The weekly Ottumwa courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1857-1872, 1869-07-08

From the People.
Waltham, TAria Co., Iowa, |
June 18th, 1859. !
EDiToR CoOkIkks
Dear Sir-Having
seen nm item in the papers that you
were advocating the building Of .
railroad nom your place 10 Cedar
FallA I thought to drop you b few
lines on the subject.
Iwould suggest that che northern
tstmihus be at Waterloo, Where it
would connect with d railroad COIN.
pleted north to Waverly, In Bremen
county.
am informed that . route has
been surveyed and located from Of
tumwa TO Millersburg, Iowa county.
If so, Marengo, or Kosta would be
made point on the Iowa River
From there Il would bs desirable ia
find the shortest and cheapest route
to either w Waterloo or Cedar Falls.
Being well acquainted with the
country north Of tho Iowa river, and
having had some experience in CON
structing railroads, also having lately
passed through the country and ex-
amined is adaptibility for q railroad
| / propose to give to the public the
benefit of my observation, taking
Kosta as . starting point:
| Kozta is situated on the south side
of tho Iowa river, Iowa County, sew
en- miles north west of Marengo, che
county seat. From Kozta I would
run up the river bottom TO Belle
PLANE, crossing the river near Two
hoods ferry, distant about sever
miles; average flor raised grade
| about q feet.
Belle Plaihe is situated oh the G
L N. W. RR, and Is q very lively
town. 1t is the end of the LIST divi
sion Of the railroad, and here are 10
Gated the Company's round house
machine shops, 10. azijJ3o
Its leading men are DESTROYS o
having . north and south railroad
and undoubtedly would aid it mate
rally, u g g
From Belle Plaine, The route VOC
be up through the Salt Creek Vale,
to the source of the north branch
Tho first village, four miles from B
Pts
Irving, = very pleasant village
where is located Addison College,
Its Inhabitants are enterprising, an
would do their share 'at building
road average cut and fill 9 n.
Waltham,: seven miles ;n-nw fron
Irving, is beautifully located on tn
east side Of Salt Greek, in the mids
of splendid farming country, whic1
is settling up very fast. Its inhabi
tants are mostly from the easter
, States; industrious, enterprising, lit
eral. and certainly twill do to tie to
in an enterprise Of this kind. Aver
! age cut and I'll about two feet.
From Waltham the route woul
take the north west branch of Sal
, Creek via Buckingham to Cedar Fall
with easy grade to Buckingham
where will be q heavy cut; but th
citizens would prepare tho road be
for the sake of having q railroad
! From Buching ham the road woul
follow Twelve-mile Creek for som
distance; the balance Of the route
( am not posted on. "'a
The Waterloo route will run d
rectly north from Walthafn, not v,
! rying more than mile from d dires
: line between the two points. Fro1
j Waltham to head of Salt Creek, So,
: en- miles, is . very easy ascent till
9 reaches the level prairie, with an q,
! erage cut and fill of sbout 81 feet.
t For about i've miles further, til
cut and fill would be about II feet
:, then would commence the desce1
into the Wolf Greek Valley via q Ii
!, tie creek running directly north
/ very easy descent. The route woul
run directly north across the Wo
Greek, and reach the high prairi
: striking the centre Of Eagle tow
ship, Blackhawk county, via . littl
creek that runs south into the Wo
. Distance five miles; average cut AM
. fill three feet; grade about twent
feet per mile.
From that point, fourteen mil,
= across the high level prairie, the a.
. erage cut and fill would be about z
feet; grade nearly level. Thence
Waterloo, two miles, the descent wi
be by = little creek, with . grade I
about twenty feet per mile; averag
cut and fill, two feet.
Thus we have distance of fit,
two miles, very direct, with an vi
precedented average cut and fill ,
about q feet, and an easy grad 9, M
: exceeding twenty feet per mile /,
> any point.
. The proposed route runs throug
the beet wheat growing region j
E central Iowa, and grain dealers 50
that . greater proportion Of th
wheat raised here 10 No. /.
All classes of inhabitants are
favor of the road. The farmer, b.
cause it gives him both an easter
~ n u