St. Charles City Republican intelligencer. [volume] (St. Charles City [Charles City], Iowa) 1857-1861, 1858-09-09


citizens of the several counties OF
Iowa in the Upper Cedar Valley, met
in Mass Convention at st. Charles
City, in Floyd County, on Thursday,
September 9th, 1858. The Conven
ton was called to order by VIM. II
Mcclure of Blackhawk county, anG
organized by the election Of the fol
lowing officers.
FOR PRESIDENT,
Noses Conger, of Floyd County.
FOR VICE PRESIDENTS,
A. G. Owen, of Mitchell County.
S. Hackley, Of Floyd Co.
ED. Woodbridge, Of Chickasaw Co
]. Palmer, of Butler Co.
G. w. Maxfield, of Bremen Co.
A. S. Smith, of Blackhawk Co.
FOR SECRETARIES,
VIM. R. Fairfield, and II. G. Stinson,
of Floyd county.
VIM. II. Mcclure, in few appro
pirate remarks, stated the object OF
the Convention, and introduced Col
X. B. Mason, of Dubuque, to the meet,
ing. :,
Col. Mason came forward and adj
dressed the Convention at length. he
stated that the Illinois Central Bail
Road considered the construction of
the Dubuque and Pacific Rail Road to
Cedar Falls, and its connection with
the roads of Minnesota, TO be of great
and vital importance to their road,
and that the officers were fully awake
to the subject.
Col. Mason further said that there
were sources of traffic and revenue to
the Cedar Falls and Minnesota Rail
Road which would not be afforded to
any other road. Coal would be brought
from the Iowa Coal fields, and carried
north, and lumber would be brought
from the Falls of st. Anthony in re-
turn. That the cost of building the
road was unusually favorable, and
that every circumstance was in favor
of its construction.
On motion of A. B. +. Hildreth it
was
Voted, That the Chair appoint committee
Of five to draft and report resolutions,
Whereupon the Chair appointed for
COMMITTEE on ResOlutions.-A. b. r.
Hildreth of Floyd county IF. Eng
lish, of Mitchell county VIM. A. Nc.
Clure, of Blackhawk county w. w
Foster, Of Chickasaw county }. I
Barrick, of Bremen county.
Mr. l.. d. Lampman, chief Engineer
of the Cedar Falls and Minnesota
Railroad, was next introduced to the
convention. He exhibited O large,
accurate and very elaborate map of
his surveys, showing, as he remarked,
that the survey commences at Cedar
Falls and touches at GAINESVILLE, Wa
verify, Syracuse, Nashua, st. Charles,
Floyd, WATERFOWL, Usage, East Mitch
ell, st. Ansgar, Newburg, and Otran-
to. He said he was aware that a
good deal of feeling had been express
sed on account of the location of the
road, but that TO such feelings they
could not yield, and that they could
only, and meant only to accommodate
30 many of them as they could consis-
tcntly with the best interest of the
road. This convention is called upon
to decide between the new organiza-
ton of the Cedar Valley Railroad and
the Cedar Falls & Minnesota Railroad.
He claimed that the Cedar Falls &
Minnesota Railroad was road cheap
er in its construction by about $4,000
per mile, than the Cedar Valley road
The distance from Cedar Rapids
to Cedar Falls would cost on an aver
age $2s, 900 per mile, while from the
latter place to the State line the cost
would be only about SIS, 600 per mile;
making an average on the whole
length of road from Cedar Rapids to
the State line of S2l 900 per mile. By
uniting with the Cedar Valley Com
pany the northern portion Of the Val
ley would be lessening their interest
in order to pay for the increased price
per mile from Cedar Falls to Cedar
Rapids. But if the people built the
road from the State line to Cedar Falls
the lower half from the Falls to the
Rapids would, when built, be glad
to connect, and thus with the Dubuque
Il Pacific Railroad, they would have
two important and beneficial conncc-
tions. Again, the Dubuque & Pacific
Railroad have good and firm finan-
cial basis, and will rea Oily help any
road which will be so large feeder
to them as the Cedar Falls a. Mime
sofa Railroad. The mere question
was, whether the people should build
II miles of easy road, or l35 miles
with IS miles Of it a heavy grade.
Mr.. Smith, the chief Engineer Of the
Cedar Valley Railroad, had told him
that the average cost OF construction
per mile of that road would be $2l 900
and that that road from Clinton to the
Rapids averaged heavier than most
Western roads. Again, the people of
Cedar Rapids would not aid in the
building the road to Cedar Falls for
two reasons, first, because they had
involved themselves largely in build
ing the road from Clinton to Cedar
Rapids and second, because it was
for their interest to keep the terminus
of the road there as long as they could.
Mr.. Lampman further stated that he
did not ask the people to take his as
sertion, that the road would cost only
$4,000 per mile, but that he had the
estimate for the entire length of it
which the audience could freely ex-
anime.
At the close of Mr. Lampman's
remarks the chairman introduced Mr.
Sessions who remarked briefly and
forcibly upon the advantages Of the
road.
Mr. Conger was loudly called for
and responded in brief review Of the
natural facilities. of the Northern &C.
lar Valley for Railroads the cheap
ness of construction and the advan-