Bellevue gazette. [volume] (Bellevue City, N.T. [i.e. Neb.]) 1856-1858, 1856-12-11
Burlington and Missouri River
Railroad.

Glenwood by n correspondent of the
Iowa State Gazette" upon the subject of
the Burlington and Missouri River Rail-
road. The writer, although he had pen
ctrated the West far enough to visit the
little town of Glenwood, nicely ensconsed
in n room to correspond with the Gazette,
yet he shows most conclusively, by his
language and arguments, that he is a
stranger (only as for information from
o,hers), 10 this country's particular locali-
ties, both upon the East as well as on the
West side Of the Missouri river. Whether
his particularly favorable description of
certain localities Just below the Platte,
which he never saw, was prompted by the
amount of stock he held in said certain
localities, or from a general belief he had
of the truthfulness of his remarks by what
others interested might have represented
to him, in order to sell small shares in a
small place in Nebraska, or not, is not
our place, as a journalist, to enquire,
The remarks of said correspondent are,
in n great many instances, fully answered
by the communication of Mr.. Reck, of
St. Mary, but we propose to notice said
correspondents arguments, one by one.
He says
Mn. EpIToR Since my arrival at
this place, | find a great deal of interest
manifested in regard to the Burlington
and Missouri River Railroad, and from
all the information | can obtain, both from
general observations and from consulta-
ton with gentlemen in~telligently informed
upon the subject, the most practicable
route for the road in the western part of
Iowa would be through this county,
making Glenwood n point, then down n
small stream that passes through the town,
coming out on the Missouri bottom, which
Is about four miles wide, and beautifully
adapted to a road from the bluff to a point
on the Missouri river opposite Platts-
mouth, about one mile and o half below
the mouth of the Big Platte river. The
ground on this side of the river, opposite
Plattsmouth, is more elevated than any
other place near the river for a lone
distance, and very eligibly situated fol-
depot grounds, and a most suitable place
for the terminus Of our railroad.
In answer to this, we have to say there
are many now living here on the Eas
side of the Missouri river, who are living
witnesses of the fact that in the grea
rise of the Missouri, in 1863, the Mis-
souri, bottoms for miles up and down saiC
river, were completely inundated, and par
ticularly the place he mentions, opposit,
Plattsmouth, and for miles only the ele
waited lands on which St. Mary's no,
stands, and old Traders Point, were hig
and dry above the inundating flood. An
was not st. Mary's located at that PAL
ticular time with reference only to il
elevated situation, being high above tn
most sweeping and inundating floods eve
known in the history of the turbulel
Missouri; and the same argument az
plies to old Traders Point on the Mu,
quito creek, and rs remarked in our la
number on an article on old Trader
Point, the gigantic timber on the Ea
bank at this point, must satisfy the mo
credulous upon this subject upon person
observation, while opposite the little pla,
just below the Platte, mentioned by Il
correspondent, n needs no close inve
tigation TO see the swelling floods of Il
Missouri have left their traces benin
not easily to be obliterated by q fiji
newspaper article.
Again he says, 1.-THE Missouri is vel
capable of being bridged, if ever desire
at Plattsmouth."
There is no doubt in our mind but h
mar ingenuity will, at some future da
span this river with a bridge; but we a
prehend an experienced engineer won
desire something more substantial up,
which to base a superStructure Of so m
mentous weigh, as the abutmemt of
railroad bridge, than the ever shifting al
changing quiek-sands of the Misseu
bottom, and that. too, when it is liable
be oyerfowed at every rise of the rive
But, says the correspondent, 'there is 70,
on the Nebraska side at this point" Do
this argue anything. Can a structure
such weight as a railroad bridge be f,
Ike > Rainbow to 50 keep its position a
equilibrium, if required, that it is suffice
to rest on one end. l pass over that pl
of his description of P~lattsmouth which