Sioux City register. [volume] (Sioux City, Iowa) 1858-1871, 1860-11-10
RAILROAD PROSPECTS.

UT tue DeHeHI vi our own CitiHens anu
those abroad who are interested in the
growth Of our city and the future of North
Western Iowa, we have endeavored to OBJ.
tain the necessary information upon which
to base a reliable answer to the frequent
inqu;ry-"What Of the RaiIroad?'
The project of constructing a road from
Dubuque to Sioux City was entered upon
during flush times. The read, like indi-
viduals, abused its credit When the day
Of payment came the resources of the
company were encountered and unavaila'
ble The earnings Of the road were mea.
gre and Indebtedness was accommodating.
As our readers arc aware, last spring
the bonds Of the road were converted into
another class of securities on terms favor
able to the interest of the company and
progress of the work. The road changed
hands and since then, under the name of
the Dubuque and Sioux City Railroad, the
work has been carried on with energy and
dispatch. The road is in operation to
Jessup. The grading is completed to
Cedar Falls; the track is Icing laid, and
in = few weeks the cars will lie running to
the latter place, which is one hundred
miles from Dubuque, and compeses the
6rst division Of the road. The company
has the means at its command to push the
road forward to Fort Dodge at oEce, and
assures the people that it will be finished
TO Iowa Falls at least. during next sum
mcr, and in less than two years to Fort
Dodge, and in three years IN Sioux City
They promise to do even better than this,
but We can see no substantial reason for
expecting road sooner. There is talk of
commencing at this end of the road in a
year or eighteen months, but we do not
think this Is determined on.
There never has been the encourag e
nsnt to push forward this road that there
IL to day. The small crops of the last two
years have afforded but limited amount
Of transportation, and the small earnings
Of the road have not induced the invest.
ment Of capital in such enterprises. But
the case is now very different. Produce
was never more abundant. Farmers are
sellers not buyers in the market. Every
freight house from Jessup to Dubuque is
filed with grain awaiting transportation.
The road has all its cars in requisition,
and yet it cannot carry forward all the
produce that is seeking market. Wagon
loads Of wheat are daily going to the
railroad at all points and from every direc-
tion, in many instances from 100 miles
distant This is inducing labor to cult
va'e new fields, and capit alists to enoour.
age railroad enterprises. Every farmer
has something to sell, and consequently
something with which to buy. This has
created new life and general rcviving in
business.
The company now obtains its means in
Europe and is not compelled to make a
sacrifice of its lands The construction
OF the ROAD will alone make the lands
valuable and available Another agency
at work in favor of the Dubuoue and
Sioux City road is the active interest felt
by Eastern men in the early completion
OF this road to Sioux City, expecting
thereby to fix branch at least of the
Pacific Railroad from this point to the
South Pass by the Niobrarah River for the
accommodation of the Chicago line of trade,
inasmuch as this is the most direct. FEAST
BILE and by far the shortest route. We say
therefore that our railroad prospects were
never better; that there is every reason to
believe that the Dubuque and Sioux City
Road will be completed in three or four
years at most; and that from this point it
will form one of the main connections
with the great Pacific Railroad.
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