St. Charles City Republican intelligencer. [volume] (St. Charles City [Charles City], Iowa) 1857-1861, 1859-12-08
RAILROADS,

''ttA N'S ''est I4ILJl- t'-' u NJ
RAILROADS.
We believe it to be the duty of
newspaper to publish such articles for
the perusal of its readers as may be
most interesting to them The build
ing ola railroad from McGregor west,
at the present time is of vital impor-
tancc to the people of Fayette county,
and also OF the surrounding counties
There has been no time since the
crisis of '5I that the people have been
so much interested in railroad as ut
the present time the abundant re-
turns they have received for their la
Dor, in the way Of large crops, has
showed them that they need q rail-
road. y few years ago farmers had
good markets at their doors, a ready
sale at high price for all the pro-
ducts of their farm it was no use to
talk railroad to them at that time it
would have been all folly to have um-
dertak ken to raise subscription stock
for any railroad when the country did
not raise produce enough for the con-
sumcrs hut times have changed q
large amount Of grain is raised over
and above the demand for it, and u
still larger amount would be raised if
there was Il convenient market for the
same. Owing 10 the good prices that
grain has brought for the last few
years in this country, farming has
been stimulated to the highest pitch,
and large quantity of the rich prai,
ries, have, during the last season,
been broken up, preparatory to rails,
ing large wheat crop next year ; but
as we said before, they begin to SEQ
that they must have market that
will not cost them all it is worth to
get produce to it; and the only way
that can be is by the building of the
Mctircgor railroad. We confidently
believe that 100000 Of good snb-
scriptions could be raised in Fayetto
county by the right kind Of manage
mcnt on the part of this company. 1t
would appear from the following arti-
Gle from the McGrcgor Press. that
something is about to be done by the
present company, that they are about
to make an effort to again commence
work on this road:
We are gratificd to learn that ec-
forts are making with probable pros
poets of success, to commCuCc work
again upon our Western Railroad.
This should not be neglected a mo-
mcDt longer than the necessities of
the case require, and we beg of our
people to take hold Of the work and
push it through.
The time has past when it is found
necessary to cXpcnd such enormous
amounts in building Railroads. The
estimates of our Western road was
some So, 900 per mile, but we under
stand that responsible parties now
offer TO take the contract for $4,000
per mile including rolling stock. This
may strike some as being impossible.
but we have reliable information to
the effect that it is not only possible
but practicable, The Dubuque and
Pacitic-thc Dubuque Western and
indeed all Of our South Iowa roads
are now being constructed upon this
cheap plan and are found to be capa-
bic OF doing all the business neces'
SarN.
We shall in the course Of a week
or so be put in possession of facts and
figures by which we shall be enabled
to lay the matter before our readers
in an intelligible shape.
We are decidedly i'll favor Of tho
roads being retained by Iowa people,
built by Iowa capital, and controlled
by Iowa men. We think the interest
of our country demands this course,
and we also think that our eople aro
able to build the road and own it,
Foreign capital cannot be borrowed
only upon ruiEous terms, and we hope
that our people will exert themselves
and construct the road with their own
means, and be independent Of foreign
influence. The vitality of McGrcgor
itself depends upon the policy of tho
road when completed, and it is there
fore necessary that its management
should be in tue hands of parties
friendly to our interest. More anon"