Cedar Falls gazette. [volume] (Cedar Falls, Iowa) 1860-1895, 1867-03-22
THE IOWA CENTRAL.

n conference with Elihu Baker from
Oskaloosa, Secretary of the Iowa Cen
trail Railroad, who has been spending q
few days in this city. Mr.. Baker used
to be Secretary of the Iowa State Bank
and is now Bank Examiner for the
| State on behalf of the L. S. Government.
He is Il man of great experience and
ability both in banking and in railroad.
| ing; and the Iowa Central has been
very fortunate in securing him rs its
Secretary.
We learn from Mr.. Baker that the
prospects of the road are bright as ever
and that it is the design Of the company
to prosecute the work with all possible
dispatch. Fourteen miles are now ali
graded north of the Missouri line, and
not only all Blackhawk, but Tama
county is graded except six miles al
Wolf Creek, which is to be pushed for
ward Immediately. Some unfriendly
parties have indeed sued for an injunc
ton against the paying in of the $40,
600 voted with such unaninity by Ia
ma county, on the ground that the pop
ular vote was illegal. But this has on.
ly started up the zeal for voluntary sub
scriptions on the part of the people
there, and will not retard day the for.
ward operations of the company.
Surveyors arc this week starting oT,
for the exploration of Poweshiek coun.
ty, where the line has not yet been 10.
Gated. both Montezuma and Grinnell
desiring it. AS soon as the surveys can
be made, and the route fixed, this part
of the line will be let for grading from
Oskaloosa to Toledo, and then the
road will be under contract, to be com.
pleted next fall.
Mahaska and Monroe counties have
large deposits of most excellent coal,
equal to the Pittsburgh coal in quality
and ineXhaustiblc in quantity. They
are now working q vein near Os-
kaloosa which is eight feet two inches
thick, and another vein has been tried
which is eleven feet thick, extending
or four counties directly upon this rail-
road route, together with the pincries
and lumber of Minnesota through
which it passes, will alone support the
Iowa Central should no other freight
and not a single passenger DO furnish
cd!
Mr.. Baker has been examining tho
books and the business here, and finds
everything O. X. He az well as Me-
lendy, Barnum, &C., are to rendezvous
at Toledo next week, to see to the in.
junction business, and to put the road
right through in Tama county. by the
politeness OF Messrs: Mclendy and May,
we have examined the new draft of the
proposed railroad connections here in
our city, as found at the company's
Office in OveFman's Block and we
learn that the officers are going right
forward this spring 10 locate the depot
buildings here, and to make necessary
arrangements for the arrival Of the
trains during the present year. Stand
ready for the first trip to st. Louis
In this connection we give the fol-
lowing extracts from the last Des Moines
State Register. ---
"As early as 1865 it became apparent
to citizens of Iowa on the line of this
road that great through road from st.
Louis to st. Paul must some day be
constructed through the eastern part of
Iowa, and company was formed called
the st. Louis, Iowa, and st. Paul r. II.
Company, with view to supply the
Iowa link of this chain. Oskaloosa and
Cedar Fails were points OIL the propos-
ed Road. But owing to the financial
and national crisis, no work was done,
and the Company lost its franchise. In
1864 the project was revived, and Jan.
s. 1865 the present company was organ
lied, under the corporate name of the
Iowa Central Railroad Company.
From that time on, the leaders in the
movement have labored most Zealously
for the new road, until to-day they have
a live organization, in healthy condi-
ton, with every prospect OF u speedy
completion of the work.
The officers are all good men and
most of them are well known through
out the State. The President, Secreta-
ry, and Treasurer will readily be recog-
nized by monied men, being all bank
ers. Mr.. Smith was President OF the
Oskaioosa branch Of the State Bank UNI
til IL expired from Over-taxation, when
he organized the First National Bank
at that place, which he afterwards sold
MIR. Baker was one Of the Commission
ers to organize the State Bank, and was
Secretary OF the mother Bank at Iowa
City while it lived Mr.. White is Pres
ident of the First National Bank of
Oskaloosa. The Vice President Peter
Melendy, OF Cedar Falls, needs no in.
PRODUCTION to the reader; and many Of
the Directors will be recognized by the
readers of the Register.
"By reference. to the map, the i'm
portance of this railroad will be very
to every close observer. 1t is
u part of the great railroad lire from
st. Louis to st. Paul, road which will
do heavy business in the future, and
exert an important influence in deyel-
oping the resources of the fertile coun-
try through which it is projected.
Like all our roads pointing nortilward,
il will bring Iowa into direct communi-
cation with the pineries of Minnesota
To Oskaloosa the road is especially i'm
portant, as it will open up an extensive
for her coal. And in this re.
spect Mahaska Go. will prove quite as
important to the road as the road will
be To the county. The amount of coal
shipped over the road when northern
Iowa and Minnesota shall be settled up
as they will be i'm a comparatively short
time, will go 80 high in the figures az
to make ones head SWIM
DH ATTENTION, SIR KSIGHTs!--
There will be conclavc Of Baldwin
Commandry, U. d., At Masonic Hall,