The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1866-12-19

WEDNESDAY, MORNING, DEC. 10.
Tan HI kli6,Als 4;S66iH o oUn RAIL.
nOAbs.
If Henry county dossn't do her full duty
in establishing early direct nilroad commu-
nication with Keokuk, 1t win be due to no
remissness ON the part Of the Mt Pleasant
Josrnsi to incite Il to do 20. Its columns
are largely taken up with the subject, and it
represents . large degree Of interest IN the
project existing among the Henry county
public. There is . mutuality of interest
herein.
To make Keokuk the business metropolis
Of the State, the entrepot Of the largest share
of its trade, is laudable ambition; one that
with proper and wisely directed effort can be
largely realized. The industries of the South
were strangely applied, and itsnormal devel>
opment unaccountably diverted, if Iowa's
Southern business connections should not
hereafter rank in importance with the States
Eastern connections. Facility Of access to
legitimate markets will, then, prove as ur-
gent q consideration for the extension
through the State of railroad lines centering
here, as the argument proves monopoly. But
this latter argument. not SO greatly relevant
in urging upon our people an interest in the
multiplication of our railroads Westward
and Northward, whereby Keokuk becomes q
railroad terminus, is relevant and important
dol, Eas arI %
connection with the larger business centers
The following article from the Journal,
urgng the construction of railroad through
Mt. Pleasant to this place., is of interest from
subject with which we are largely COM
cerned. The matter of railroad freights and
charges is far from settlement in this country.
That profound philosopher and political
economist, JOHN STUART MILL, was long ago
explicit in his opinion that the remedy where
grievance on this score exists, is not in the
multiplication of roads, which is an absorb
ton of capital preh,less to community, but
it is in the control of the franchise and the
proper limitation OF the corporation by the
State. The relief, however, that comes
through the multiplication Of roads and con.
sequent competition, is well illustrated in
this article from the Journal:
"The advantages of such road through
our county must be apparent to all. The
disadvantages to us Of allowing it to pass
through Burlington is equally obvious What
are the facts? A railroad, without opposi.
ing monopoly. The cost Of carload OF
freight, from this city to Chicago, is about
twelve dollars more than the cost on the
same amount of freight from Ottumwa by the
way OF keokuk, to the same destination, al.
though the distance is much more. Why ia
this2 Simply because there is but one rail.
road outlet from this county. Having but
one, we are compelled TO submit to its char
ges. Wheat. corn, oats, cattle, hogs, goods,
everything the farmer and merchant has to
send or bring over this road is double char.
ged beyond what it ought to be, and what it
would be, if there was another road to com
pete with this one. The following carefully
prepared paper of charges, on freight from
Iowa City to Chicago, though not as much as
we are paying, shows the extortions to which.
. people are compelled to submit where
there is but one line of railroad This paper.
says:
''During the year 1861 the average price
Of a car from Iowa City to Chicago was fortv-
five dollars, and the price, per hundred lbs.
for ordinary freight. was thirty. FIVE cents:
for wheat, per bushel, thirteen cents; for corn
per bushel, about twelve cents; and oats. per
bushel, seven cents. During the years 1864
.. the average price for car to Chicago was
eighty-hve dollars, and the average price, per
hundred pounds, for ordinary freight. was
SIXTY cents; on wheat, twenty.6 cents per
bushel corn about the same price, aud on
oats fifteen cents per bushel. During the
last named period, the rates of charges from
Iowa City to Muscatine for ordinary freight
was thirty-hve cents per hundred pounds,
distance of about thirty.fve miles, or one
cent per mile per hundred pounds, which is
almost two-thirds as much as that charged
from the same place to Chicago, distance
Of about two hundred and thirty miles. or
more than Eve times as far
ITO better illustrate the extraordinary de.
mands of our present railroad monopolies
We will take the article of dressed pork ship.
ped from Iowa City: In 1866 there we're
shipped II, 7S4 head to Chicago which found
an Eastern market. The freight upon these
was sixty-hye cents per hundred pounds.
making So, 042 paid in tina. year, while in
1861 the freighs thereon was only forty cents
per hundred pounds, making an excess OF
S7,347 in the aggregate of freight charged in
1865, over that charged in 1861 upon the like
quantity.
"What is true of Iowa City and johnson
county is true Of Mt. Pleasant and Henry
county. The farmer who must give two
bushels OF corn to get the third to market is
doing poor businnss. Another fact reveals
the Infamous charges we pay upon our goods
in having them brought to our city. Goods,
shipped from Cincinnati to Ottumwa, west OF
us, by the way of keokuk, cost twenty. five
cents less on the hundred weight than the
same goods shipped to this city, by the way
Of Burlington.
From the above facts il seems TO us that
the people of Henry county ought, now that
they have the opportunity, to abate this
Nuisance. Our wealth will never be deyel.
oped as it should be until we do this. The
golden yes, golden opportunity OF Sc.
curing railroad from Iowa City, southwark
through the rich counties of Washington,
Henry and Lee, to Keokuk, is before US.
This county has timber, rich coal beds, soil
OF the best quality--in fact, the resources OF
our wealth are inexhaustible. With rail.
road to keokuk, st. Louis by river or rail-
the South, with its fine markets will be
opened up 10 us. Not only so, but from Ke.
okuk there is continuous line of rail To To.
ledo, Ohio, and on East. The advantages Of
such connection. are incalculable, and will
forever crush out the monopoly that is now
cursng our city and county. With the above
advantages, the wealth of our county in a
few years viii be doubled. The farmer will
get more for everything he produces; hi.
lands will bring double what they do al pres~
emit We will get our goods cheaper, and PROS
per thousand fold beyond the present
Shall we have the railroad? That is Incomes.
non OF paramount interest to the people Of
this country.
IN scientific quarters the effect of the war
IN the increase of insanity is being discussed.
She text writers had assumed, By no unius,i
| ahle In1t,ot,r, e. a. e..