The weekly Ottumwa courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1857-1872, 1870-07-14

than when I first mot him--sight
long years ago. lie is now On tho
Chicago Post ana doing welL a
4 = ~ ~. 49, PoToMAc.s M
Welay bsforo our readers nwcll
written letter to the .Bollo PLANE
Usios, which treats Of the Ottumwa,
y 81. Paul Railroad, and pays
deserved credit to our Enginoer
Corps, who will soon arrive hero,
having completed the preliminary
survey to Waterlooi
I Ed Belle PLANE Union - MANY
Of our citizens arc Of tho opinion that
the proposed North and South Rail-
way, via Belle PLANE and Salt
Creek Valley ID not to DO q creature
of the future, but one of those Rail
road "bug.bcars'' SO ofton perpotra.
ted upon tho people. aiIE
1t is, the custom now. a-days to call
all things being created abng bears"
until they are an established fact; this
is often . dangerous folly. 't''
II the people along the line intend
to fall back upon their "oars" with
the expectation Of having tho road
built by the company, or its proiec-
tors, then indeed will it have been
called by its right name. 1t is for US
to say whether we arc to have this
great commercial thoroughfare from
st. Louis to st: Paul. It is US, and
not the company who mako it the
"bug-bear." To deceive ourselves we
need only entertain the idea that the
Salt Creek valley route Is the only
practicable one for North and South
road. Weknow it to be q practical
BILE route; but it will require the
expenditure OF our moaey, the service
of willing hands in its construction.
A railway that shall pass through the
best coal fields of the State and
extend into the Pine regions Of Min
nesota, besides opening new markets
for cur products, cannot fail to ben
eft us largely, and in place of calling
it q dangerous scheme, we should
give 1t our hearty encouragement
and exert every possible endeavor to
secure its Immediate locationthrough
our section. With only m East and
West Railway through the city of
Belle Plaine, with no cheap fuel or
waterpower to encourage manufact-
ures; its prosperity will largely
depend upon the resources of the
country surrounding it. It must
necessarily follow ia the footsteps
OF that country which gives it life,
and will have its reverses in pros
perity, in common with that country.
With another railroad bringing
with it the material for the construc-
ton Of manufacturing bui ldings; and
the motive power for; operating their
internal machinery, the "Belle of the
Plains" will soon receive new i'm
petus, making it independent as re-
poets its future welfare. Are there
any readers OF the Union with not
sufficient ideality to picture upon this
fair plain (outside of dreamland) a
city blessed with every variety of
manufacture, its shops filled with
useful artisans; its streets tecming
with "a busy, prosperous people.
Who is there that cannot see this
beautiful mental city of 1880, to Use
up within the next decade, with its
numerous machine shops, foundrics,
mills and factories, with their smoke
clouds rolling DER the city from early
dawn to oven, while tho hum of
myriads of revolving wheels shall
dispel tho loneliness that now broods
deathliko DER the town of Belle
PLANO? Let us have tho railroad;
then we will have tho hum of bust
moss noise, the smoke-clouds, now
ness of trade, and great city will
evidently be the result. Tho iron
horse drawing bis richly freighted
cars, or his Pullman coaches will go
laundering along the fowery banks
of the beautiful Salt Greek, with it's
varied scenery of richness, bringing
into Wow new people, new world,
and moro glorious future. Who
will then say have not been bene-
fitted by this new idea put in motion.
Who will have cheek enough to refuse
giving one cent towards its speedy
construction ? Will not the future
mark the men of this latter class?
Now that the survey stations are
being dotted along our valley north
ward, let us see who are the engineers
at work upon this survey, as much
has been SAID pro and con as respects
their qualifications as engineers.
l am well aware that youthfnlness
is a disparagement to any one who
may pcrchance tread too closely
upon the heels Of the advance gener-
alton, Notwithstanding his fitness to
mingle his footprints with theirs.
In recent visit to Salt Creek
had on opportunity to witness the
scene Of busy action, where lobbyists
were busy buzzing around like bees,
each one had some particular wish
to logroll. It was here I met an old
college classmate, Mr.. Rollin f.
Reeves, the gentlemanly, youthful,
beardless, eogineer-in-chief of tho
survey. his genial face lighting up
with Welcome smile Us he grasped
my hand, doubtless remembering
many past scenes that had occurred
while running miniatures urveysthro
the College campus, via Hotel de
Fresh" under Prof. Wood, or in
searching for infnitessimal quantities
under Prof. Olney. In 1868 Mr..
Reeves received the degree of G. E.
from the State University of Michi-
gan, where theory and practice arc
blended throughout the course. Al
though young, he is q thorough
scholar, possessed with unerring
Judgment, and ominently qualified to
engineer any enterprise that may be
placed under his care. ass
Mr.. Baker, County Surveyor of
Wapello, manages the compass, and
is a gentleman of experience in rail
road survavyinr hos f;ua INDIGNANT