The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1868-05-14
.-,a~e or 10 DstAge.

'n. .. -. This i very different Alter
:; = from that presented in the propos'.,on
n...p = - shail have just the kind OF Bridge
80 x.nt or one less acceptable % u.
That il is Of the utmost Importance @ the
,,.rssts Of Keokuk THAI there iAouh be
nr;dve across the Mississippi ct this point ve
had taken for granted, and heretofore were
,rder the impression that no one questloneG
the proposition. The people Of Qu.nc! ma
Burlington regarded themselves As hgniJ =
yored in being able to secure nal'iosu
Bridge, without any show Of facilities tor 'ns
general public. And the fact that ha'lroAs
Bridges are in process OF construction =
those points gives them . decided advan's.e
in public estimation over keokuk. na1
the simple reason that Railroau ~.
an essential facility for crossing Inc S'ssis
sippi. The delay, additional expense ap
ia,.a,aa obstn,ction in the transfer OF
freight and travel in the winter ume are 80
,horonebIy understood by the business apo
traveliug public, that they will avoid route
vbere they have to depend upon Ferry
Boats to cross the river. And with Quincy,
20 short distance below us, and Burlington
above M, possessing Eastern connections,
and with the prospect Of the speedy constfuc
lion OF the North Missouri and other connec-
tons to the West Of us, it will not be posi-
BILE long 10 hold either transportation or travel
through Keokuk without Bridge. NE
should soon find ourselves confined within
a very narrow scope, for the Burlington route
would secure everything beyond ohumwa,
and the Quincy route everything upon the
line, and beyond the soon to be completed
North Missouri Railroad.
With this passing glance at the "situa'
tion,'' it strikes US that Bridge is essential
I, the growth and prosperity of Keokuk, and
almost to it's existence as trading or COM
mercial point: aud that it is of the utmost
moment that We get the Bridge under pro-
cess of construction as speedily IS possible.
The proposition made by the railroad men
on behalf of the Bridge Company. seems moi
lly Railroad Bridge, bnta Wagon Bridge al
wall. And although the character Of thi,
Bridget is not all we might desire, y may find
i calm reflection that il is terthah We were
at first disposed to give it credit fol. It fur
nishes fair facilties, as good, Indeed, a.
could be asked, for travel al all times, when
, not in use by the railroad trains. And if We
bear in mind the fact that the Bridge will be
owned by the Railroad Companies, and tbs,
constructing it for the passage Of travel will
cost them from one hundred thousand to two
hundred thousand dollars over and above the
cost of Railroad Bridge simply, wsmay rest
assured that il will have a deeper interest to
keep the track clear than The public pr any
other man possibly can have. Their Bridge
will be brought into competition with the
ferry, and il they do no, present better and
more reliable facilities for crossing tban the
Ferry Company can, then they will make no
dividends for the stockholders, on the large
investment for Wagon Bridge. We hold that
self-in.erest will prompt the utmost possible
pains on the part CT the Bridge Company to
secure custom, By making their crossing
convenient diia sat.
And this they can do by having their trains
cross in accordance with their regularly es
,ablished and universally known Il IaE Ia
RLgs, and by using the Bridge for Fl lighting
aud local purposes in the night time.
Vow is the time that the interests of keo-
kus demand boost ahead and If we let the
present opportunity slip, We may not rscover
from It's effects for years to come. The
business men, mechanics and laborers of This
day need the prestige which will be given 10
our city by the fact that Bridge across the
Mississippi is in process Of construction, and
they need much more, the circulation in our
midst Of the million OF dollars, more or less,
that it viii require TO build it. To that ex.
ten. it will give custom TO our merchants,
and mechanics, and employ
ment to our lai,orers.
And TINS we hold that on every hand, in
is effects in The present, and in the future,
or the interests of Keoknk commercially
and as Railroad point, and in its immediate
effects upon our financial and material inter
ests, The Bridge il of the most essential i'm
portanee.
Il has been more than year since tie
project Of Bridge Company was presented
to Eastern capitalists, and the stock has not
been l'gobbled no yet. General Reid and
other Railroad men who have as much st
stake here to be affected by .i-~ p.iag-, IN
formed the public, that the plan submitted
BY him, was the best that could be secured.
We have no reason to doubt it. And more
over We doubt very much whether we shall
ever get the Railroad companies to build us
. txo-story Bridge ct an extra expense Of
halt million to them, for the special delec-
tation Of the citizens Of Keokuk, though no
one would rejoice more than we, il they
wonld do that thing, and Issue general dead
head" passes over it TO all the inhabitants Of
Iowa and Illinois and the res. Of mankind in
general.
We trust that the citizens Of Keoknk,
whose interests are so greatly involved in
this matter, and especially our business men,
will be on hand Saturday night at the Court
House, to consider this matter and advise
with The City Council in regard to what shall
be done in the premises.
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RIVER NEWS.