Sioux City register. [volume] (Sioux City, Iowa) 1858-1871, 1864-10-29
TO THE CONGRESS OF THE
UNITED STATES OF :.
AMERICA. 49,

county, State Of Iowa, would respectfully
represent that the legisla,ioa had BY your
honorable body in reference to the Dubu-
que l. Sioux City RAILROAD, and the north.
ern branch Of the Pacific Railroad will
result eventually to the great detriment OF
citizens Of Iowa, Dakota and Nebraska
who live in the vicinity Of Sioux City
By former legislation, q railroad corpora
tion under State laws, sanctioned by Con.
gress, held . grant Of public lands equal
to six sections for each mile Of railroad
built from Dubuque to point near the
mouth Of the Big Sioux river This grant
being made in the year 1856, your petit
toner and others we're induced to remove
to this country and subject themselves to
many bardships incident to remote from.
tier settlement, having in view that in
progress Of time, By the msni6csns aid
granted BY Congress, We should enjoy the
advantages Of railroad connection di.
rectly, or nearly directly East. The rail.
road holding the grant being limited ID
their selections Of lands to alternate ssc.
tions within fifteen miles Of their propos.
ed route, and finding that on straight
line between Fort Dodge and Sioux City
much land had already been taken by
private entry, made location north ward
from Sioux City so that their line should
be adjacent 10 vacant lands, and 10 ,his
manner we're they able to secure full six
sections fer each mile Of Railroad to Do
built IT'S true that if the proposed rail.
road was not built within specified time
Congress proposed to resume the posses
sion Of the land grant; but we, Who live here
always have had an entire conviction that
your bonorabls body would extend tho
time il such I mssser a. eventually to
secure to rs The advantage Of a railroad.
We have long felt that the presen. MANA
gers of the d. 4 s. c. R. r. were incapa.
bic or unwilling to complete the building
Of the western eud Of the road at as early
> day ., Congress, the State Legislature,
or public opinion expected; and tho
prospect seemed under said grant CON.
para.i'ely remote when we should see this
road completed; but still, as loLg as tho
land grant remained intact We felt sure
that in time it would be accom- plished.
When former Congress passed tho
Pacific Railroad bill aud secured . branch
westward from Sioux City We saw our
prospects not enhanced but secured-we
were on the line Of one Of the high.
ways Of the world-,he harIships endured
by Indian depreda.ions, droug,hs, floods,
,srdy communication, costly Transports.
ton of supplies, would be rewarded to us
and our children by the high degree of
prosperity which We hoped our communi,y
would attain when that which Congress
intended for our benefit should be accom-
plished-the building Of highway from
the Atlantic to the Pacific through our
midst. But in the opinion Of your pe.i.
toner you have unadvisedly wroush, the
citizens Of this section Of the country q
great harm in the legislation made BY
your honorable body in relation to he
above mentioned roads. The United States
Statutes at large for 1853 says:
And be it further enacted, that tho
Dubuque and Sioux City railroad compa.
ny may so far change their line between
Fort Dodge aud Sioux City as to secure
the best route between those points said
change shall not impair the right TO, nor
change the location Of the present land
grant. A map Of the change shall be
filed WITH the Commissioners Of the Gen.
eral Land Office within one year after the
passage Of this act" -
Now this seems fair provision, and to
one who does not know the local geography
and topography east and west from this
point, it appears to be liberal, generous
provision on part Of Congress to facilitate
the opening of an east and west road
through Sioux City. The western or
Missouri Slope Of Iowa consists Of exten.
sive prairies, undula.ing with swells or
waves having few if any abrupt hills,
every foot almost acceptable Of profitable
cultivation. The streams falling into the
Missouri river have south west course,
and railroad line near straight from Fl.
Dodge to Sioux City would Of necessity
cross many Of the fluctuations at near .
right angle; hence the expense Of build.
ing road on straight line would much
exceed that Of following down the valley
Of some Of the tributaries Of tho Missouri
between Fort Dodge and this point
thence northward to Sioux City. The
most considerable stream which falls into
the Missouri in the country in question il
the Little Sioux, Of which there are three
principal branches. That far,hsss east il
called the Maple, and debouches into tho
Missouri valley about City miles southeast
Of this poiot--at which point it also
emptiss into the main stream. The centre