Cedar Falls gazette. [volume] (Cedar Falls, Iowa) 1860-1895, 1865-07-07
The IOWA Central Railroad.

hundred. E...s...f. ....
The Iowa Central Railroad.
This Company was organized in Jan
nary last, and has i'm view the building
Of road from the Iowa State line to
Cedar Falls, connecting on the south
with the North Missouri road, and on
The north with the Cedar Falls & Min
nesota road. The project is to gain a
direct and centiauous line from st.
Louis to st. Paul. AS was stated in Mr..
Melendy's communication last week
the North Missouri road is TO be COM
yieted this season to the State line, q
distance Of sixty miles from its present
terminus. The distance the Iowa Cen
trail has to build, from the State line to
Cedar Falls, is one hundred and forty
three miles. The road forms its juno
ton with the North Missouri at the
corner of Davis and Appanoose coun-
ties, comes up through Monroe, Mahas-
ka, Poweshiek and Tama counties to
Toledo, where it crosses the Chicago &
Northwestern road, and comes on to
Cedar Falls. The st. Louis people are
deeply interested in having the road
completed at the very earliest day, and
at the recent meeting in that city
pledged all the aid within their power.
Delegates from the seven courties thro'
which the rosd passes, also pledged that
the people of their several counties
would grade and tie the road.
The charter of the Company provides
that the road shall run from the Iowa
State line to Oskaloosa and Cedar Falls.
tits contemplated to build the road from
Cedar Falls to Toledo at the earliest
possible day, and the people at this end
Of the line are already earnestly at
work to that end.
With this portion Of the road in run
ming order we would have two outlets
80 Chicago, and reap advantages which
all can readily see.
With connection with st. Louis our
advantages would be still greater. We
would then not only have rival roads,
but connection with rival towns, which
would be far better. There is no rail-
road in Iowa which the people are so
vitality interested in as the Iowa Cen
trail. 1t will cross every line of road
leading east and west, and thus afford
rival roads to large part of the State
that is now bleeding under the monop-
olies of unfeeling railroad companies.
Chicago interest controls most of the
Iowa roads at present, and nothing is
left undone to prevent shipments to and
from st. Louis. Farmers would get ten
TO fifteen cents more on a bushel of
grain with a railroad to st. Louis than
they do now without. The saving in
one year would almost build the road.
At ten cents a bushel there would have
been fifty-six thousand dollars saved on
the shipments from Cedar Falls for
1864. And this saving would all have
gone into the pockets of the farmers,
because they would have got just so
much more for their wheat, whereas it
went into the pockets of railroad mo-
nopolists.
The people can help themselves and
now is the opportunity to do it, and
there is no excuse for them if they fail
to improve it.
This project of gaining connection
with st. Louis is no new enterprise, but
has been under contemplation for many
years. The whole line from st. Louis
to st. Paul was surveyed five years ago,
and but for the great rebellion, which
paralyzed st. Louis, we have but little
doubt but what the road would have
been running to Cedar Falls to-day
The war is over now, business at st.
Louis is taking on its old-time activity,
and her first thought is railroad connec-
ton with Iowa. 1t is the best market
in the world for our State, and we, as
well as the people of st. Louis, should
not rest easy till the enterprise is con-
summated.
With this road jObbers could sell
goods as cheap in Cedar Falls as they
could be bought in Chicago, and farm
ers could sell their products for more
money here than they would fetch in
McGregor or even Dubuque.
We might go on to great length in
speaking of this grand enterprise; but
have not the space to do SO, even were
it desirable or necessary.
We counsel the people Of Cedar Falls
never to let this opportunity escape
fhan, With fbic nroio.t n,,.,,,,,,,t,I
they need fear for nothing in the future,
We hope soon to have facts and figures
which are so much better than words,
to present to our readers, and also state.
ments of work performed toward the
all-important end.