, 1859-02-22
Iowa Rai1roadx---Who il 10 have the
Connection By Bridge across the
Mississippi
tlnrrrsne ndence NJ The ErenIrr Pnut

CHICAGO. February 2. lf53.
An event OF considerable interest in railroad
matters haa recently taken place in the com.
| nencement Of the bridge from Clinton, lows, to
| &hn Illinois side Of the Mississippi In order to
underatand ita importance, it will be necessary
to 70 buck few yearE in the history Of RAILROADS
in Iowa.
The Chicago. lows md Nebraska Ra,lrosd is
to run from Clinton, Iowa, to Cedar Kspids, and
! thence to some point on the Missouri River. The
company is composed principally Of Eastern
capitalists, who are men Of wealth ahd determi'
! nation, "a will readily appear from what tol-
| lows:
Without say aid from the Ststs or Federal
| Government, they have but their road and put
1t II running order from Clinton to within a11-
teen miles Of Cedar Rapids, and graded it to
| that place, to which the cars will run sometime
! In next May. The severe pressure, which nss
been fels more, perhaps, in Iowa than in any
t other State, seems to hlve had 10 effect upon
their operations, for the work has gone steadily
on from the beginning to the present time Now
the stockholders in the railroad are deeply in
terested in lands along the line, and especially
about Clinton, the terminus; md while it Was
indispensable to them To make connection
with some ehstern road, it WAS equally necessary
/ for their private succe8s thnt the connection
should be mnde at Clinton, and nowhere elsa
To the consummation Of thi6 desirable object,
! two obstacles, either of which were apparently
/
| Railroad, wealthy and conservative corpora-
/ sion, which for many years has been dictator
wherever it's interests we're concerned,
| sud the Iowa Central Railroad, whose charter
i owned or controlled By the dalsna
Rsilroad Company, nd Which is sup,
Idge.her. shoulder to shouller, for the past two
| Years, with an unwaveriDg determination t. make
L. ons, which is two miles above Clinton, the con
uecting point Of the railroads Of Central Iowa.
The Galena company have procured q charter for
bridge at Lyous, and have determined, over and
again, that shall he built there aud nowhere
else. On the strength OF this promise, the well.
/ kuoS1 power and obstinacy Of the Galena oom-
panY, portion Of the road from Lyons west has
been gEaded, {6at rails 'aid and many fne
buildings and blocks have gone np IN Lyons. The
plan OF this part was to wait and force The clin-
ton road TO run up the river to Lyons, aud they
succeedcd 80 FIR as once to get them to agree that
tile G2lea road might 60 over the river at Lyons,
and run down TO Clinton, which wond have made
Lyons the terminus, the bridge being at that
wanted more, and let go their bold to get another
further up, and lost what they had eot-for. the
Clinton road returned to their original Intention,
and renewed their pledge that he road should now
run up to Lyons; but that II the bridge was built
there, they would run five miles down the river to
Camanche, cross there, and connect with the Al
bany and Mendoza road.
Il Vas the determination Of the Clinton compa-
ny, and the design OF their connecting with the
Albany and Mendoza road, which runs due east,
and is being built by the New York Central and
the Pennsylvania Central railroads, that caused
the GaleLa company 10 lalk in their determine
tion; while on the other hand, it was tue great
advantage Of connection with the 4alena road
oyer any other, that indeed the Iowa and Ne
braska road to listen to oyestures from tae Ga
lena company, notwithstanding the opposition
they have experienced at th.ir han.s In this way.
and r2rfr fhp fart at ftax }1;4
dnd tha ears running for dbout sizty milss on
the Chicago, Iowa 4 Nebraska Railroad, whereas
not rail had been laid on the Iowa Central-e
sort Of truce has been effected. The bridge at
Clinton is being built, and the Galena company
have only to 10y th1ee aud half miles of road
land in the middle Of the river. II they do this,
aud agree upon fair division of rates, the buAi-
ness Of tho Iowa road will be given to them; if
they refuse, the Chicago. Iowa and Nebraska
Railroad will connect with the Albany and Men
dots Railroad which is in progress, and thus cut
of the Galena road ind Chicago altogether
It Is to be hoped that all parties will be ena-
bled to see their obvious interest, though a. the
personal credit Of some Of the most powerful
members Of the Galena company is pledged TO
secrra the bridge ct Lyons, 9 greststruge!e msy
be expected at the meeting Of the stockholders
in June.
Thus the Chicago, Iowa and Nebraska Railroad
is changed from supplisat t. dictator. It has
sixty-four miles If road running, bridge in
progress, and is importuned BY the Albany and
Mendoza road for the connection. 1t ia claimed
for this road through central lows, that it will
drain the State and draw traffic from the north.
ern and southern lines, az it is much nearer 10
Chicago; aud it is further claimed that it will
be the shortest route 10 the best parta Of the
State ot Minnesota, where road ia already in
progress 10 the State line, to meet it.
Thus further interesting circumstances in this
contest for the northwestern traffic are ut auy
time 1ffefv In nceur 1V