The weekly Ottumwa courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1857-1872, 1859-01-13
Prom the Iowa esatesman.1
The Valley Rail- Read.


Gentlemen IL perceive that much interest
is evinced in relation to railroad communi.
cation with the East and South, and therefore
offer my contribution to the stock ofinforma
ton on the subject.
Invite attention in the first place to the
fact that single road to Ottumwa win give
you al the benefits Of two roads. One to
ST. Louis by the way of Keokuk, or by the
way Of the North Missouri railroad the other
to Chicaso by the way of Burlington. This
latter connection win Be quite q valuable q
that by the way of Davenport. 1t is over q
smoother route and is only ten or at most
fifteen miles longer.
know BY looking at the map the differ
cnce of distances would seem to DO greater,
but the roads between the different intermc-
diate points are much more direct on the
Burlington route. For cxample-the two
roads which start from Chicago intersect At
. distance from that point of over hundred
miles. At that point Of intersection the cars
on the Rock Island road viii have passed
over eleven or twelve miles more of distance
than those going to Burlington, As win ap-
pear by the respective tables Of distances. II
This latter town is only enty-eight miles
farther by railroad from Chicago than is Rock
Island, although it is more than four ranges
oftownships or about twenty-six miles farther
west From this city to Davenport is about
$50 miles--to Burlington only about l65
miles. a...s.rl.
Of this distance on the Davenport route
there is only some fifty-threc or four miles Of
railroad completed, with no immediate pros
pect of increasing that length ofroad, whereas
on the Burlington road more than sixty miles
is now finished, and early in the Spring the
road win DO completed to Ottumwa, which il
eighty miles from Burlington and less than
ninety miles from this place. Whereas Iowa
City is at least l25 miles by stage route, and
from the broken nature Of the country the
railroad route must probably be several miles
farther. The route to Ottumwa can follow
the river or the divide" and in either case,
then, is vastly cheaper and better route
than..that to Iowa City, to say nothing Of its
being 50 much shorter. Be- md,.B lis
But l shall be told that there is . bridge
at Davenport which adds vastly to the ad-
vantage of that route. Is it also known that
suit is now pending to compel the re moval
Of the bridge at Davenport on account Of the
obstruction to the navigsbility Of the river
which it presents, and that the action Of the
court, which has already taken place, Is
sly..indicativc Of an opinion adverse to
the continuance of the bridge, unless l am
misinfonned on the subject.
However this may Re, lift is not held by
the courts that no bridge can be permitted
across the Mississippi at any point, there will
be bridge at burlington by the time the
road can be completed to Ottumwa, or very
soon afterwards. If the Davenport bridge
stands, there will be an absolute necessity
Of bridge at Burlington. and measures are
already in contemplation looking to that
result
It is true that the facilities for merely build
ing bridge arc much greater at Davenport
than at Burlington, but while the former point
is favorable to the construction of bridge it
is perhaps the most Objectionable point on
the river for bridge to stand, after it isonce
built. The current of the river at Davenport
is five miles per hour or more. At Burling.
ton it has less than half that velocity. At
the former point boats, and especially RATS,
are forced by this rapid current against piers,
while they might pass with entire safety
through a bridge at the latter point The
construction of a bridge is entirely practical
bic at Burlington, and its structure would
interfere vastly less with the navigation than
at Davenport. adj 49,
4 The road, when completed to Ottumwa,
win also give you free intercourse with St.
Louis, uninterrupted by the rapids in the
Mississippi. The road from Keokuk to OF
tumwa will be completed long before you can
make the connection with this latter place
1t has been said that this Kcokuk road is
under great endorsements, but there is some
misunderstanding as to this matter The road
itself is less encountered than any other road
in the State. They have thirty-eight miles
in operation and have not sold more than
some twenty thousand dollars Of bonds in
all. 1t is true think that the road has en-.
dorsed the bonds issued by the city of Keokuk,
but the city is looked to by the bondholders
as the party from which pay is expected,
and it so regards ITSELF Nothing is said
from any source, as far as l am aware, Of
calling upon the company to meet the inter.
est ON these city bonds. fa.a
Il is true that the Dies Moines river lands,
which have been looked upon IS source
from whence aid to this railroad was expected,
has been withheld from the State and the
Company by the General Government mac
cordance with the recent decision of the
Attorney General; hut it seould be rccollected
that this is only the decision of one Of the
parties to the controversy. l am informed