Cedar Falls gazette. [volume] (Cedar Falls, Iowa) 1860-1895, 1867-10-18
The Extension of the ID. 81
Hs @. Rnilrohd.

Considerable interest has been cxhib-
tied In railroad circles for some weeks
past and more particularly since tho
leasing of the ID. & 8. G. Railroad by
the Illinois Central company, with ref
erence to the completion of the former
road through to the Missouri river.
Hon Plat Smith. of Dubuque, who, 1t
will be remembered, resigned the Vice
Presidency OF. the ID. a s. c. r.. r.. last
summer, has recently written letter
TO prominent men in Fort Dodge I'm
answer to their inquiries regarding the
prospects ofthe extension of the road.
Mr.. Smith, states that about q year since
he became satisfied that the old COM
pany would never build any more road.
Their pledges, written and verbal, were
explicit and emphatic on that point up
to very late date, and when all hopes
of extending the road, had died out, he
resolved to sell out-his stock and get up
a new company to occupy the abandon
ed ground. Mr.. John I. Blair, Mr..
Duncombe, Mr.. Smith and Mr.. Walk
er compose the new corporation, known
as the Iowa Falls and Sioux City COM
pany. They propose to go on and COM
plete the road through to the Missouri
river at their own expense, asking the
State to grant them, when the read is
completed, the remainder of the Dubu-
que & Pacific lands, between 900, 900
and 700,0 acres. This land grant will
be forfeited to the United States the
middle of next May. In the mean time
the old company have been moving
vigorously in the matter of extending
the road as they 30 agreed when the
Illinois Central leased the road. Bids
for the contract of grading the road
were accordingly called for and the
contract for the grading of the road from
Iowa Falls to Fort Dodge has been
awarded to Douglass, Brown q Co.
The contract specifies that the grading
shall be completed by the first Of Oct,
1868 and it is undoubtedly tho inten-
tien of the old company to push the
rtad as fast as possible across the State.
Hence the clashing of interests, as both
companies are determined to secure the
land grant. 1t will be a subject for the
action Of our next legislature and will
doubtless cause lively railroad fight
1t will be seen that the old company
have the advantage In possession, but
as to which will succeed, the future on.
ly can determine. Mr. Smith, in his
letter, above referred to, says: LET
the State by law take possession Of the
Land Grant; let the Legislature memo
rialize Congress for an extension Of the
grant; let the law require the road Il
pass through Webster City and Fort
Dodge, and such other restrictions al
may be desirable; let the law give thi.
company the grant In case they com
plete the road to Fort Dodge by Janu
airy 1st, 1869, and to the Missouri rivel
within two years thereafter, and pro
vide that a failure of either condition
shall forfeit all right to IL, and let thu
people give themvaid by word and deed
in securing us the grant, and they ar,
as certain to have the road to For
Dodge within the time and to the Mis-
souri, river within the time, and to b,
on great through Pacific route, q til,
time is to come. "
We await the result Of the present
railroad war and rejoice with the poo
pie of Northern Iowa taat the road II
to be completed at an early day.