Muscatine weekly journal. [volume] (Muscatine, Iowa) 185?-1890, 1859-01-21
A Da venporter Abroad.

WINE tne NalITOa0 COnveuuOn was aSScin
e bling at Rome, in Jones county, last week,
3 was whispered among the delegates that
, gentleman was present from Davenport, wit
plenary powers to treat with the people con
, cerning railroad from that city to Anamoss
! Very little attention was paid to the rumor
, however, as everybody regarded such projec
T utopian compared with the one they wer
{ called together to consider. However, afte
all the business of the convention had beer
7 transacted, a citizen of Rome arose, and, Gus
for the fun of the thing" requested the gen
tleman from Davenport (if any such wa.
present) to address the meeting. But there
was no response. The sole representative o
Davenport's interests had either withdrawn
or, like the bound-boy at the husking, 'had
nothingto to say" The convention Immediately
adjourned, and the delegates departed for
their homes.
We had about forgotten the rumor concern
ing the Davenport man at Rome, till our eye
fell upon communication in the Davenport
Gazette under the head of the "Anamosa
Branch R. r." evidently written by the man
whom we had regarded as myth. The fol-
lowing extract we give for the benefit of our
readers: "''
Muscatine is the nearest point, ITO Ana
mosa, and now has most of the trade of this
region, and she is putting forth herculean
efforts to secure and keep it. She pays more
for all kinds of produce, at least to the people
along the line of her proposed R. R., than we
do, or can, except for the same objects, and
when she once extends her Upton road to
Anamosa, she thinks it will not pay us to
build parallel road, and she can have it all
her own way, as one of her speakers said in
substance at a railroad meeting attended at
Rome. Her Upton road, extended to meet
the Dubuque Western at Anamosa, will form
an arc, with its bases at Muscatine and
Dubuque, absorbing all the business west of it,
Still, there is not an intelligent citizen there
who cannot see that the paying of higher
prices at tMuscatine-when they send through
Davenport to an Eastern market, when their
coal is received through Davenport-they
have no water -power-and even their South
ern trade is by line of boats terminating at
Davenport-is farce for an object And
that Davenport, having the facilities for grind
ing and manufacturing, as well as the bridge
and river to facilitate commerce, can afford to
pay several cents per bushel more for grain
than either of her competitors. And was
only the more astonshed, in talking with the
people of Jones county, that our people have
not made these facts more apparent. Daven-
port has natural advantages, which, would
she but improve them, and use but half the
energy of her comprehensive make some
thing out of nothing-that would enable her
to double her business. Shall we of Daven-
port set down and see ourselves enclosed, as
in trap, by a network of railroads surround
ing us, owned and controlled by men who
will do all in their power for our injury? See
trains of cars run over the finest portions of
our fertile State by companies discriminating
against us, and making us change cars and
wait their time if we would leave our county
Can we expect somebody to build roads for
us, or must we put our shoulders to the wheel
and give effort and money, that it may be
returned to us increased hundred fold !?
We already see the cars (of the c., l. & N.
r. r. traversing country which should and
could have been tributary to us alone, by the
exercise of very little energy and lberality.
That evil we can never remedy. Shall we
now suffer the rich trade of the upper Wap-
sipinicOn to be carried away to seek an outlet
elsewhere without an effort? The people of
that section are ripe for railroad effort, and
will take hold of and materially aid that road
which gives the most encouragement for
speedy completion. When they have secured
one road, no matter how roundabout it may
be, they will do but little for another, and it
would then become a parallel road, and of
doubtful profit, but let us secure the first
road, and no other will be built. l met many
of the prominent men of Jones county at a
railroad meeting at Rome, and urged, as far as
opportunity presented, the claims of our road,
which was new to them, and believe, could
we give them any tangible assurance that we
would meet them half way, and with energy,
they would be with US, and give us substan-
tial aid in extending our road Shall we do
it, or shall the will of the few throw us back
into our former state of inaction? L.F.P.
To the above we have few exceptions to
take. 1t is true, as stated, that Muscatine
pays higher prices for produce than Daven-
port, and that she has most of the trade of
Jones county. 1t is not true, however, that
the paying of such prices is illegitimate or
temporary, with the object only of diverting
trade to this point If it is "a farce" it is
one quite satisfactory to both producers and
buyers, and will no doubt continue to be
played with. success to both. Our dealers are
not like those of Davenport and of the railway
stations, who do a small business in small
way, buying at low prices, and selling at high
rates, to make up for their limited trade.
Some of the points made by IL. F. P" are
almost too absurd to notice. The idea of the
southern trade of Muscatine being done by
line of boats terminating at Davenport could
only be conceived by man entirely ignorant
of the river business! If Davenport can
afford to pay several cents per bushel more
for grain than any of her competitors, why
don't she do it? If her facilities for commerce
are so much superior to Muscatine, why
has she packed only one tenth as many hogs
this season? These are straightforward ques-
tions, and ought to be easily answered. But
the fact is, .'L. p F." argues from false
premises, and his reasoning is the shallowest
kind of sophistry. He says he "met many Of
the prominent men of Jones county at Rome,
and urged, as far as opportunity presented;
the claims of our (the Davenport) road" If
he means by this that he addressed the Rome
Convention, or that he had no opportunity to
to do so, and had to content himself with
button -holing few of the delegates, he tells
a falsehood. As we have already stated, he
was called upon in the convention, but did
not respond We thought at the time that if
he was present, he exhibited his good sense
by keeping silent. The people were satisfied
with the road to Muscatine, and as one of the
delegates remarked, saw the folly Of diverting
any of their attention or their means to rival
sroiacf