Daily Iowa State Democrat. [volume] (Davenport, Iowa) 1856-1859, 1859-04-26


~ VIM. Allen Esq, Secretary OF
the Scott County Agricultural Society, has
placed upon our table the premium list Of
this society for the year 1859 By the
pamphlet We learn that the Society will
distribute this fall over 81 900 in premiums.
Copies can he had by applying to Mr.. Allen,
at his office.
From the Press / Tri bune. ]
Tho Rock Island Bsidge.-Ss. l.ouis w..
Chicago
DAVENPORT. April 20, 1859
In the cowardly war now going on be-
tween the Chamber Of Commerce at St.
Louis and the city of Chicago and the cit
lee lying West. l have noticed that your
journal has acted the manly part in defence
Of the internal commerce Of the West
While st Louie is trying to tear down and
interrupt great commercial highways in
stead Of encouraging and defending them,
your paper has ably sustained these enter
prises. Before these attacks by the Ishma-
elites Of st. Louis, and their journals, the
st. Louis Republican was found upon every
merchants desk, and widely circulated
here; but since its lusans warfare upon us,
it has almost entirely disappeared from our
midst, and with it much of the patronage
heretofore bestowed upon st. Louis merch-
ants, and the PREss AND TRIBUNE has been
wisely substituted for the Republican, and
Chicago merchants now receive our patron
age.
The course of st. Louis is dictated bv q
spirit Of rivalry which is deem ed dishonor
able among individuals, and which has done
more to defeat than to accomplish the OBJ
jects desired to be secured. In the disor-
dered imaginatisns of st. Louis merchants
the Railroad bridge at this place is the great
arch enemy OF the prosperity OF St Louis,
for the alleged reason-as they ssy-that it
impairs the navigation Of the Mississippi
river, when, in fact. the real reason is, that
the Bridge is the great outlet to Chicago
for the commerce Of Iowa, Nebraska, Utah
and ultimately, of the new States to be
formed out Of territory on that line.
Instead Of St. Louis building q railroad
direct to st. Paul, to keep up with the spirit
Of modern progress. she attempts to com.
pell US to take the old and tardy method cf
reaching her with our products by river
navigation. Money is collected and ex-
pended in procuring witnesses, presses along
the river are bought up to echo st. Louis
fabrications and opinions. agents employed
to sneak about among river men, poisoning
their minds by shadowy fears Of the Rail-
road bridge. and every conceivable expert
ment made that will tend to prejudice the
public mind concerning that noble struc.
ture.
Suits in large numbers are instituted to
harrass the Bridge Company, and compel
it to make heavy expenditures to erect and
defend the bridge against the constant and
prolonged attacks.
We wonder. here, why the Chicago
Board of Trade will stand idly by, without
contributing its aid in defence of this struc-
ture, while the merchants OF Chicago are
the largest recipients of its benefits. Your
paper has won golden opinions from all
who feel interested in the commerce and
trade Of the State, and receives its reward
by increased circulation and influence, and
if your Board Of Trade expect to lie supins-
ly by. and let the Bridge Company shoul-
der the expense Of this war alone, they are
uugrateful and blind to their true interest
There is no Disgusting the fact. that it is a
war between st, Louis and Chicago. and to
suO viVSVAO OOsOnS sUO 0t'Oucs " WuO Iucu,
will be the victor, if Chicago is idle and st.
Louis vigilant
The defendants attoraeys are now here
taking testimony for the defence. before the
United States Commissioner, and "Hydraul
ic" Bisssll is also here, With . corps Of civil
engineers, preparing the way for the United
States Commissioners, who are expected
here to-day. The defendant's counsel are
working with steady success in ''piling up"
testimony, which no impartial Judge can
safely disregard.
The weather here il quite 6ns to-day.
and farmers are now full Of hope for . f.
vorable harvest. One good crop viii d,s-
perss the clouds which the late financial
rsvulsion and bad crops left resting upon
Iowa. Ours 10 smphatically an agricultural
State, aad when our grain crops fails, our
whole populstion feels the loss.
The communication IL all very vel! but
the last paragraph. which vs onit. - the
writer evidently run emptyings" before
he got thus far. He signs himself "BaUrus." /"
Thunder