St. Charles City Republican intelligencer. [volume] (St. Charles City [Charles City], Iowa) 1857-1861, 1858-04-22

Yves tUnion and the third by way of
Clcrmont, up the valley OF the Turkey
River. each survey having been car
ricd to a common meridian about NIFTY
miles west from the point OF starting.
These three routes have not been, SO
far. carefully examined as to enable
him to decide that they are the best
that can be found, but enough is
known TO determine Vie fact that
railroad can be built upon either, of
practical grades, and at an expense
not hazardous to the success Of the
enterprise.
Hence it is that under the policy
marked out by us in the outset, and
embodied in the conditions of our sub
scription, that independent of any
conclusions which might be drawn in
favor of the one or the other Of the
three routes examined by the surveys
thus far made, the question with You
of the definite determination of the f.
nal location of your road, will be in
huenced mainly by the amount of To-
cal subscriptions to the capital stock
of the Company, and by business
which will be tributary to the road
when completed. AS your agent, /
have been over each OF the the lines
surveyed by you, and at all of the
promin ,nt places of business where
have opened the books for subscription
to stock, have been cordially welcomed
by every class Of the community, and
the success which l have met with in
swelling the amout of subscriptions
on the books of your Company to a
handsome capital, not only tells where
the svmpathies of the country are, but
it speaks well for the ability of that
country to which you propose to open
up a great public highway. The
amount thus far subscribed between
the Mississippi River and the point
above alluded to as having been
reached by your surveys, is mainly
upon the southern and middle routes,
and together with that subscribed to
the west of that point, makes an ag-
gregate of about $3.50, 900, all, or
very nearly all of which is reliable
according to the terms of that sub.
scription for the grading of the road ;
and from the knowledge which have
acquired of the country and DISPOSE
ton and ability of the inhabitants, !
have no doubt but that the amount
can be largely increased early in the
coming season by the necessary ef-
fort.
In this connection it is proper for
me to speak in something more than
general way, of the country which
will be tributary to your road, for up
on the amount and nature of the bust
ness of the country will depend in a
great measure whether your road is
to be successful when completed. In
almost any given section of any
country there will be found in greater
or smaller amounts, lands unfit for ag-
ricultural purposes, the amount being
determined by some general character
istic in its physical conformation.
Some regions of country are so noun
tainous as to render large portions
useless for agricultural pursuit, pre-
senting also insurmountablc obstacles
in the way of constructing cheap
roads, at the same time that the
amount of traffic to be done by road
would be seriously diminished. In
other portions Of the country, marshes
and wet lands are Of such extent as t.
deter settlement, while again in othe
sections the prairies are of such mag
nitude as to operate equally agains
compact settlement and general cult
walton, on account of the trouble ant
expense to be encountered in obtain
ing water for the use of houses and
farms, and timber sufficient for the
purposes of fuel and fencing. None
of these objections can be urged
against the route proposed for youl
road, as not mountainous elevation
occurs upon its whole line, while
marshes and wet lands are found SC
infrequent, as to be source of regret
to the earlier inhabitants, being in
sufficient to supply the wants Of an
ordinary grazing country.
The last then-thc extent of the
prairies-is the only reason that could
be urged against any portion of the
country traversed by your surveys,
and the only one that could at all mil
itate against the rapid and compact
settlement of your whole line by hardy
and industrious tillers of the soil.
My own knowledge of the country
is intimate, having been obtained by
frequent .journeyings over it, as far
west as Clear Lake, distance of one
hundred and forty miles from the Mis-
sissippi River, and enables me to
clear away the last objection, if it
should be urged by any one. The
country npon the southern and middle
lines, as far west as the western trib-
utaries of Turkey River, is already
we'll settled and under high state
Of cultivation.-fully equal to that of
the same extent of any other of the
Western States, not older in the his.
tory of its agricultural improvements
than your State. The soil in its
character is very uniform, being a
rich sand loan, and extending to q
depth which makes it equal in quaint
ty to the most liberal drafts which the
husbandman can make upon it in a
series of years of productive industry.
The face of the country is gently
nndulating or rolling, without being
billy, supplied with a succession OF
small streams, abundant for farming
purposes, while springs of pure water
are plentiful for the culinary opera
ton of families. None of the prairies,
SO far as have been, are more than
five or six miles from timber of size
and growth sufficient to furnish all
necessary fuel and fencing, and at.
fording a supply ample to render
building materials cheap and easily to
be obtained.
To the considerations just mentioned
in favor of the country which you pro-
pose to traverse with your road, may
be added one, in my opinion para
mont tn oil pthnr, nj i