Muscatine weekly journal. [volume] (Muscatine, Iowa) 185?-1890, 1860-04-06
Chicago, Iowa and Nebraska
Railroad --- Upton RailrOad---
Land Grant,

Chicago, Iowa and Nebraska;
Railroad --- Upton RailrOad--
| Land Grant,
We presume that our readers are for the
most part aware that the lands granted to the
Iowa Central Railroad Company, some years
since, have been declared by the action of the
Legislature, this Winter, forfeited to the State
and that the State has resumed control of the
same, in consequence of their failure to build
any part oil their road. A spirited contest
for t! !ese lands was the immediate result
upon their resumption by the State. The
Dubuque Western, which has a road in run.
ming order to Anamosa from Dubuque, and
the Chicago, iowa and Nebraska Company,
which has ro,i completed from Clinton to
Cedar Rapids, were the applicants having
the most strength and the best claims to
present for the lands. The grant is magni-
ticent one, an" is for the purpose of aiding in
the construction OF u road west from Cedar
Rapids to the Missouri river.
We here at Muscatne, who have toied and
struggled for the purpose of building a road
north from Wilton to Flournoy, have deep
interest in the proper diversion of this grant
of lands, and it has been for some time an
object of great interest to those who have the
interest of that road and our city at heart to
throw the influence of this county in favor of
those parties and that road which they had
reason to believe would meet US upon fair
terms, and render us that aid which we need
to enable us to construct the road from Wilton
north. For that purpose, Mr.. John A. Parvin
made trip to Desmoines, and spent some
time there, this Winter; and, latterly, Mr..
Green, the President of the road, visited the
same place.
We believe that, after careful investigation
of the merits of the two companies, with an
eye to the interests Of Muscatine and the other
points upon the road south to KeokuE which
all have common interest in it's dctermina-
ton, it was the unanimous conclusion of all
parties thus Interested, and of our Senators
and Representatives, that the Chicago, Iowa
and Nebraska Company ought to have the
grant of lands and the result was that the
land grant was transferred by the Legislature
to them, with no restriction which will inter-
fere at all in their using them to the advantage
of all who desire the road at an early day
upon this lire.
We understand that the Chicago, Iowa and
Nebraska road manifesto ! toward our project
the utmost favor and friendship, and that the
friends of that road have abundant reason to
rejoice over the present adjustment of the
matter, and may with confidence look forward
to a connection Of some kind which will secure
the object desired, and place us in speedy
connection with the Chicago, Iowa and
Nebraska road at Flournoy, or some other
point. at an early day.
The Chicago, Iowa and Nebraska Company,
which connects at Clinton with the Galena
and Chicago, and in both of which roads the
same parties are interested, stands, to-da ;
before the people of the State without riva1
in many respects. They have built more
miles of road, in less time, at less cost per
male and with less aid from counties or people
pithin this State, than any other road and
the road is this day earning more net money
upon the amount invested than any ether
road. 1t is in every way deserving of public
favor and coniidr nee, and the parties who
have thus came into our State, and expended
their means, almost unaided, and in direct
competition with roads north and south, with
large land grants and local aid, and have
succeeded thus far independently in pushing
their road to successful completion to Cedar
Rapids, is, in our opinion, eminently entitled
to receive at the hands Of the Legislature the
testimonial Of the confidence reposed in them
which the transfer of this grant from the
defunct Iowa Central Company conveys. No
road or company in is infancy was more
abused or derided than this one was by its
corpulent competitors, and i. is monument
of what individual effort and perseverance will
do; and, while its opponents are now dragging
slowly along, or stopping quietly at rest with
their roads, the Company is ready to push
forward it's road into the heart of Iowa, and
use with economy the rich aid now placed
within its power.
For the active working men comprising
this Company we have the highest praise,
particularly for Mr.. L. B. Crocker, its efficient
Vice President And, in this connection, it
is proper for us to say that no company in
this State has more solid, substantial men
interested in it's affairs than this Company.
Its stockholders cast are men of means aud
character, who have built it as a paying
investment, and rigid system of economy
has marked all their operations thus far.
They are business men, and have built this
road upon business principles.
We have good reason to believe that the
Galena and Chicago road, with its feeder, the
Chicago, Iowa and Nebraska, now to be con-
tinued west and northwest from Cedar Rapids,
see and feel the importance of the completion
of the road from their line to Wilton, as, with
such connection, they can come into
successful competition with the NJ. & NJ. road
at this point for all the Chicago and eastern
business, the distance being little less over
their line than eia the NJ. & NJ. R. R. to
Chicago. The same Will apply to Wilton and
to all points upon the NJ. & NJ west, in
addition to which they will at this point
receive and deliver southern freights for all
points west of its intersection. That this is
of Importance to them we never doubted, and
it is but the carrying out of the original plan
of those who took hold of the Upton road.
We expAct to see this road, at some future
time, built from their road to this city, as an
independent road, and we think such an event
would be hailed with joy by our shippers, and