tinuous or definite elevation, which the most
chimerical imagination would dignity BY the
name Of mountain. The country is gener-
ally level or slightly undulating, and for a
great portion only sufficiently so to give q
good drainage to road-bed, and 10 this
peculiar characteristic may the deficiency Of
any great dividing ridge or water shed be
accounted for There IL no marked differ
's'ee oeSS'e" 'ne s''e'"' p",'s - ,'o o'"n
-, ~ ~ oas : NV" 'N'' -'DA = ''' 1'S
''A ""u'1 pass ,'i'' ppe@'' y ~ ''a''
'''s' s'''A =" @o'N. p''Di ~ ''' ~ :
'''e '''''p >''A' '''''' '''.e' - -
ply.
THIS country is capable of supplying ar
amount OF frathc to railroads equal to tina
iuFhlshea ny the same extent OF country II
any part OF the west. The d1rectness OF th''
arand Trunk precludes he possibility of III
beng superseded by another, over winch th'
entire interior ireighfs and passengers mus