The weekly Ottumwa courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1857-1872, 1868-03-12
FROM DIES MONIES.
The Twelfth Gen. Assembly.
A lively Railroad Wharf.-The
State House Question---Gen-
eral State Politics.
Especial Correspondence OF the Ottumwf
coURIER.l
Des Moines, March, I

Tho Lobby is now crowded ram
jam full of railroad men and others
interested in pending measures. 1t
has not been SO large or SO lively
since the Legislature met. 1t is but
the plain truth of history, however
to state that the most of the lobby
lists are men interested in sundry
railway measures, pending or to be
pending There is in fact, so far as
the Lobby is concerned, the livilest
and beautifhllest kind of railroad
war.
In the first place there is q very
pretty quarrel over the land resumed,
before the recess, from the McGrc.
gor Western railroad. These en-
brace about 100000 acres. The con-
test is between the McGrcgor and
Sioux City company and a company
just organized called the :aForty-
third Parallel Company Of this
last the officers were elected only
last evening, and Mt a private room
of the Savery House. Mr.. J. X.
Graves, of Dubuque, was chosen
President. Inasmuch as remarked
to him today that it looked much
like Peter Funk concern, | may
say the same thus publicly. 1t
should be stated. however, that the
company was organized in pre-
liminary manner about a month ago.
The other company, however, which
is understood to be strong iu infu-
ence, says the "Forty-third Parallel"
is bogus, and.tha it (the McGregor
aud Sioux City) is the only compa-
ny which really purposes to build the
road. The route proposed by this
company is to leave the McGregor
Western at place called Calmar,
and at first bearing southwest, pass
on west through the counties of
Chlckasaw, Floyd, Ccrro Gordo,
Hancock, Kossuth, Palo Alto, Clay,
and OBrien, in which last it would
strike the Sioux City and St. Paul
road. The other route is to leave
the McGregor Western at Postville,
some twenty miles westward of Cal.
mer, and bear nearly southwark to
West Union, Fayette county, and
thence westward, from half dozen
to a dozen miles south of the other
line. 1t is stated that the northern
route is considerably the more prac-
ticable and cheapest. Your readers
can easily see from this resume of the
claims of the two companies that the
contest is lively one.
In the next place there is an ami.
mated discussion as to who shall get
the Dubuque and Sioux City lands.
There was considerable contest on
the question of resumption of these
lands in the Legislature, but it car
ried in the Senate day-before yester.
day, having previously carried in
the House. The fight is not so well
developed, nor the lines so sharply
defined as in the other case.
There is also proposition to re-
sumo on the Dcs Moines Valley road
This is earnestly commended for by
the citizens of the Des Moines Val.
ley above this metropolis, who think
the road ought to have been to Fort
Dodge by this time. So do l, and
think it would have been, had the
State given the lands to the company
to which it was entitled when ltreach.
ed Des MONIES. 1t should be borne
in mind that the lands given in trust
to the State for this road were Sc.
cured by the officers of the road
themselves. 1t is within my person.
al knowledge that they put in much
time and money at Washington City
in this business, having to be there
at heavy expense, much of the time
for two or three years before sue
ceeding. From Bentensport to Des-
Moines they are entitled to fifty odd
thousand acres Of land for every 20
miles built, and they have not receiv-
ed an acre! They are entitled to
the highest consideration for having
rot the road here at all. The condition
is about like this: Mr.. State employs
Mr. Railroad to build him two houses.
for which Mr.. Railroad is to receive
pay from time 10 time as the work
progresses. He goes to work and
builds one of the houses, but no pay
is forthcoming. He calls on Mr..
State for some funds but receives
meier red. He will probably see
Mr.. State in heaven, or somewhere
else, before going on with the other
house. This is the case with the
Des Moines Valley, and do not hest
tate to say that resumption as
against that company would be a
wrong. But the go-ahead people of
the upper valley want a road, and
ought to have it. ! think their wish
es may be gratificd, and that right
speedily, but l do not think resump-
ton is the way to do it. However
that may be, the contest is lively now
and promises to be more so.
Then there is the tariff contest. |
think the pro-rata tariff bill will be
adopted and not the bill lcgislating
specific rates of freight and passen-
ger fares. The House committee on
Commerce has reported in favor Of
the pro-rata bill. tits simply to pro.
hibit tariffs discriminating against
our own towns and cities. And SO
the general railroad war ia uncom.
monty lively all..around.
Our State Convention having been