Cedar Falls gazette. [volume] (Cedar Falls, Iowa) 1860-1895, 1866-06-01

1t seems to be very difficult to unite
the people east of the line of the Iowf
Central on any project for the building
of rival North and South road to any
degree sufficient for success. The frs,
project on the table was the building o.
a road from the terminus Of the North
Missouri by way of Ottumwa and Sig
Quincy to Cedar Rapids and conven,
ton, over which much fuss was made,
held at Cedar Rapids last Fall, organ.
lied a company under the name of St.
Louis and Cedar Rapids Railroad Com
pany, for the purpose of securing the
proposed road. The Ottumwa people
or, more properly, Judge Gallaspie of
Ottumwa-are yet doing all in their
power to further the interests of the I'M
dertaking, knowing full well that the
road would in no event be extended
farther North than Ottmuwa, and there
fore do much for the prosperity and
stability of that city. Sigourney is the
only other town on the route able to af-
ford any assistance worth mentioning,
as now the Northern terminus, Cedar
Rapids, is SO fettered as to be unable to
aid in its construction. 1t was thought
that st. Louis capitalists would furnish
the needed money ; but they refuse to
do this, Notwithstanding oil the tempt
atoms that can be brought to bear
are presented for their Authorization
Therefore the project, without intest-
inc difficulty among its original friends,
Is failure.
Now comes the "Iowa Northern
Central Railroad Company" "a very
foolish name) with the line by way of
Iowa City, Washington and Mt. Pleas
ant, to Keokuk, where it is proposed to
connect with the railroad system of Il
linois, and thereby find access to ST..
Louis. BY the extract above, however,
it appears that the Company was not
organized in desirable harmony, and it
becomes a matter of doubt that suffi-
cient interest can be concentrated on
the line to build it. 1t is, however, the
most plausible project that has yet been
approached for North and South road
east of the line Of the Iowa Central
But the American Central Railroad, in
the hands of strong Company and
quite sure to he extended into the State
of Iowa at an early day, will weaken
this Northern Central" enterprise
very materially. The American Cen
trail will come into the State at, OF near,
Muscatine, pass west through the coun-
ties of Washington, Keokuk, Mahaska
and SO on to the Missouri River, cross
the Iowa Central somewhere in Mahas-
ka county. Thus the people of WASH
ington and Keokuk counties had better
encourage the Iowa Central and aid the
American Central, and thus secure
communication East as we'll as South.
They cannot assist in the building of
two roads.
The "Noithern Central" and the
st. Louis and Cedar Rapids, bitterly
antagonistic to each other, both aspire
to the honor of rivals of the Iowa Cen
trail; but we are sure the well-informed
and intelligent friends of the latter
have Eo fear that their road can posi-
bly, be injuriously affected by one or
both ofthe former. The Iowa Central
is toe far advanced and has too much
intrinsic merit to be endangered by any
number of projected lines, east or west.
Therefore, let the friends of the st. Lou
is and Cedar Rapids, and the friends of
the "North Central" build their sever
al roads if possible. We wish them
well in their efforts, and pledge that
the Iowa Central, on the occasion of the
Grand Opening ofeither, will issue half
fare tickets on its completed road, good
any where on the link connecting the
of the Minnesota Central on
the North to the terminus CT the North
ca the South.