The daily Gate City., 1856-01-24
For the Gate City
TOT TIC VNVt IIItt
The uississippi and Missouri Rail-
road and its Stations.
MuscArINE, Jan. l6, 1857


MEssRs EpIroRs - Having just passed over
this road, | thought perhaps brief account
of its condition and appearance to the travel
er might not be uninteresting to your read
ers. AT Iowa City the depot grounds lying
upon Lyons addition are southwest of the
town, and give fine view Of the city. The
track at this end Of the road is very uneven,
having been put down in the light before she
lst of January, "by the light of tar bar
rel, with so great haste as to make il any
thing but an ''airline.' This was their last
4 day Of grace to secure the city subscription
Of fifty thousand dollars. Indeed the whole
Of the track FROM the city to West Liberty
was constructed with such haste as to make
it but one degree better than our time-hon-
ored stage riding, in point of both speed and
safety. As soon as the ground thaws. the
trains will have to be taken off for repairing
and relaying the track.
The first station from the city is West Lib
erty, about fifteen miles. The depot grounds
have been placed half mile from the village,
where the grounds have been laid off for
new place. The site is a very good one, and
many lots sold at prices ranging from forty
to one hundred dollars
From West Liberty to Moscow. on tho Ce-
dar, is another station, where were seen a
few new buildings put up since the laying Of
the road Moscow, on the east side Of the
Cedar, il the next station. The river is cross.
ed bv good substantial wooden bridge
Moscow is situated in the timber Of the river.
which gives the place an uninyting appear
ance. ltcontains number of wooden hous-
es, with two or three tayerns, and must mum
Der in population two or three hundred.
Wilton lies four or FIVE miles further on,
and is the junction Of the Muscatine with the
Davenport and Iowa City road. This | con-
ceive to be the most important point on the
road between those two places, and destined
to make town Of considerable Importance.
Il lies on q beautiful piece Of prairie, and
some two miles from the heavy timber Of the
Cedar. The superior advantages which this
place has over other places on the road, IS its
being railroad center
! understand the Muscatine & Cedar Rap
ids road VIII be continued from this point to
Upton during the next summer, thus making
Wilton the intersection of these two impor-
tant roads. 1t is also in the midst of fine
agricultural district, the trade Of which il
will obtain, although its existence dates from
hu Etgrl Ttt,fr e -
hundred buildings are to be erected there the
coming season, some Of them at cost Of
from two TO three thousand dollars.
The next station is Durant, Of which Cook
Sargent are the proprietors. 1t has very
pleasant site il the open prairie, and several
new buildings are already erected
Fulton, the next station, il similarly situa-
ted, and has a very good hotel Four uiles
further on is Walcott, the first station out Of
Davenport, and also one of Cook i sargent's
places. y fine building is seen here, erected
for hotc,. Upon tue right the ground lies
high, descending beautifully to the road, but
upon the left lots arc too low to be desirable.
All Of these points viii in time make sery
pleasant villages, situated as they are upon
great thoroughfare, and in the midst Of
beautiful and fertile country.
There can, however, be but one town Of
Importance between the Mississippi and Iowa,
ard thar presume will be Wilton. About
two miles out of Davenport the grade is
very heavy in passing out Of the Mississippi
bottom to the high prairie.
At Davenport the road passes along under
the bluff in the northern part Of the town.
with the depot near the river The grades
Of the road are very moderate, with no cuts
Of much depth.
At Davenport the bridge is progressing
rapidly. and the very heavy coating Of ice
upon the river greatly facilitates the erection
Of the spans.
When this modern colossus is erected,
whatever may be the legal bearing of the
question, new link will bo forged binding
together different parts of the Union, by which
our modern re-eating Pegasus will cross the
''Father Of Waters" at bound
1t will be blessing to central Iowa and
fresh impetus by which
westward the course Of Empire takes its way =
From the junction at Wilton to Muscatine,
distance of twelve miles, the country is
more rough and broken, and the cuts deeper.
The travel is mostly confined to the main
trunk, and Muscatine trade will much Of it
be turned to Iowa City and Davenport.
Muscatine is beginning to see the impor-
tance of looking to its railroad interests,
that other towns having less natural adYan-
tages may not steal march upon it, aud
sap its foundation and support. According
" she will push on her road To Cedar Ranids