The weekly Ottumwa courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1857-1872, 1866-03-22
w aking Up.

The press of st. Louis are beginning to
wake up to their interests at last, and to
see that unless something is done, and
that speedily, that Chicago will have all
her trade. The Missouri Democrat of the
10Th contains nm article on the importance
OF securing rnilroad connection with To-
WA and her system of railroads, and urges
the property holders, merchants, capital
lists, DC, to come forward and help the city
out of the mire. 1t says:
1--WE ask ourselves whether this apathy
on the part Of the people Is to last until it
n too lste to regain lost position? We
ask our people to look at the railway sys-
our trade is being Slapped from us in all di-
rections. st. Louis, to-day has but one
road that can compete to save her any bus
mess, and that is the Missouri Pacific, ex-
tending into Kansas. This road can only
compete for trade at and sOuth and west of
Leavenworth. Can st. Louis maintain her
position relying alone upon this rOad?-
we answer no. 1t is preposterous for one
moment to imagine that we can advance
~ Chicago is advancing under the circum-
stances in which St. Louis is placed this
day. We need, Mt tho very earliest day
possible, to have the North Missouri rad
extended from Macon to Iowa. The Com
u
Its road so soon as it can make a satisfac-
tory sale Of its bonds, but the road must
not rest here. st. Louis must come for
ward and give the means to the Cedar Rap
ids and st. Louis Railroad that will carry
II to Cedar Rapids, by which she will have
. direct railway connection with Dubuque,
and will tap every east and west railroad
in Iowa, and become within few years
connected with St. Paul. Not less in im-
portance to st. Louis is the construction OF
the Iowa Central Railroad which will also
connect with the North Missouri Railroa;
at the Iowa State line. This road will be
the shortest and most direct road to Saint
Paul, and tap all the roads of Iowa run.
ming east and west some twenty-five to
forty miles west of the Cedar Rapids and
81. Louis railway, and it should be liber.
ally aided by our people. Both of these
roads running down to our State line anC
connecting with the North Missouri road
must be of incalculabls benefit to the bus
iness interests and property of st. Louis
Each has received of home subscriptions
about like amount of aid. The G.. r. anC
st. l.. railroad is lbs miles long, and has
subscription of four hundred Thousand
dollars while its cost will be 81, 100, 900.
will need Mt least six hundred Thousand
dollars of subscriptions from our city t,
make it a success. The Iowa Central rail
road is las miles long and has Il subscrip
tlOu vi Sin LIOuSdIlu uOlldTS
and will cost g., SOC, 900. 1t will need 5000,
OOO or $S00.0O from st. Louis to make it
success. With this aid basis could b,
formed that would insure the rapid build
ing of these roads, and st. Louis. by thes
subscriptions, can obtain such portion o
the directory of the roads rs will insur,
their operation in the interests of Sain
Louis. We trust that our people will b,
found true to themselves and at once Sc
to work to aid i'm the building of thes,
roads. Time is every thing. In our stu
alton delay is not only dangerous but may
infiict an injury that can never be re-
paired"
Wake up gentlemen! You should have
taken hold of this matter long ago; but
"better late than never" is an old and
true saying. We need your help now, ant
II you come promptly to the rescue 20,
may yet be saved, and Your city leave
Chicago far in the shade.