Muscatine weekly journal. [volume] (Muscatine, Iowa) 185?-1890, 1860-02-24
"A EsailrOad from DUBUQUE tU
kcOkuk, via Muscatine.
Proposition Of the Dubuque Western
Il. Il. Go.
TFrom the Upton Democrat Feb. 18th.1

Proposition Of the Dubuque Western
Il. e. Go.
[From the Upton Democrat, Feb 18th.
Having recently been at Des Moines, and
held conferences with the men who are now
projecting and building the great Railroads
OF Iowa, and become acquainted with their
designs, intentions and nterls SITS, feel re-
joiced in he firm belief that another year
will not roll round until we are in the pos.
session of Rail- Dad facilities, unequalled by
any town in the State. In this hope and Joy
believe all of our citizens will soon share.
During the present session of the Legis-
lature it was believed that the Land Grant
heretofore given to the Iowa Central Air
Lilac Railroad, would be resumed by the
State and given t. some other Company,
and that tho Chicago, Iowa and Nebraska
would probably be the lucky recipient
Being In attendance on the Legislature, |
looked after the interests of our Upton road,
to see ii the lucky Company would not give
us helping hand v it'll our road. In this,
l must admit, at the outset, that my sympa-
thies were all with the o. |. & N. r. R.,
and that believed that they wore strong in
capacity, and IN every way capable, willing
and interested in the completion of our road.
found that the g. l. & N. Il. r. were not
asking for the Grant, but that a new Com.
pany, called the Cedar Rapids and Missouri
River RaiIroad Company, wero asking for
| 1t, and that they were separate organiza-
ton, but in the confidence of, and intending
to run in connection with the O. l. & N. r !,
Il. Mr.. l.. b. Crocker, one Of the principal
men in the "Nebraska," Road, is the Presi.
dent of the "Cedar Rapids" Company, who,
with Maj. Bodfsh, will be the manage rs and
operators of this Cedar Rapids enterprise.
l sought from them the aid we need to com.
peto our road, but was disappointed Mr.
Crocker was willing to give ali the assurance
that was in his power to give, but yet it only
am ounted to THIS that he would use his
influence with the Nebraska Co." to grant
cur request. Nj. Crocker's influence with
this Company Is potent, yet was led to
believe it would be, in this matter, unavail-
ing. The Nebraska Co." have struggled
through desperate fight, and completed,
without any loan or foreign assistance, q
road, 81 miles in length, from Clinton to
Cedar Rapids. In doing this, the means had
all to be raised from the depths of their own
pockets $, and it is fair to presume that it has
been about as heavy load to carry as they
can we'll carry and if they extend their line
west of Cedar Rapids, it will take all # the
spare change they have on hand to do it,,
without aiding any side roads which on ly
run as feeders to their line With this view
of the matter, look to other sources for the
aid required.
The Dubuque and Pacific Railroad have
now about 100 miles OF road built, westward
from Dubuque. The Dubuque Western in
tersects this road at Farley, and runs thence
to Anamosa The Dubuque and Pac fc,
some time ago, ade heavy loan of Gel
poke g. Co., Bankers in Prussia. This same
firm of Bankers also purchased all of the
outstanding bonds of the city of Dubuque,
to the amount of some $60OOO0, and also
made an investment in the Dubuque West
ern r. r. Finding the latter investment a
poor one, and that said Company was in
aling circum tances, said Gel Jcke & Co.,
with MIR. SEimps on, who has long been q
prominent Raj road man, with ample means,
bought out the whole of the Dubuque
Western, which road now belongs to Stimp.
son, Gell cke & Co., and not to any Railroad
corporation. The Gelpckes are heavy cap
italists, ind besides their banks in Prussia
have branches in other parts of Germany
New York, Chicago and Dubuque, and also
earn the German or Bremen line of steam
ers Simpson, Gelpcke & Co., after pur-
chasing the Dubuque Western, set to work
to complete and put it in operation to An
amosa, which is now done.
Having such large Investments in this
portion of Iowa, they then sought for the
best means of making such investments
profitable, and to this end proposed the
extension of their line of road from Ana
mosa to Mario and thence to the Cedar
River and west ward. AS this line of road
would occupy the ground proposed by the
line of the Cd ''lowa Central they met
the persons invested in that Company,
together with its officers, and made q spec,
fic agreement by which Simpson, Gelpcke
Il Co. were to build the road from Anamosa
westward on the line of the "Iowa Central"
and should give 90 sections out of each 100
received from the Grant, to be in full release
of all claims of the Iowa Central, it's bond
holders or creditors of said lands and I'M
der this arrangement they asked no action
of the Legislature, but only to let the Grant
alone now, as it belonged, at pre- sent, to tae
Iowa Central, and they could not forfeit it
until 1865, and that they had contract to
build the road, and receive portion of the
lands, and it would be stripping them of
their vested rights to disturb the Grant at
this time. Such was the position of the
two contending parties at Desmoines The
Dubuque interest, or rarher Simpson,
Giipcke u Co. had nothing to offer for our
road, at first, but after looking at their in
terests in the matter, made the promise that
''if arrangements could be made by them to
run these southern roads through, from
Dubuque to keokuk, they would furnish II
the iron, chairs, spikes, and other materials
Necessary to put all our roads in opera ton,
so that it could be running from Dubuque
to Muscatine by next winter. all the con-
ditions they asked for in this very liberal
offer are no obstacles, as they can at any
time be arranged.
This Keokuk and Dubuque line of road
will be a paying enc, and its whole length |
consists of lst, the Keokuk, Mt. Pleasan
and Muscatine road %, the NJ. & NJ. r. r.
fir ON Muscatine to Wilton; Sd, our Cedar
Co. rad 4th, the link from Flournoy to
Anamosa, and 9th, their own road to Du.
buque. 1t is already well :.nown that the
lst of these is anxious to enter into this
arrangement, and that the I'd long ago sig
niied their desire for it, and it is just what
we have, in Cedar, been asking for. From
this to Dubuque it is, or will be- the prop
erty of said Simpson, Gelpcke & Co.
ne haiu o., w. " W. VIII complete tnelr
road from Anamosa to Marion and thence
to the Cedar river, about six miles above
Cedar Rapids, where they will build
town, so as to catch the trade Of the Upper
Cedar Valley.
Having these roads completed, one will at
once see that they can then control the trade !
west and north, and carry it to Chicago by ,
the way of Dubuque, or by the way of Tip |
ton and Davenport, and in either case as cheap
as any other road can carry it. 1t will be
seen bv this that it will give Dubuque
great influence over the trade and business i
OF all Northern Iowa, and build it up to be s
a great city, which will bring up its bonds {
to par, which are now held by this tirm- .
The enterprise to them is a great one, and s
by carrying it out it will be one eminep tly
roGtahle to them and give them the eontrnl