North Iowa times. [volume] (McGregor, Iowa) 1867-current, 1869-12-15
Wke Gimfs.
ilcGGEGOR, DEC. Is, 1869.


McG&EGOR, DEC. Is, 1869.
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baiirsad Crossing. e
The temporary, or wiuter Ry Bridge
cruising, is completed. On Tuesday Of
last week a train Of. 30 cars, freighted
with merchandise for St. Paul, McGregor,
DEBORAH, Charles City and all other sta.
tons on our extending line west, passed
safely over is. We now have continuous
line of iron track from the land of the
Dacotahs to any where else. This bridge
is powerfully built. Gen. John Lowler's
noted energy has been steadily exerted to
complete it early, for the convenience Of
shippers west Of as, and for the profit Of
the Company, of which he is the ablest
and understanding representative. We
cav this bridge on Sunday week. It,
built to last forever. Conductors and
Engineers are appointed to take special
charge of trains crossing it, as pilots are
= bringing ship into port, thus making
it N impossibility to accident in the tran
sik This is good. We hope conductor
FULLER will watch it we'll, and that the
Engineer This name is not given us) will
be careful with, his precious freight Of
passengers and produce.
Above this bridge are packs of ice for.
midable in strength bsloU It is clear sra
ter. The prospect is that no bridge Of ice
which nature has usually given US will be
seen while the st. P. 4 N. Railway baidge
holds the situation.
Much talk was used in our McGregor
in relation to the right ola Corporation to
dam the river oboce rs, and thereby damn
the team business belesc rs. The NJ. & St.
P. Co., have no right to say when naviga'
ton shall close. Have they? If so, why
not close it Oct. 1st9 A bridge across a
navigable stream is granted only by
charter from National and State authority,
terms of structure being specified. We
all know this. Hes this Co. right to
dam the river when their convenience
wills? Have they right to destroy the
transit by team during the winter months
and force all shipments by their line of
delivery and at such tariffs as they may
dictate? We have seen in our residence
Of near IA years in McGregor, more than
200 teams, at one look, crossing the ice
bridge which Winter made US, loaded
with pork, grain, passengers and other
commercial values. The river being
damned above us, and per consequence
~ ice allowed to make on which our
commerce can pass in that way, we are
->mpelled to give tribute to monopoly
that has assumed a general control Of
the river. We say as.xa.ed, because there
is no authority for the construction Of such
work as the one we are speaking of.
Are all the river towns, the teamsters, the
laborers, the wood shippers, north and
south, to be submerged in business to &C.
commodate the St. p. & M. R'y?
Clayton City and Gutenberg do not
care to have their ice bridge destroyed and
they ship, per ice, large quantities of
-four, pork, butter, hides, and other arti-
cles. The transit on ice navigation is said
to he not obst,ucti6le. We think other.
wise. Why do Ferry charters obtain if
crossing the River is not as important as
going up and down it?
So much, briefly, for the legal view of
this matter.
Practically there are other considera-
tions. We reluctantly surrender our
views Of the necessity for this bridge, but
as Clay once said in the Senate, "no ami
NAL but one refuses to accommodate his
opinions to circumstances" By the
bridge we have close and prompt connec-
ton in freights, mails and passenger
travel with the outside world, without
fear Of = thaw-out, half-freeze of the
river or any other weather accident. Our
pork, should the weather grow warm, can
be shipped, at once, to Milwaukee and
Chicago, no delay of freights can take
place, and the (now) immense western
trade of our R'y can be accommodated
without break. Erie, Pa, fought the
change Of R'y guage for time, but the
world said she was wrong. McGregor,
though sensitive as to what she may re-
gard as personal injury, must do as
Erie did. Our Merchants tell US the
bridge is IN advantage to them in the
promptness Of Freight deliveries and re-
ceipts. This speaks loudly.
In relation to crossing, there are COM
mutation tickets purchasable at $l.OO
for ten trips the passage for teams and
occasional crossers, will be the same as
per ferry during the summer. The bridge
for MeGregor freigbts is FREE, as wit
ness the following from Gen. Lawler to q
prominent gentleman of this city:
''Whereas, the people of McGregor
have always. stood by our Co. at seasons
offthe year when rival lines wanted their
business, we will stand by them in the
season Of the year when none but ours
could DO II. Therefore, We will give the
people At MeGregor the option of receiv.
ing and delivering their freight at Pr.
du Oh. Or North McGregsx At Pr. du Ch.-
rates." "Ry order Of S. s. Merrill, Gen.
Maaages.''
We cannot flht this liberality, though
We yet have q slight objection to being
kicked up stairs" We are evidently
"better off, with the bridge, but the Com
rany, we insist, is extremely impudent.