The Buchanan County guardian. (Independence, Buchanan County, Iowa) 1858-1864, 1862-03-11
Letter from MIR. StimsOn.

MY We nave TtCeNcu TIE lOliOWlUS
from Mr.. STIMsoN, President of the Du-
buque and Sioux City Railroad Com
pany,n reply to letter, somewhat strong.
ly worded, which we wrote him relative
to the Company's management of our
mails since the snow blockade. As the
letter gives some indications of the flu.
ture operations of the Company, and the
Improvements contemplated, and as it
gives the defence which the Company
has 10 make to the universal complaint
against it this winter, we publish it..
Mr.. STIMsoN mistakes, in attributing our
complaints to the failure Of the trains.
Our people have generally recognized
and appreciated the difficulties in this
respect under which the Company has
labored. But what they do complain of
IS the failure on the Company's part to
give them their mails on sleds, when it
was very easy to do so-for, until last
week, there has been no time when the
roads have not been of easy travel for
teams. Instead Of endeavoring dur
ing these times of exciting news, to give
us our mails daily, as the contract re-
quires, we received them in the follow:
ing order: on the 18th, 18th, Eth,
Goth, 22d, 28th, of February, and on
March 18th. Seven mails in 90 days, and
with the exception of two or three days
the roads were fully opened for teams.
Mr.. STIMsoN himself would curse such
hardness were he the victim of it, But
here is his letter.
DUBUQUE d SIoux Cry r. r. Coz
DuBuoUE, Iowa, March LIST, 1862. {
j. RIcH ESQ. p NJ.
Dear Sir :-You calm. courteous
and hope, well considered letter of the 9th
ult., is Mt hand. During the past four weeks
have used every effort that money and energy
could command to keep this road open, and in
these RESPECTS, have gone by what nv bet
ter Judgment dictated. Time and again have
we opened the road, to see it filled up mmedi,
ntcy, and has only been out of Difference to the
public, who could not appreciate the difficulties
We had to contend against as well rs those who
have SO faithfully laborcd to overcome them.
that did not cease, for time, all Effort. and
this year, ut any rate, 4" gire in" TO the elements
mn not responsible for errors in past manage
ment errors hereafter am aud hope, ere
another winter rolls round, TO have all our cuts
thoroughly fenced and to provide telegraph
4 .aI x,s.l1 IL,
connection with Dubuque and the East And |
believe it, instead of wasting money hopelessly
rs have known | was doing, had ceased for
month all effort and kept the money thrown
away, for the above purposes, YOU all in the
end would have felt had acted rightly.
As regards the mails, soon after our troubles
commenced, after consultation with the post
office authorities, | instructed our Supt. to send
the mail through from Dubuque to Cedar Falls
eesry other day, and | ask YOU, in view of all
the circumstances. aud the fact that owing to
the deep snow and high winds shippers could
not take advantage of the market, If this was
not all that could be reasonably expected or as
ked Mr.. Young assures me he has faithfully
endeavored TO do SO, and when he has failed it
was because money could not induce men to
face the storms and encounter the severity of
the weather.
# YOU will enquire little, think YOU will
admit that all has been done that could reason
ably be expected and you will ii nd farther. that
ruth no receipts, and under every possible EN-.
barassment, the men have been promptly paid.
and the vouches for wood De- amounting to
over 81 900, TO Feb. 18TH and the paymen ts
due upon that date, will be made as soon as we
can reach the parties TO whom the money is still
due.
As regards the proposed action Mt Des
Mones, to which You allude and which YOU
propose to assist, have nothing TO saw If n
Compan can be found through whom the
Western Counties can get this road extended to
them quicker than through this they ought to
give said Company the balance of the land
grant at once. We are making arrangements
for the extension of this road aud think we ca n
do it quicker than others, but if the Counties
west have lost confidence in us, we will retire
from the field and even aid another Co. in ac.
complishing the work. They will need some.
thing in addition to the land grant, as have
discovered long ago. We have.no lobby Mt Des
Moines-are spending no money there, and am
simply awaiting, patiently. the result of their
action and shall be guided accordingly. Ap.
preciating fully the annoyance and embarass
ments under which YOU have labored during
this winter and the last and believing and in,
tending that they shall not exist another winter.
if effort on my part can prevent it,
remain Respectfully Yours,
EDWARD STIMsoy, Pres.