The Council Bluffs nonpareil. [volume] (Council Bluffs [Iowa]) 1857-1867, 1859-02-05
Correspondence Of the Nonpareil.
MONONA COUNTY RAILROADGENII.


'A,n wants but little here below
Ms. EDITOR Great times in Monona !!
Hard swearing. Much gas. Pretty fuss
generally. Who did it9 why, the Genii,
to be sure. Who else could keep the finan.
cial atmosphere in commotion these hard
times, and have the manners to worry the
poor editors, those natural guardians Of the
people. have no time to enter into the
details of the doinss of our Genii, but will
present few facts to your readers going
to show how railroad speculations are
"done brown" "
CITY IN NEED.
There is City in Monona Of about 100
inhabitants, named Onawa. 1t is owned
and controlled by a speculating corporation
styled the ''Monona Land Co." This land
company not only controls Onawa but the
rest of the county, electing its rulers, and
performing its official business. OF course
this city is the headquarters of the Genii.
SWAMP LAND FUND.
We hold large body Of Swamp Land,
the fund arising from which is Of immense
Importance to a county in the poverty of its
youth. This Fund is of particular impor-
lance to Monona, because goodly portion
of her land is swamp, liable to overflow,
and can only be rendered habitable by eff
cicnt draining. 1t is evident enough that
present reclamation of land is of far more
consequence to the pioneers than the doubt
full benefit to arise from being connected
with an irresponsible $50 far rs the people
know r. r. Co. but:
THE CENT WANT MONEY.
A very natural want, Mr.. Editor. But
when II oney is to be whccdlcd out Of the
"dear people," certain prclimina:ies, very
disagrceablc to Genii, have to be gone
through with. The question now was,
"IIow to do it:" $4,000 is we'll worth
4 desperate effort.
A SHORT NOTICE.
Two of the Genii greatly surprised the
good citizens, first by informing them that
they, (,he two distinguished and influential
Gcnii,) had suddenly risen to the exalted
position of Directors of newly baked
"Sioux City and Council Bluffs R.R. Co. -
and secondly, by calling Mass Convention
to take into consideration whether we should
subscribe So 900 to the stock Of the aforc.
said Co. before ii had cre,, asked for aid !,
The notice was very short, mostly hcarsay,
and many people knew nothing whatever Of
it. All the better for the Genii. 1t was cx-
,remeIy cold on the day appointed for the
Convention so much SO that very few out
side of the headquarters Of tho Genii dared
to venture out. Good time for speculation.
TILE CONVENTION.
There was much debating, and the Genii
poured forth tho usual quantity of slurS
stored up for such occasions upon the mo-
tiycs of the "outslc barbarians.' This
did not prevent the latter from putting in
some rousing arguments which the Gcnii
of course did not undertake to refutc. Be-
inG accidentally in Il ma oritv, all their
hearts desire was to come to Il vote. The
leaders of the Gcni were DIR. HAzELETr,
ADDISON DIMMlCH, Directors Of uhdt:)-
Judge WHITING, BERNARD IoLDRooK, TlNo-
THY ELLIOT and S. S. PEARcE, all Onawa
men. The leaders of the opposition were
LEONARD SEARS and Mr.. PnlLLlrs Of Onawa,
BIsBEE Of Bclyidcre, JOE.
i. p. DAY of kcnncbcck. Ali the favor
the opposition asked was the privilege of
having another convention, SO that the
people could have something to say about
so important 4 matter. They were wllin.
to abide by the result. But the consequent
tial Cent? reply; 'you cannot have another
Convcntion.' Arguments, however good,
could make no difference with the result.
and it was voted to request the Co. Judge
to order an election as soon as the law
would allow. The Gcnii are n "fast' race
so. | fear that some of the
outsiders will wake up feeling some as Rip
Van Wrinkle did after his long sleep. The
law allows four weeks; therefore the cleo
ton VIII be held on tie second Monday of
FEBRUARY. \ good reason for carving
through this business with such celebrity,
is, to secure the iloat!n. vote that will be
minus in the Spring in consequence of gold
fever. The Gcnii adjourned, undoubtedly
highly gratifed at the success of their
heroic lahors.
CONCLUDING REFLECTIONS.
trust that no one will suppose from
what is written above that am opposed to
the construction of a railroad as fast rs the
poppie (not the Gcnii) are able and miHinq
to build. know the people Of Nonona
arc not able, and seriously doubt if they
are willing at present. The Geni arc al
rays willing, and mean to be ablc if they
can accomplish their ends. But supposing
our County was we'll populated, 1--WE have
less than 1000 pcrsons,) was wealthy and
the large tract of swamp land
forming the western side of the county to
90 undrained, in preference to assisting n
railroad by some other method? Railroad
is mysterious subject to many
persons, and in no other enterprise is there
SO much need of that. good old adage, Make
haste slowly" Adopting this for a motto
the people will not only have one of the
best farming counties in the West, but will
also get railroad as soon as they need it
rs soon as 'tis best to have one. Follow
me the lead of the Genii they will not only
have the most fertile portion of the Co. lie
m unproductiyc and unnhabtabe swamp
for many years, but it is very doubtful if
their subscription will cause the road to be
built three months sooner than otherwise.
This %1j 200, by the time it is applied to