The Davenport daily gazette. [volume] (Davenport, Iowa) 1856-1869, 1856-12-01
y y 777777'17
IAilread 70 nphuoue.

The time is fast approaching when Il
will be necessary for our citizens toiturni
their attention to lines, ef railway up and
down Tie Mississippi iver. There sresar
Hcles Of commerce, md especially gscee
Fies, the whole Of which mast come from
New orleans and ST. LoOis, eventually,
and must be supplied at all seasons OF The
year. During the warm months, the Low
.er Rapids are serious bar 70. transpaTta'
ton BY water, and during the cold ones, the
ice presents difficulty not to be overcome.
Facilities for travel should be presented
north and south rs we'll as cas-, and west,
and the most direct lines between promi-
hent points should be selected
By an examination of the typography Of
the county, it will be seen that on account
OF Davenport and Rock Island being on an
east and west reach Of the river, an airline
from Alton to Dubuque viii strike the To-
cahis Of the .Tsis Cities" exactly. The
distance is only about 275 miles, the excess
u 400 miles measuring the space between
Davenport and the northern terminus. By
water, 45o miles at least, must be travers-
ed BY steamers between st. Louis and Du-
buque, and the first named place is only
about IS miles below Alton. A rsilroa
will make clean saving in distance OF $50
miles, and the river can be crossed By
means of the Great Bridge" in the bar
gain. The people of Illinois throughout
the respective counties along the route, ap-
pear to be alive TO the enterprise. They
are voting handsome subscriptions to the
Alton and Rock Island Railroad to such an
extent as to excite the observation OF our
keen-sighied neighbofs of Chicago, whose
disposition to turn every thing to Their OWL
account has become quite proseTbal.-
Why Davenport and Dubuque should b.
tagging is mystery, They are the mos
| ment, are running an amlcab.e race Tor Tbs
supremacy, which the construction Of I
railroad between them cannot in the leas
affect Both will be benefited by having
the matter put through; and beth should b
| turning their attention to it with the great
est seriousness. Sometime the thing vii
have to be done and why not at once, there
by giving a proper set to the travel up AM
down the Mississippi Valley We invite
the attention OF contemporaries to the sub
ject.
| We would remark further, that IN going
northwa ard, large tract OF most valuable
country would be PASSED through DeWh
aud Maquoketa, perhaps, would be touched
and tthe exit from Davenport can b
made very handsomely from dozen IA
vines, none OF which. We presume, wonlt
be more applicable 10 the pnrpose than tina
which sweeps SO gracefully round tie bas'
Of the bill upon which the residence OF gu
public spirited citizen, Antoine Le Claire
Is situated. Thirty years ago this gentle
man saw our region of country in its prim
evsl state, with nothing present but iron
tier fortress, giving evidence Of advancin!
civilization. And now. Whist a change
May his declining days be eosuizaut OF TIL
| fact, fer many pleasant evening IL year
| to come, aud while yespers from Ste Mafsa
ret's tall softly upon the ear, mingled wit
the soothing ripple Of the water against III,
piers Of The noble bridge below, that viii
| the north and the south, with the east an,
the west, extensive lines Of communication
are complete, as eyineed By The rapidly bur
| rying trains TO and fro, making lis very dooi
way almost the centre Of that conisderaeg
which in his more youthful dag, hardly ex
/ tended 10 the Father OF Waters