Daily Iowa State Democrat. [volume] (Davenport, Iowa) 1856-1859, 1857-04-20
TBsE LEV

III Is easily Seen now large n quantity
"of land can be made, by all expenditure
"of $4,000 on the Levee. Ane,pen-
"diture Of $4,000 more, would make
enough land, 70 pay the entire eos, Of
making. The river is shallow in front
"of the City; and by extending the
"Levee, better landing can be had
"than now exists; and the old landing
"could be cut up into lots, and sold for
"building purposes. Noyor's Mes
sage.
kEMAKKs:--General Sargent has cx-
hibited aforesight into the future wants
of this rapidly growing city, that seems
like instructive sagacIty. lie evident
ly comprchends the latent power OF
rapid expansion, which the city posses
ses, and he manifests spirited deter
mination TO develope that power At
once, that the present, rs well AS future
generations, may enjoy the advantages
of such Development. In his late
Message he suggests, among other
things, the proprlety Of improving our
Levee IN the manner pointed out in the
above extract. He has spoken gener.
ally Of the desrAbleness of improving
the Levee ~ it now is, and in this all
will cordially agree with him. But he
did not speak strongly enough of the
policy OF 50 changing aud cAtending
the Levee. that tn. city NIGH, sch
lots enough, made BY such extension
to deiray all the expenses Of the work
and leave balance Of profit for the citv.
1t is Of this We desire particularly To
speak. At Dubuque there isa low
marsh in front Of the city, that, in It's
present condition, can neither be used
rs a Levee .oI wharfage, u lots for
building purposes. \ number Of APP
preparations have annually been made
by Congress, for dredging Dubuque
harbor, AS all know, who read the an
nual Congressional appropriation bills.
a shrewd company of Yankee specu
lators have recently entered into
contract with dubuque, to ill w this
marsh, with good earth and rock from
the Alpine bluffs in rear Of the city, at
a cost OF several hundred thousand dol
lars, who ask only certain proportion
Of the lots 50 made by the iiIirr IN, As
then compensation Tor the work. This
vast Improvement costs Dubuque City
nothing, and besides increasing the
convenience for Wharfage and Com
merce, 1t will add millions oi dollars t.
the wealth ol the city, and al once
double the value al real estate.
Why should the Queen City of Iowa
be backward to initiate an oxalnpl.
that costs nothing, and conicrs such in
estimsblc benefits! Our Ley.e Is now
monument Of daily rebukc to the city.
With no marsh to till up, no rocks TO
blast ont. and no sand bars to cut
down, our steamboat landing is con
tined to a narrow point fronting Bur
rows Block, to the detrInent OF trade.
aud the Inconvenience OF steamboats,. 1t
Is time we should open our Rip Van
Wrinkle eyes, and behold our duty,
that we may do 1t before our glory
begins to grow dim, through criminal
and slothful neglect. Let us estimate
the cost Of extending the Levee as
proposed by the Mayor aud the value
Of the lots thus newly made, that
could be sold by the city, to defray the
cost Of construction. There are
two blocks between Brady and Harri-
son Streets, which have front Of $50
feet each, or $40 feet in all. Out of
these can be made 80 lots 90 bv $50
feet. The land would be worth, and
would sell for $3.50 per foot, or $4,000
in all. This would fix upon each lot
Of 20 feet front, the value of $4,000
This sum Of $4,000 would make and
macadamize Levee, of which our cit
izens would be forever proud. 1t would
really cost the city not cent, and be
permanent improvement that would
be constant source Of revenue to be
received by steamboats,, for wharfage
and in other ways, not necessary to
mention. Will the City Council. the
Board ofTrade, and the property hold
ers Of Davenport have the spirit to
make these improvements a popular
measure, until the pressure will be too
great 10 DC withstood, by the drcnes.
and snails who constantly moan about
paying taxes, on land that is annually
doubling in value in spite of them
Let the suggestions Of the Mayor no.
die .till-boru,-praised but neglected BY
those who have the power to make Da-
venport the Paris Of America.
AN Eco WITHIN AN Ees.-The
Cleveland CO., Herald says Wheels
within wheels arc plenty as blackcer-
ries, but an egg within an egg is
barn-yard freak We had not dreamed
Of until shown aShanghai egg, : .gular
" laid at Canton, Stark county, which
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