St. Charles Republican intelligencer. (St. Charles [Charles City], Iowa) 1856-1857, 1857-03-26
st. Charles, Iowa, March 26, 1857.
Particular Notice.
All mail matter, intended for this Office should BIO di
reced TO FREEMAN PoSToFr1CE FLOYD COUNTY Iowa.
Railroad Matters.

The people of our State, in all direc-
tions, appear to be moving in the mat
ter of railroads. Those in which the
people of this immediate vicinity are
most interested are the McGregor, st.
Peters and Missouri River Railroad,
being a continuation of the Milwaukee
and Mississippi route westward to the
Missouri, with contemplated branch
to the great bend of the St. Peters in
Minnesota,-and the Cedar Valley
Railroad, which is a branch of the
Chicago, Iowa and Nebraska Railroad,
intended to pass up the valley of the
Cedar River from Cedar Rapids to St.
Paul in Minnesota. This latter road
appears very certain of construction
at no distant day. The company have
obtained from Government heavy
grants Of land, both in this State and
Minnesota, and have the reputation of
being reliable energetic men.
The friends of the McGregor road
are equally enthusiastic, and appear
determined to reach this portion Of the
Cedar Valley with their engine and
cars first. They, however, have no
grants from Government, and must
depend upon private subscriptions,
individual and county bonds, &c. All
the counties along the route westward
from McGregor have voted county SUBJ
scriptions, and individuals are doing
what they can. At Clermont, two
meetings were recently held, on which
occasions stock was taken to the
amount of nearly one hundred thou
sand dollars, and assurances were Civ
en- by responsible parties that the road
was already under contract-the first
forty miles to be completed and in run
ming order by April, 1853, and the re-
naming portion to Clear Lake by
April, 1859.
More recently a meeting was held
at West Union. Judge Brown, the
acting Director of the road, stated
that the present board intended to
have the road run as near directly
west as possible from McGregor,
through Clermont, West Union, St.
Charles, and so on to Clear Lake, but
the route was subject to alteration by
any subsequent board. The route as
surveyed has proved practicable, and
the next thing necessary was to de-
terminc whether the requisite amount
of subscription could be raised to con-
struct the road and such is the i'm
portance of the road ard such the in
tcrcst thus far felt that no difficulty
has yet been found The fact of M'Don-
old, Graham & Co. taking 500, 900
stock in the road, proves their implicit
confidence in it, and they are lifetime
railroad men. The Judge of Clayton
county has by proclamation ordered a
vote to be taken for or against the ia
king of 100000 stock each in this,
and the Turkey River road, and the
vote is sure to result in favor of ia
king stock. This amount will suffice
to secure the building of the road
through Clayton county the citizens
of Clermont and vicinity have taken
some $4,000, which will soon swell
to 100000; the three counties west
have voted in favor of taking $685.
900, and if West Union will subscribe
$4,000, the work will go on. A con-
siderable amount of stock was taken,
and we believe a vote of the county is
to be asked for.
We turn now to the Cedar Valley
Railroad. This great thoroughfare,
when constructed, will open a direct
communication with Chicago and ST.
Louis, thus giving our people the
choice of two markets, an eastern and
a southern one. We find that the peo-
pie Of Muscatine are sanguine of hav-
ing road put through" to Upton
the coming season. They are in car
nest in the matter, and if the Missis-
sippi and Missouri Company will only
let them (the Muscatiners) go ahead,
they will come up to Upton in the
cars before another Christmas. The
Advertiser remarks
"The line of road to Muscatine is
part of the Cedar Valley road. The
Clinton Company Chicago, Iowa and
Nebraska Railroad) will soon have
their line graded to Cedar Rapids.
The line of road up the valley of the
Cedar river is on the best footing, and
under the control as forming a part of
the Chicago, Iowa and Nebraska Rail-
road. The counties along the line of
this road north of Cedar Rapids to the
Minnesota line, have voted county sub
scriptions to the amount of 5000, 900
each, and by an act Of Congress the
road has grant Of land to aid in it's
construction in Minnesota. With this
grant of land to aid it, the heavy
county subscriptions given it along
the line, twenty miles already compile
ted, can there be any doubt of the ul- |