Cedar Falls gazette. [volume] (Cedar Falls, Iowa) 1860-1895, 1867-11-08
From the st. Louis Republican.
10 wa Central Railroad
It's Importance to St.


wealthies and certainly our most enter
prising citizens, it is perhaps not pre-
mature nor unwise to call public atten-
ton to one of tue connections of that
road. We refer to the Iowa Central
Railroad. This road connects with the
main line Of the N. Mo. Railroad ut O
point about seventy-five mile west of
the Mississippi river and sixty miles
south of the beautiful city of Oskaloosa.
and traverses the entire State of Iowa,
from its southern to it northern bound
airy, a distance of 230 miles, and con-
meets there with the Minnesota Cen
trail Railroad, leading almost directly
north to the city of st. Paul. and will
be, when bnilt. the perfecting link be-
tween the North Missouri and the Min
nesota Central Railroads, forming with
them the main trunk line of railroad
running north and south on the west
side of the Mississippi river. 1t is To-
Gated through thickly settled, fertile
country; passes through large deposits
of coal; will do much to encourage that
interest, carrying coal north from Oska-
loosa to Cedar Falls and beyond, and
bringing in return hogs, lumber and
grain, which, through the medium af-
forded by this road and the North Mis-
sour Railroad, will find their market
here. 1t will be the key to unlock the
southern doors of the numerous grana-
ries of Central Iowa, which for some
years past have sent..their wealth of
cereals TO the city of Chicago. One
county alone, Black Hawk, through
which it passes, sent off last year 500
600 bushels of wheat, and each county
SO favored can and will do as much and
more to build up the traffic of the road
and increase our trade; for these pro-
ducts, with the Iowa Central completed
will find their way here instead of seek
ing market elsewhere. The value
ofthis connection to st. Louis, and more
especially to the North Missouri Rail-
road, can now only be imagined. 1t Is
the outlet of that road. Without it, the
North Missouri would have to depend
upon its local traffic for its profits; with
it, it becomes the great highway be-
tween st. Paul ana the gulf of Mexico
With a juncture of the interests of these
two roads, and will be of great benefit
to us. ." t.e. &c..
ChampliH, Balch & Co., contractors
for the construction of tire North Mis-
souri, Railroad, have taken the contract
for the construction of the Iowa Cen
trail, and will push ii to completion as
fast rs it is possible. The contractors
are men of known and long experience
in railroad construction, and are, we
are assured, we'll fitted to perform what
they have undertaken.
The grading il steadily progressing
along all parts Of the road Mt present
located; forty miles of which, between
the northern line of Missouri and the
city of Oskaloosa, are finished, and
thirty miles between Toledo and Cedar
Falls are also completed. 1t will be
seen that short time only will elapse
before we will have, by this route, rail-
road communication with the fertile
valley of the Des Moines. Witheuta
doubt, the southern end of this road
will be ready for the rolling stock by
the time the North Missouri Railroad
is finished to the connecting point at
the Iowa State line. The cost of con-
struction of the Iowa Central will
compare favorably with that of any
Western roads, and the expense ofrun-
ming Ii will not be great. The grades
are easy and light, the wear of machia-
cry cannot be great, and the repairs of
road-bed much less than If the grades
were heavier, go it is fair to presume
freight will be transported at moderate
rates. The bridging is also light, the
bridge over the Des Moines river being
the only one ofimportanceo on the whole
| line.
Champlin, Balch & Co., in this con-
tract with the Iowa Central, agreed to
secure a subscription to the stock ofthe
| company for the purpose of aiding i'm
the construction of the Des Moines riv-
er bridge and the heavy work in Tama
Co. st. Louis citizens would display n
generous public spirit i'm subscribing
literally to this stock. 1t is not asking
much of them to help those gentlemen
in an undertaking, the full performance
of which will benefit us more than
them.
From what we know of Messrs,
Champlin, Balch & Co., the Central
company will be we'll repaid for what
they have granted, by an early and per-
feet completion oftheir line. The undi-
vided attention of one ofthe gentlemen,
together with corps of able assistants,
will very shortly be given to this work
of construction, and we trust that all
who are now, or who may become, in
terested in an enterprise Of so much i'm
portanee to our city and our State, and
one of her most valuable railroad con-
nections, will do all in their power to
forward the enterprise and encourage
these gentlemen I'm the work. The road,
according to agreement in the contract,
will, after its completion, be operated
by them, and cannot fail, If properly
supported, of being managed in the in
terests of this city equally as much as
i'm the interest of those through whose
country il passes.
Certainly as the North Missouri Road
is finished to its northern terminus, so
certainly will the Iowa Central be fin-
ished, extending its line through the
State, in the direction of the city of st.
Paul, building up for itself large traf-
fic for the great lumber, stock and grain
interests of those rich northern lati-
tudes, and will give to a road extend
ing to it, cheap facilities of transporta-
ton very large business.
In a lecture upon newspapers, deliv-
cred In Philadelphia, by Rev. De Witt
Tallmadge, he paid the press the fol-
lowing fine compliment: az now de-
clare that / consider the newspapers to
be the grand agency by which the Cos
pei is preached, ignorance cast out, OPP
preston dethroned, crime extirpated,
the world raised, Heaven rejoiced, and
God glorified. In the clanking of the
printing press, rs sheets fly out, hear
the voice Of the Lord Almighty pro-
claiming TO all the dead nations of the
earth, Lazarus, come forth!' and to the
retreating surges of darkness, Let
there be light!' .a-s