The weekly Ottumwa courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1857-1872, 1860-01-26
OTTUMWA, IOWA, THURSDAY, JANUARY &C. 1860

before you, exhibiting a most satis,ac,or
r account of the condition and prospect of ,ll
; Society; than which it is believed no sin,ils
: operation in the whole land has accomplishe
SO much in the same time.
In the hands Of its present friends
promises to add great honor and credit I
the State.
. For further information in relation to it
history, progress and aims, refer you to tn
communication already referred to; and ais
! TO the report of the Treasurer of this Society
the vouchers of whose disbursements ar
; filed in my Office, accessible to any com
m'ttee your respective bodies NAV appoin
to examine the same.
cordially concur in the appropriation
asked for by the Executive Committee.
FRONTIER DIFFICULTIES.
congress made an appropriation of $40, ,OOt
IN behalf of the citizens of Minnesota an,
Iowa, to defray the expenses Of their various
expeditions against Ink -pa-du -tah and hi,
band for the murders committed at Spiri
Lake IN the spring OF 1857. 1t was require,
that these expenses shoulk be proved up be
fore Major Cullam, Su ,erintendento Indiar
Affairs st. Paul. This was done, and tn,
amount allowed the Iowa expedition unde,
Major Williams, was $3,6l2,43, which i,
now being disbursed to the privates and
officers composing the same.
| Under the act authorizing the Governor tc
/ raise company of mounted men for the de.
! fense and protection of our frontier, approved
Feb. 9th, 1853, beg to say that thirty such
men, known as .he Frontier Guards. armed
and equipped as required, were organized
and mustered into service under the com
mand of Capt. Henry b. Martin. of Web
ster City, about the first Of March then fol-
lowing, and were divided into two cornpan-
les, one stationed at the Little Sioux River,
the other at Spirit Lake. Their presence off.
cred security and gave quiet to the settlement
in that region. and after service of four
months, were duly disbanded.
Late in the fall of the same year, however,
great alarm and CONSERVATION was again
felt in the region Of Spirit Lake and Sioux
River settlements, produced as represented
to me, by the appearance of large numbers
Of Indians on the border, whose bea, ing was
insolent and menacing, and who were char
ged with clandestinely running off the stock
OF the settlers. The most urgent appeals
came to me from these settlers, invoking
again the protection of the State From the
representations made to me Of the imminen
cy oftheir danger, and the losses already
sustained, felt it my duty to summon into
the field once more the Frontier Guards. adj
ding ten more men to their number. After
a service of four or five months they were
again discharged, and paid in the manner
prescribed in the act under which they were
called out
1t is believed that this company afforded
Il - I
our hardy border settlements from another
inh'man butcherv.
The expense of these two expeditions has
cost the Treasury of the State 81 800 paid.
and about 81 200 or 81 800 unpaid of con-
tin"cnt expenses, which did not seem to be
provided for in the law, growing out of ser
vices rendered in procuring the necessary
ann n'urspurscments OF the money, &c, 0c--
These sums. duly authenticated, have been
placed in the hands of our Representatives
in Congress. to the end that the State NAV
be reimbursed. II is understood that this
can only be done bv getting through Con-
gress special act for that purpose
Ineed rot saw that I opened correspon-
lence, both with the President of the United
States and the Secretary of War upon the
subject of our exposed frontier, explaining
to them the character of our difficulties and
reSDe"tfullv solicited that protection which the
Federal Government is bound to eyten to
the whole length Of our borders received
strong assurances from the President that
this should he done, and a partial promise
from the Secretary that he would establish a
garrison at some point between Fort Ridge
" and Fort Randall, that should sufficiently
Guard and protect orr frontier Whether
this has been done or not. | am not advi
sed.
RAILROADS.
The establishment. Mt as early day as
! practicable Of a system Of railway locomo.
ton over the State, uniting county with
county, and one neghborhood with another
and thus linking together not only the four
rorners of the State with bands of iron. and
putting us in connection with all the States
east and south of us, is matter of so much
! Importance that few men of anv section OF
party, would wish to record themselves
against it.
Their social and commercial advantages
have been tested by millions in this countr,
and in Europe, and they are forcing them
selves upon the recognition of every civilizef
nation. We have system Of nearly 5000
miles of railway projected, admirably adius
ted to accommodate every part OF the State
with only four hundred miles constructed.
i Had we the means to complete the entir'
system, it would cause wonderful transfer
nation to take place in the settlement o
our prairies, in the development of Goa
mines and mneral-in stimulating the pro
ductions Of the soil-as well as the various
branches of operative industry.
But great and obvions as are these advan
tages, there are just grounds for apprchen
ding they will pc for some time postponed
to us. They cannot be built without larg,
amounts Of money. Capitalists are dis
; inclined to invest in this direction any lon
ger--it is claimed by many that the Stat,
olght not to give its aid-county subscrip
though this description of improvements ar
peculiarly adapted to the wants and the in
terests of the masses, they never yet hav
t been prevailed upon to do much for en-
terprses Of this kind. In this attitude q
affairs, the question may well be propounde
how are our railroad schemes to be carries
r forwards The few enterprising men in tn
! State who are engaged in this work unaide
cannot accomplish the task. A suspension
would he disastrous to the best interests @
the State. Already. it is known that larg
e numbers Of emigrants have located in adjoin
ing States, because of their SUPERIOR advau
e tages over us in railways. This subject
: Of no ordinary import, and is mentioned nc
because have any specific recommendatio
s to make, but for the purpose of askin
: yOur serious and earnest attention to our II
# al condition in this respect, to the end ths
G YOU may, in your combined wisdom, devils