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

tnlS connection you VIII allow me 10
say that l do not regard road run
ming north and south through any por-
tion of the country traversed by your
road as competing road for the bust
ness of that portion through which
such road may be run, it being fixed
principle governing trade, that it will
seek the nearest and most direct route
to market. This not only reduces the
expense of marketing, but saves time
which in all commercial operations is
a desideratum next in Importance to
the saving of expense. Now every
bushcl of produce put on railroad
running south, not only moves direct
ly away from market, but every mile
it moves in that direction adds to the
cost of delivery on the Atlantic sea
board, which is the great market for
the products of the West, thus taking
out of the profits of the producer just
as much as is added for freight. Hence
it is that all the surplus agricultural
products of the country opened up to
market by your road, must come over
it, as it forms, in connection with the
great chain of railroads, which, COM
at New York and Boston, ex-
tend west through the States of New
York, Michigan and Wisconsin, the
most direct communication by which
it can reach its destination in the mar
kets of the East. The same reason
ing holds good in relation to the local
travel OF any country, consequently l
apprehend no danger from completion
of roads running in that direction.
From the competition of roads run
ming in the same general direction as
yours, you are also fortunately loca-
ted. l am not informed that any in
strumental survey has been made of
the country between McGregor and
the mouth of the Root River opposite
Lacrosse, but such is my own general
of the topography of the
that am induced to believe
that no road will be built west from
the Mississippi River on the North of
your line nearer than the Southern
Minnesota railroad, 50 called, and that
being sixty miles, will enable you to
divide the business of the country ev
emily with them-at all events, no road
will be built through that section of
the country, without being made trib-
utary to your road While, upon the
south, the probabilities are strong
that no east and west road will be
built nearer than the Dubuque and Pa
cific, which will leave you forty miles
to divide with them. This with what
will come to you on the north, gives
you an average Of fifty miles in width
of country, unsurpassed in the fertili-
ty of its soil, to pour it's whole wealth
of produce and business over your
road. Now, by a reference to the fig
ures above, some estimate may be
formed of the probable amount Of To-
cal business which will be done over
your road when it shall be completed
and in readiness to receive it.
have thus far only spoken of the
country through which your road is to
pass, and the ability of that country to
construct and maintain railroad; the
state of your finances, and the pros
poets of the company belonging more
properly to the report Of the board Of
directors to the stockholders but it
must be gratifying to all the friends
of the project to know that our stock
holders have come forward SO prompt
ly with the money and means to ena-
bic us to go along, although but slow
ly, with our work, and must force
those who have looked upon the en-
terprise with doubt and uncertainty to
a conviction favorable to it's success,
more especially when it is remember
ed that the last three months have
witnessed an unprecedented pressure
in monetary affairs. 1t must be appa-
rent to all that with country SO abun-
dant in it's resources, and with so lib
eral subscription already secured,
that the company have every reason
for confident belief in their ability to
accomplish the work as rapidly as an
ticipated.
In looking at the future of our road
and its success, may we not with some
confidence look to Congress for a
grant of land to aid us in the con-
struction thereof ? 1t is certain that
We are directing our road to vast
amount Of public lands, and shall as
certainly pass through more or less of
the government domain. And as sim
liar grants have been made to other
railroads no more favorably located to
devclope the country, it is not easy to
give any good reason why we should
not be treated with equal liberality
with other western roads.
1t is believed that this company as
much as any other that has been Or
gained in this State, merits this favor
at the hands of the general govern
ment, for almost the entire subscrip-
ton is made up of farmers living
along its line, and many of them now
living hard upon the borders of these
same government lands--men who
are not greedy spectators, intent up
on the building up Of rapid fortune
to themselvcs-but are engaged in
the lands upon which they
are located.
present you the foregoing state
ment, believing that it truly repre-
sents the present condition and future
prospects Of your road, and if we are
successful in our object, we shall
build for Northern Iowa a Grand
Trunk Railroad extending from the
Mississippi River across your State in
the direct line of trade and travel, and
while it will furnish to this portion of
the State all the railroad facilities &C
tually demanded by their location, it
also appropriates to itself, as a great
artery Of trade, not odly it's own legit-
innate local traffic, but there is waiting
its completion an immense amount Of
through business, which when added
to its local increase, will swell it's
earnings to an amount scarcely anti
cipated by its most sanguine friends,
and will place it in the front rank of