The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1866-05-30
For the Gate City.1
Kcok NIX and its Railroads.

hEoKUK, May 9th, 1866.
For developing the resources of country,
no instrumentality has yet been found to
equal the railroad. Unlike the river, il can
be taken wherever the wants of trade demand
it. In building the estate Line road, it is
felt that the wants of large part Of the
community are to be supplied to a very great
extent indeed. by its means. We have al
ready spoken in general terms of the produc.
tiveness of the country through which it
passes, and with the development of the coun-
try the progress Of the towns and cities keep
pace.
We come now to more particular state
ment of the nature of this country, in its re-
lation to the interests of our trade, in corrob-
Grafton OF the position, in former commu-
nicatiop, that the natural and proper outlet to
the trade of this region is on the Mississippi
at this point. The road being built to Bloom.
field, the question arises, how could the
course of trade and travel be affected by its
construction that far. Its completion even
to that point, places within its influence
large section of country from which, by force
of circumstances, the trade has been driven
to other channels than those reaching to tbi,
place, the consequence of which has been to
carry elsewhere what heretofore came here,
and which now with proper effort on the part
of our merchants can all be repained. The
continuation OF this road westward still en-
larges the area of this trade for Keokuk.
The greater part Of Appanoose, with Wayne,
Decatur and the counties West, are nearer
the railroad here than at any other point.
Scotland, Schuyler, Putnam and Mercer
counties III Missouri, are now for the first
time brought into close connection with the
railroad Beyond these are four counties in
Iowa, and corresponding number in Mis-
souri,, directly on the line OF this road which
will swell to a large amount the business col.
| lected here.
| Not having anything at command Of a later
date, we use some Of the statistics Of 1869
from which to CLEAN q few Of the LEADING
items of the vast agricultural and mineral re-
sources and wealth Of the country thronoh
which the road will pass. In the Sontha1r
tier of counties according to the census ~
1862, the population was 1OO,812; the corn
harvested II ,8l5,5 bushels; the wheat. oats.
rye, barley, potatoes, fax and grass seeds
i,o4, 800 bushels; the butter, cheese, honey.
pees"a4 ana grapes Z,096.23O pounds: the
cattle. horses. mules, sheep and hogs cas-.
la4 head; and the coal raised lI6. OS4 TONS
such are some Of the leading articles Of the
Southern tier of counties alone, the scora.
gate value of whose products, without ;ncln-
ding the enclosed land, amount to $50 nns J.
717l ten millions, four thousand. seven H.,
dred and seventeen dollars Asmm;rs- u -
equal amount for the corresponding ten Conn ~
ties IN Missouri lying upon the line of ~.
road, we have combined agricultural and
mineral production Of over twenty m;i,; ~.
70 pe relied upon as basis for its local trada
With the emigration now coming Westrar3
every year adds largely to this amount WI
keokuk still hesitate while vet the benefit :. =
this trade may Be turned to her advantass :
! But varying the illastration, let US take 4 s;p
gle instance showing the importance Of TIL
trade in commercial point Of view. ~.
will tSke that Of Centerville, in Appenoo.,
county. In i there are said to Sc eIeve,
good ary-good stores, fite groceries qua thrs;
drug stores. II ID estimated thss the bnsioss
| IN thit town, only, will reach ffon ~. ~
TO $4p0, 90 pr 20. Bat sxtssdsd illitrn
taeos = III paaat ased ~ = -. ~