Daily Democrat and news. [volume] (Davenport, Iowa) 1859-1864, 1860-10-23

[Esoa sAs .A.ssine Railsse Rssies.l
Rapid CTowtk Of Western Railways.-
the Chicago asd Rock Island Road.
six short years ago the opening Of
this "Pioness Railroad TO the Mississip-
p," was celebrated by grand railroad
and steamboat excursion 10 thia point,
thence to St. Paul and back. This ex-
curson was attended by some thirty edi.
tors of the leading Eastern papers, and
by ex President Fillmore, Historian Ban
croft, and some OF the IN st eminent men
aud prominent capitalists Of the Eastern
and Middle States and the event his
toried by the publication of book emit
tied "The Great Railroad Excursion"
Davenport, then town Of 5000 In
habitants, has grown to an Incorporated
city, treb.ed in population and import
ance, with commercial blocks, and ware
houses, and psIatial residences, that
would be an honor to any city twice the
size Of this. Then lin 1854 the spot
where stand the commodious brick de-
pot buildings and machine shops Of the
Mississippi d Missouri Railroad, va: oc-
eupied only by the residence Of Antoine
LIE Claire, the celebrated government in
terpreter. Here he had resided for up
wards of twenty years. Just before he
located upon this spot, the marquee of
Gen. Scott had stood here, in which was
held the treaty with the Sac and Fox
lndinns, in 1882.
The remarkable beauty Of Davenport,
and the surrounding country, the histcr-
zeal "reminiscences that cluster around
the ruins Of old Fort ArmstI ong, on the
point of the Island, and the beauty and
stability Of the Great Railroad Bridge
so valued b. railroads, and SO hated by
steamboatmen-all contribute to render
this one Of the most interesting and at
trective points in the West.
The first train of passenger cars that
reached the Mississippi river, passed
over this road in February, 1854. OF
the men who built il, and the manner in
which the work was pushed forward,
Gen. Dix, of New York, in his lengthy
excursion speech, at Davenport, said
Messrs. Sheffield 4 Farnam, Who took this
work into their own hands. ard have carried
1t through IN an almost incredibly short period
Of time, by their own unsssisted means and
credit, have displayed this degree Of energy ,ac
tive perseverance, discretion, and kno ledge
Of their business, worthy of the extra ordinary
success with which their labors have been
crowned. They collected in ten months. on
an unfinished road, and ON an expenditure Of
less than four miliions Of dollars, over six hun
dred thousand dollars. They are nov recsiv-
ing. on . finished road. and On 90 expenditure
OF four millions and half Of dollars, at the
rate Of over twelve hundred thousand dollars
per snnum. The receipts Of the read for NAV,
the third month after it was put in operation.
were one hundred and nine thousand dollsrs.
Since the completion of this pioneer
railway, there have been twenty-eigiit
different lines of railway constructe d ter
minating on the Eastern shore of the
Mississippi, and seventeen from the
Mississippi West, thirteen of which
roads, embracing some 1900 miles of
track in operation, are located in Iowa
and Missouri. Besides these, there are
several hundred smiles Of track on differ
ent roads, now nearly ready for the IRON,
and soon to be completed, in States bor-
dering upon the Mississippi river. In
deed, every thing in and through this
Western country again wears the badge
OF progress--the aspect Of wealth, COM
lLercial prosperity, financial power. and
an energy that defies all opposition in
the execution gifts purposes Of improve
ment.
The length of the Chicago and Rock
Island Railroad proper is 1872 miles; but,
embrac ng the Mississippi and Missouri,
the Peoria and Bureau Valley, and the
Illinois River railroads, now operated by
this company, the total length of these
roads is about 427 miles. But propose
in this letter, to speak only of the two
roads have recently passed over--the
Chicago and Rock Island, and the
Peoria and Bureau Valley.
Upon the former, heavy expenditures
have been made during the past eight
cen months, in putting the road-bed In
the most complete order. A large
amount of pile bridging has been replac
ed with permanent and costly character
built instead. The bridge over Rock
River (some eleven miles east Of Rock
Island, which was destroyed by wind
last Spring, is nearly completed. Its
length is l,25O feet, costing, to rebuild
it, $4,000. The defective piers and
abutments have all been rebuilt, and the
whole structure put ny in the most SUBJ
stantial manner.
The equipments of the road are OF
the first order, and embrace So first class
locomotives 80 first-class passenger
cara second class do. pay mas
ter's, 4 mail and express, IL baggage,
492 box freight, los cattle, 100 coal, 2O5
platform, Is gravel, and so (hand) re-
pair cars. A number of the cattle cars
are 80 constructed as to be advanta-
geously used for cattle or grain.
20 = r..