Muscatine weekly journal. [volume] (Muscatine, Iowa) 185?-1890, 1859-01-14
WHscaliMe and Galesbllrgh Rail-
road.

Since the move was made something owe
a year ago, when surveys and estimates wef
taken, but little has been said or done abou
this road. The citizens Of Muscatine and o
! Galesburgh, and those ofthe country through
which it is to run, look upon the project a!
one that will ultimately be accomplished; it:
| importance seems to warrant such conclu
sion The work would have been commenced
at the time above alluded to, but for the finan
cial crisis, which occurred about the time We
were ready for operations. We think now
that capital is beginning to move, and eastern
capitalists are looking round for profitable
| investments Of their surplus funds; that all
that is wanting to induce them to take stock
in the above road is to show it's real impor-
lance, and the certainty of its becoming a
paying road; this will appear obvious when
we notice its connections, the kind of
country through which it is to run, and the
incxhaustible coal beds over which it
passes, which we can but briefly notice in
this article. By one of the surveyed routes
it will connect with the proposed Air Line
Road at Aledo, twenty-five miles from Mus
catinc; by the other, at point about eight
miles from Aledo, and twenty eight from
Muscatine, at Viola. 4. Galesburgh, which,
by the surveyed lines, is about fifty three
miles from Muscatine, it will connect with
the Chicago, Burlington and Quincy R. R. !;
also, with the Peoria and Oquawka R. R. By
reference to map of Illinois it will be seen
that these connections would give us direct
eastern route, either by Chicago or Cincin-
natl, or southern by Cairo and ST. Louis
much of the travel from which places would
find its way over this road. The
country through which the lines haye been
surveyed is as fertile as any in the west,
in timber and coal. Much of the
route is high rolling prairie. So fortunate
were the engineers in selecting route, that
about twelve miles of the first % from Mus
catine is estimated to cost but about two
thousand dollars per mile for grading, and
the balance of the line was considered I'M
usually favorable The farmers along the
line propose to take liberal amounts of stock,
and to donate lands freely to the Company,
among which are some valuable coal lands.
The coal beds commence about two miles
from the Mississippi, on the line Of the Road,
where the veins are two feet in thickness
at the distance of five miles from the river,
On Copperas Creek, the coal veins are two
md a half to three feet in thickness, where
hey have been worked. At Camp Creek,
.wclvc miles from the river, veins have been
opened from three to three and half feet in
thickness, and on Edwards River, twenty
TWO miles from Muscatine, the coal veins that
nave been opened are full four feet to four and
! half in thickness. The coal at Edwards
river and at Camp Creek is of very supe-
'ior quality The Coppcras Creek coal is so
we'll known in Muscatinc that it needs no
it is counted good black
smiths coal that nearest the river is coun-
ted good coal. The supply in these beds is
nexhaustible, and the business that would
accrue to this line of Railroad from this
source alone, would be productive of large
independent Of the travel and other
business. After the first five miles of this
road shall be completed, commencing from
the river, the business thereon would pay
good per centage on the investment, and ev-
cry additional mile would add to its business.
The coal trade alone would sustain the first
twenty-five miles of the line, as an actual
demand might at all times be expected for the
coal at this point.