The Council Bluffs nonpareil. [volume] (Council Bluffs [Iowa]) 1857-1867, 1860-01-28


"To the President and Directors Of the
Council Bluffs, Boyer Valley & Minneso-
ia Rail Road Co.
GESrLEMEN--Tbis Road, US projected to
run from Council Bluffs on the Missouri
River, in north easterly direction through
Western Iowa and Minnesota to or near st.
Peters in Minnesota, starting from Council
Bluffs on the Missouri river, in Potwattamie
county, Iowa. 1t runs through Harrison,
Monona, Crawford, Sac, Beuna Vista, Poca-
hontas, Palo Alto and kossuth counties in
Iowa, and Fairbault Blue Earth equities in
Minnesota-in length little less thau 23O
miles, being not over miles from an air
line. 1t follows the Valley of the Missouri
to where the Boyer Valley joins it-thence
up the Boyer to near its source-thence
rising on to the "Plateau Prairies." 1t
traverses for % miles an unsettled and
sparsely rendered portion of Iowa-on the
great plain forming the divide between the
waters of the Missouri and Minnesota rivers,
perfectly level and unobstructed by single
break or obstacle, except the crossing of
the head waters Of the Des Moines, to the
State Line-thencc descending to the Valley
If the Blue Earth, one of the Tributaries
of the Minnesota-it follows that VALLEY to
its terminus, intersecting in its course the
Land Grant Roads of Iowa and Minnesota,
and terminating contiguos to the great
Pneries Of the North West. The formation
of the country is singularly adapted for a
road of light grades and cheap construction
--nine- tenths of the distance with grades
not to exceed lOfeet to the mile, and max
imum grade not to exceed 40 feet to the
mile, with level road Of over sixty (60)
miles, and an expense of grading not to ex-
coed SO 900 per mile-the entire cost of n
first class road fully equipped not to exceed
$50 900 per mile, with a never failing source
Of revenue that will place it beyond all finan-
cial contingencies, making it the great de-
sideratum Of the present day-a dividend
paying road. 1t opens to market and
settlement the lands Of a portion Of Iowa and
MINES ota heretofore excluded for the want
of timber and tho facilities Of, Market
1t traverses portion of both States unpro-
vided with railroads, and with little add
tonal line Of road will give Dacota Territory
ample facilities for the present. Its cheap.
ness Of construction and light grades adapt
Der Of the Pine Regions Of the North
and Kansas, now wholly supplied by wa
ter conveyance of nearly 1900 miles, and
when built will give Western Wisconsin
and Minnesota by their great thorough.
fares now built or building, a direct out
let to the great overland routes to the
Interior Territories and Pacific Possessions,
together with direct communication with
st. Louis.
Its advantages are to be summed up
briefly, thus:
Fust-Its directness and amount of Ter
ritory and Population it will accommodate
for its length.
Second-lts rendering available q great
portion Of the Pineries Of Minnesota and
Praries of Iowa heretofore unattainable.
Ihird-Its light cost and easy grades
Fourth-lts bringing into market and
opening to settlement a large portion OF
the Public Domain that will be unavail-
able for years without the necessary ia,
cilities for carriage and market.
FDh-Its cutting at right angle nearly
all the Land Grant Roads of Iowa and
| MISUNDERSTANDING to each valuable
feeder-to the Southern Roads for Lumber
and to the more Northern ones, a great
outlet to the Plains and St. Louis.
Sirth-lts interests not conflicting with
any road now projected, building or built
carries out in part the plan of Congress
in its Land Grants to Minnesota, rendering
available to that State one Of its principal
sources of wealth, and saving to the State
Of Iowa in the item of Lumber alone,
more than enough to build the entire
road.
From the above and many other rea-
sons, | am constrained to believe that
it will receive the necessary aid to its
early completion-thus rendering not only
to the States Of Iowa and Minnesota, blu,
to the Government, great source of rev.
enue.
Respectfully, ..