The weekly Ottumwa courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1857-1872, 1861-04-03
From the American Railway Review.1
Iowa and laer Railways.

graphicaI beauties OF the State OF Iowa.
The surface of the country, though mode
rately undulating, is nowhere roughly broken
by mountains Or high hills. The southern
and middle portions Of the State especially
abound with grassy lawns and verdant plains
intersperced with groves, many small streams
and intersected by the Des Moines, Skunk,
Iowa and Cedar rivers. The scenery Of the
north is bold and striking, the country is
elevated, hills and mounds are common, tail
oaks are often seen in their native majesty,
while the rivers tumble over precipitous
lodges of cracgy rocks to the lower plains.
A glance at the map will show that Iowa
is destined at an early day to be the seat Of
an important railway development. Situa-
ted between the Mississippi and Missouri
rivers, with important rivers of her own run
ming as tributaries to these great water
boundaries, with agricultural resources un-
limited, and with abundant coal and lead
mines only awaiting development, and re-
turn of prosperous times only is needed to
revive the railway scheme of this young and
promising sister of the West. a friend
well acquainted with the resources of the
State, and her history and hopes, has handed
us the following paragraphs In regard 20 her
railways, present and prospective:
No inland State in the Union possesses
better natural commercial advantages than
Iowa. The two great rivers of the continent
wash it's eastern and western shores and to
this fact the wise and rapidly developinS
railroad system of that State, assisted by
muni6cent land granti, which system when
completed, will place every farm, at further
est, within twenty miles ofa railroad or navi-
gable river, and we cannot but admire the
wisdom of her legislators and congratulate
the fortunate possessors of any Of its fertile
domain. Whenever the public fully appre-
ciates the early and complete development
of Iowa by her railroads, emigration will
again swarm upon her praries aud SIT down
on her rivers sides. The second hegira of
emigratiol isto be composed of those who
seek to be within sound of the locomotive
whistle as well as the church bell. Iowa,
lying in direct line of travel and traffic from
New York to the South Pass, has projected
five parallel lines from the Mississippi 10 the
Missouri, about forty miles apart.
OF these the Burlington and Missouri
,. ho
termini Burlington, on the Mississippi, and
mouth Of the Platte, on the Missouri. This
road is completed to Ottumwa, IS miles,
reaching the Des Moines river. 1t has q
land grant of $4,000 acres. No work be-
yond the Des Moines has been done the
completed line runs through the most popu
lous part Of the State, and the unfinished
portion beyond the river stretches into ono
of the''best agricultural regions of the country
The Mississippi and Missouri Railroad has
for its termini, on the east, Davenport and
Muscatine on the west, Council Bluffs. Or
this road are Iowa City, and Des Moines
! the Capitalof tie State. The road is com
pletcd and running to Marengo, about one
hundred miles, and viii early the ensuing
spring reach Grinuell, twenty-five miles tt
the westward, with good prospect ofreach
ing Des Moines one year thereafter. De
Moines is centrally located, and has popu
lation of 1000. This road has grant o
45o, 900 acres, lying chiefly to the west o
Des Moines.
Tie Iowa and Nebraska railroad, from
Clinton, on the Mississippi, to Cedar Rapids
a distance Of 80 miles, has been in operation
nearly two years.
| The Cedar Rapids to Decatur, on the Mis-
souri, river Tan extension Of the Iowa AM
Nebraska,l we learn, will show evidence G
vitality the coming spring; projected "a
miles land grant, 100000 acres ofthe fines
land in the West. This line crosses til
Iowa river at Marshalltown, the Des Moine
at Boonsboro, at both points touching som
of the largest coal beds in the State.
The Dubuque and Sioux City railroad ha
for its termini on the east, Dubuque, an
Sioux City, on the Missouri, at the west
projected length, 3a5 miles land gran
,O51 900 acres; road completed and rur
ming 100 miles, to Cedar Falls. Princip'
points on this road are Independence, Ceds
Falls and Fort Dodge.
The McGregor and Sioux river railroat
has for its termini: McGregor on the Missi
: sippi, and Nekimi, ON the Big Sioux rive
: and near the mouth Of the Red Rock rive
This road has no iron laid down, but nearl
twenty-five miles graded. The chief point
: on the road are st. Charles, on the Ceda
and Algona, on the Des MONIES river. TIL
, road has no land grant, but the GovernmeI
holds land in the Northwest of the Sta
that should be appropriated to the buildir
of so important limo.
The other roads are those crossing Il
above at right angles, and designed to co
meet with the Minnesota and Missouri ra
road system. The Keokuk, Mount Pieasa
and Muscatine road, designed to come
Keokuk and Muscatine, has twenty mil
built and running from Keokuk around I
Lower Rapids Of the Mississippi to Montro
L with fine prospects for further progress. L
y Keokuk and Minnesota road, is to come
Keokuk and ST. Paul, rid the Des Moir
4, valley, in Importance is second to none
: the State, has already nine ty miles complct
to Ottumwa, grading well advanced iowa