The Iowa transcript. (Toledo, Tama County, Iowa) 1858-1866, 1861-09-12
COMMUNICATED.
Mn. EDITOR:

I
This communication is not written 30
much for the benefit Of citizens living
on tho line Of the Cedar Rapids & NJ.
r. Railroad, as for those nnnresidents
| who own land OF have friends here.
The energy with which this road has
been pushed forward, is worthy Of all
praise. Already nearly all Of the first
forty miles is graded, and about twenty
miles of tho track laid, and now they
are rapidly grading the balance Of the
road to Marshaltown; in all, seventy
miles. This, when We consider the
times, is a great work, whereof we are
glad. But unfortunately, it seems to be
the fate Of this,as Of such companies gen
orally, to resort to q certain amount of
railroad engineering Of financial char
acter, not characterized by correct NOR
a! principals. The road passes through
Benton County tear the southern Dor
der, where the settlement is sparse,
then through the southern part Of Tama,
where there are several towns, and the
country very well settled up; thence in
to the interior Of Marshall County.
The preliminary survey was run
through Toledo and Indiantown, after
which the people We're called on to sub
scribe largely for stock. After getting
what they could in this way, the com,
pany started a report, and their agents
most busily circulated it. to the effect
that n.less the people Of the southern
par. Of this county subscribed more
freely, the road would certainly be To-
| Gated in the northern part Of the coun-
~ So another great effort was made
| and more stock taken, even ~ poor
mcr, who cannot we'll pay it without
impo.er.sl4inss their families; but the
result PIT in jeopardy the character Of
| the company sor veracity; for we are
| told. that at the meeting Of the Board.
fir locating the road, mol a single vote
was east !or the northern ronte. and We
| think we lave good reason to bclicv,
that they knew il woald he so from the
| beginning. navin. succeeded in get
ting q large amount Of stock taken, they
| then proceeded to finally locate the road
| by survey, and from Cedar Rapids to
| the cast line Of Marshall County, more
thai. sixty miles, ,hsy have no; run in
e, Tor Upon the side Of a single town
Toledo, though it did nobly for the
road, is left out Of sight and ont Of mind.
and lndiantown, though in sight Of thu
road, is about o2e and half miles off,
..nd would haze been lett At greater
distance possible. They could no,
leave the Iowa Bn,tcm for TIE bluff, 10
accommodate Toledo, and they could
no, keep 81 the bottom, bit mus. take
TO the huff to get around Inaiantown
Aud now, for our comfort, they INFORM
Us that they will not pa. for right Of
way, and they proceed to Grade onlanas
without legal right or permission, aud
se people, thinking that, behold lion
is IN the way, ,nurlnar submission. We
are further kindly informed that the
commissi ,ners, when called out, will
not anrraise The damages higher than
"a dollar to the forty acres, which, OF
course, rust lie taken as complimentary
~ suca Genllemsn. have not the re
port Of the engineers at hand, but think
the grading was estimated &c cost sew
eral thousand dollars to the mile. Now
to give some idea of the actual cost, ]
would say that Is men and three teams
are said e grade one fourth Of a mil,
ON the land of Miron Blodgctt, in three
days, or less than two hundred dollars
per nile. Finally. it is now in,imated
by the agents Of the road, that if the
people do nc. promptly pay their stock.
obtained by such representations, and
freely give tie right Of way, whether it,
ruins their farms or not, the company
may, BY way Of revenge, discriminate
tariff on their different stations, and say
there - nothing i the laws Of Iowa to
preveIt It. n.