The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1867-03-31

The following Communication W take from
he 81 Louis Democrat Of the 18th inst. II
d showing up Of one Of our citizens to the
81. Louis business men, Of the advantages
they viii derive from the building Of the Iows
Northern Central: NJ
Kroxux, Iowa, March %, 1867.
Editors Missouri Democrat ;
/ wish 70 call the attention ofthe st: Louis
merchants apd public q A rev line o. cpm.
munica6cn thfsc1h Central lows Ua;,. !.
,ecured u 81. Eouis every pound OF which
nov roes 70 CHICAGO. IspsAk Of the 4o1A
Norhsru Central Raiirosd, which n NOW
buik and has cars running on j from Du.
buoue. Considerable portions 81 ne rosa
are built from Cedar Rapids to s. Paul, the
DUBUQUE and St. Paul road intersectng o.
Cedar Rapids. There is also company or.
eanized to build road or continue the Du-
buoue and CedAr Rapids road from that place
TO Iowa City, twenty sig miles, from Iowa
City TO Washington, twenty-hve miles, ana
from Washington TO Mt. Pleasant, 26 miieE
The company wus Organized some three vsete
aimee, with sulicient local subscription y
srade and tie the road from Cedar Rapids 70
Mount Pleasant. Said road is TO be built IN
two years. Then the road from Mount
PIeasant to Keokuk, the head OF uninterrups
cd navigation on the Mississippi, q distance
of forty eight miles, is already finished, with
abundance Of rolling stock; the seventeen
miles running above the rapids y siresdy
doing Hourishing business; there the COM
pany have 40, 900 ties on the ground, tney
have also Q construction train paid Tor Win
which to construct the road; $4,000 worth
Of grading has already been done on ne s n onr
| finished thirty one miles, and about 500 wv
local subscription in Henry ana Lee coun,
ties. the amount OF which viii be augmented
| by $40. 900 from Keokuk, and $4,000 from
Westpor., making in the aggregate meansfoi
the construction of said tbrty-one miles Of
road, say
80 coo ties, at 80 cts asoet
Grading already done, ssy..-..........-... 5eese
Construction train, worth ................ 2oool
Subscription from Henry county......--.. 7ouut
From 3Uov'
| -
s2l9,eot
being over 81 900 per mile, which is, per
hsps, . better local subscription per mile
than any railroad now projected can show N
the West. Thus il il TO be seen that said
road is certain to be built TO keokuk, from
which point there is . good railroad TO ST
Louis. But the trade, when you arrive a
the river at Keokuk, 10 no longer Dependent
on railroads. At that point the great Father
OF Waters steps in, and can do it for one
third of the cost OF railroad transportation
As an example, keokuk is nearly equi dis
tant between st. Louis and Chicago, and i
costs twenty four cents TO send q bushel Of
wheat by rail to Chicago, and Eve cents b.
the river to ST. Louis hence, for ell purposes
Of commerce, the great river is the INLAND
sea. the God given heritage of all the in
habitants in this valley, on whose bosom
may be fioated to the ocean the products o.
an empire. Then We must see that what thu
people need is cheap transportation TO mar
ket, and that cannot be had By railroad
alone. They are only links TO reach unin
lterrupted water navigation where it can b
had.
By looking on the map, it will be seen tina
1.-THE Iowa Northern Central Railroad passe
Through the second tier Of counties from th,
river, the most densely populated as well al
the wealthiest agricultural portion Of tn,
State. The road when completed will diver
more trade from other channels and TO St
Louis than any other proposed line Of com
imunication in the West. This road crosse
all the East and west rosds in the State there
by making them tributary TO this great cen
trail throughfare, which is destined at no dis
tsnt day TO pour its millions OF treasur
into the lap OF st. Louis. Ne ask 81 Loui
merchants To lay down their map and exam
inc for themselves, and then say whether it j
not their easiest and best route TO the trad
and commerce of Eastern Central Iowa.
0sE or THE PEOPLE.