Cedar Falls gazette. [volume] (Cedar Falls, Iowa) 1860-1895, 1866-03-09
MERCHANTS AND SHIPPERS, CON.



those who have been familiar with the evil:
complained of.
We do not propose to dwell upon those
facts. They are sufficiently plain and con
c vincing without our calculation. We pass
: to speak brafy Of a remedy.
1t has been a general opinion in this por
ton Of the State that the freight difficulty
would be cnlirsy cbvated by the bridging
) o: the Mississippi ut Dubuque and it has
also been held, to considerable extent, that
: this desired otjec, might ,e achieved by Du
huqus if she would but give it liberal effort
and cooperate che rfnlly with other inter
ests. 1t was thought that the people of Du
buque had conceived an idea that a bridge
would prove detrimental to the interests Of
their city, and therefore opposed it. It ap
pears that the opinion entertained by our
people was mistaken opinion and surely
the proceedings Of the Convention plainly
manifest that it was a mistaken opinion
Even if the Convention accomplished moth
ing else than the correcting Of this misunder
standing, and of showing with plain figures
and plain, kindly words, that the interests of
city and country were identical, ii is entitled
! to satisfaction and pleasure for its results -
So all the interested portion Of lows is a
unit for the bridge. But its building rests
in the hands Of that miserable monopoly. the
/ Illinois Central Railroad Company. Will the
Company be induced to build the bridge 9
Fer anything like a reasonable inducemcnt
we do not think they will As matters are
now it is for their interes, to have the river
unabridged. ~
! But the bridge would not end eur Difficult.
ties. Surely ii would pm, an end TO the OK
tortions of the Transfer Agency. and do
away with the delay at Dunleilh of freight
coming west; bu, it appears that one of the
greatest obstacles to shippers is to ct freight
started frem Dunlei,h going East and from
Frecport coming West. The truth is the
Illinois Central has about all the business il
can ATTEND to without touching Chicagp
freight. snd when it is touched il is touched
a. convenience. Therefore it is apparent that
80 long as we are dependent upon the Illinois
Central for our outlet q bridge would only
partially afford relief.
What is wanted Their is another railroad
outlet. Nothing else will be sufficient. The
people Of Dubuque are earnest for the extan.
sion Of the Monroe branch Of the Milwaukee
and Prairie du CHIN Road to their city. IL
this enterprise could bcsucceeled in, it would
he grand delverance. But there are obsta-
cles in the way to this which seem almost
insurmountable. However, it is evident that
at best il will be SEINE time before the road
will GENE to our relief.
There was proposition before the Con
vention to urge the completion Of the Du
buque Southwestern Road from Marion to
Cedar Rapids, a distance of ten miles. II
this could be succeeded in it would give Us
an outlet by way of Clinton to Chicago,
which, though rather a round about way,
would often BE- preferred to the route by way
Of Dubuque. This extension will doubtless
soon be made without extra exertion. Should
Dubuque secure efficient communication
with the East the extension of this road
would be greatly to her advantage but as
her communications now are the matter may
be viewed differently.
There was another proposition urging the
building Of road from Dubuque down the
river TO connect at Savannah Such road
is desirable, but we 90 not lock for it to be
butt.
Another thing, however, was brought be-
fore the Convention by Mr. Moore, of vs.
terioo, which We should not neglect 10 men,
ton. 1t was the building Of th" Cedar Val
ley Road from Cedar Rapids to connect with
the Cedar Falls and Minnesota Rai!Ioad.-
Waterloo, Mr.. Moore stated, was opposed to
this line, and the reason is plain Her south.
western trade would be cut CT But the /
people Of Cedar Falls and the Upper Cedar
Valley look to this road for their surcst and
most desirable relief Here we come in d.
rect antagoniSm with the interests of Du-
buque and the d. & S. c. r. II. Co. The /.
Cedar Falls and Minnesota Railroad, finished
to Wavcrly, is part of this line, which has
been surveyed from St Louis, in Missouri, to
St. Paul, in Minnesota. We confidently cx-
pect that this road will eventually he built
indeed ws'thnk there is.hut little doubt that
it will be. But the rapid growth of the
West, offering such magnif: cent inducements
to captsl to extend means OF communities
ton, absorbs the attention and energy Of
railroad companies. So we see that nearly
every railroad building in the West is push
ing toward the setting sun. Most companies
have important lines which they arc slrug-
Cling to extend, and each OF which comes in
no direct competition with any other line
Therefore it cannot be- expected that just now
rival roads will be built.
The Convention done wisely by offrring
500. 900 to that company which should first
complete rival road from the East to Du-
buque, and we sincerely hope that the in
ducrmens held out may be sufficient te in
duce some c0mp, Ny to afford relief.
1t appears tina: the most that can be done
at present is to provide for tho crossing of
fteight cars on baats at Dubuque, s,m lar to
the msnner in which IRE, sht was crossed at
Clinton prior to the completion Of the bridge
al that point. And whether the Illinois Cen
trail Railroad Company and the Transfer
Agency are no, in the way OF this is cues
.ioa with US:
But let US keep this matter warm, and by
continual effort ana agitation hepe to sue.
coed in attracting help.