The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1865-10-27

The railroad from Macon, Missouri, to
Keokuk, recently projected, and now being
surveyed. is just the connection which ou
better. The construction of some seventy
miles of road. through fertile and rapidly
improving section, would place us in direct
connection, by the North Missouri, with St.
Louis and, by the Hannibal & St. Jo.. with
the entire railroad system of the West. And
as soon as that project was fairly under way
with fair prospect ofsuccess, our northern
connections, by way Of the Mt. Pleasant road,
would be stimulated into activity, and in a
very few years we might have a continuous
railroad connection through keokuk from St
Louis TO Dubuque.
The Macon Times, which has persistently
urged this enterprise upon the public, pre-
sents the following among other considera-
tons:
The counties through which the proposed
road would run, only want this road, to make
them among the most thrifty and populous of
the State. 1t would bring them in direct
railroad communication with, and give them
eheics e. the two best markets for produce
in the West-St. Louis and Chicago. 1t would
enhance the value of lands along its route thir
ty-three per cent and we propose to DEM
onstrate, that the people of Macon, Knox,
Clark, Scotland and Lewis, can build this
road, without any assistance from abroad,
and not involve themselves to the amount of
one dollar. We include Scotland and Lewis,
because the southern and southeastern por-
tion of Scotland, and the western and north
western portion of Lewis, will derive as much
benefit from this road as the other counties
named.
The length of the road is about seventy
uiles. strip Of country, ten miles wide, on
either side of the road, would be immediate
ly, immensely benefited by its construction.
This makes an area of l,400 square miles,
800, 900 acres. Now, If the land owners with
in that area, will subscribe an amount of stock
equal to one-fifth the value of their lands and
pay it in land, it will give the company 49,
200 acres, which at $40 per acre, and that
price it will readily command, will yield
S1.792, 900. Estimating the cost of the road
at $4,000 per mile, the whole cost would be
50, 100. 900, and the lands sold at fair prices,
deducting the expenses of sale would build
four fifths of the road, which the company
could mortgage and raise the balance of
S308, 600, as by the charter it is authorized to
do This is to show that those counties can
build the road without soliciting subscriptions
of stock elsewhere, if they are SO inclined,
but we are satisfied from the importance of
the road, to Keokuk, Chicago and ST. Louis,
that We may rely upon them for assistance in
this enterprise, and while every land owner in
Macon, Clark, Scotland and Lewis, can well
afford to part with one-ffth of his land for
this purpose, many could, and would, dispose
Of a much larger proportion, for stock in q
railroad, which viii, If any road in the State
can, pay handsome dividends to its stockhol-
ders and enhance the value of their lands at
least thirty three per cent. Any one owning
ten thousand dollars worth of real estate
near the proposed road, can subscribe stock
to the amout of So, 500, pay it with land, and
get it back in the enhanced value Of the bal
ance of his real estate, the first day locomo-
tive whistles on the track and still own his
stock. The subscriber Of stock will only BE-
liable for the amount of his subscription.