Cedar Falls gazette. [volume] (Cedar Falls, Iowa) 1860-1895, 1871-05-26

engagements of the 9th and 18th
instant, In which the enemy was so
badly worsted, it has been all quiet
on the Black Hawk ; but yesterday
sounds of renewing combat reached
us and Immediately certain partisans
from Black Hawk and Lincoln, with
a file of regulars from Cedar Falls
and Mt. Vernon, moved into the
borders of Grundy to reconnoiter !;
after skirmishing for short time
through as beautiful country as the
sun shines upon, we rallied on the
reserve stationed at the Whitney
school. house, where soon after the
enemy appeared in force. Capt, A.
w. Bean, a veteran of the army of
the Potomac commanded attention
and Immediately there was silence
In the ranks. G. A. Thompson, of
the Grundy Tnvincibles, was detailed
Officer of the Day. Our preparations
were made none too soon, for the
enemy Immediately brought his
heaviest artillery to the front and
opened fire. Finding that our veter
ans took his avy.shots unflinching
ly, he thought to demOralize our re.
cruits by flank movement; he COM
mitted this duty to a fusileer party
from Grumpy Center, but its firing
was so weak and desultory that the
CONSERVATION wasn't seen. This was
followed up by few shots at long
range by light battery, which of
course made no impression and the
victory WIS ours from the beginning.
But, Messrs. Editors, ! will not
write further in this style lest some
of your readers may think / am
'gassing" in all this. | will make
an honest report, in brief, of what
was said and done.
III. b. Allen, Esq, of Waterloo,
was the frat speaker. He gave q
brief history of the organization of
the Marrow gauge II. II. Company,
but probably did not state all the
causes that led to its organization
He was requested by the company to
go over the line to Des Moines to see
II the people wanted the road and
would assist in building IL, declaring
that local aid was necessary TO build
the road-the reverse Of which
proposition has been preached to us
all the spring by citizens of Water
loo.
The reason the old Des Moines and
McGregor project fell through was
because it was too costly, and also
because parties concerned in it be-
came interested in rival line-the
Central of Iowa! which reasons
were hardly satisfactory inasmuch as
hundreds of miles of road equally
costly are built in the State every
year. Mr.. Allen then proceeded to
read his report on the narrow-gauge
system, which need not say was an
able paper. AS it will be published
/ will not notice it at length. The
leading idea in IL il, that the narrow.
gauge roads cost less to build and
operate and will therefore pay larger
dividends than roads now do. TIC
railroad men his argument would
perhaps be conclusive; but we don''
care whether railroads pay their
builders or not SO long as they pay
US.
In the course of further remarks
Mr.. A. stated that the five miles o.
narrow gauge road that hauls Goa
into Akron had added 1000 to the
population of that city, from which
We simple minded rustics concluded
that road running directly to tn,
nearest and best coal fields in ou
State would be good thing for US.
Mr.. Allen was listened to attentive
ly throughout, aud had we no
known that as representative o
Waterloo he was not sincere, hi
speech might have made some i'm
preston.
Mr.. Il. III. Beckman, Of Grundy
Center, being called on said he wa
not opposed to our road; was in favo
of the narrow~gauge: thought th,
people should vote their money 70
roads in their own county.
Mr.. A. T. Lusch then spoke ant
said about the same thing showed
letter from his brother, stating tina
the Sabula, Ackley road was undo
contract and they could rely upon ID
Should be sorry to see the enterpris
driven away by the action Of th
people.
Capt. Bean was called up from
position on the floor q Ia Turk. III
was in favor of the narrow-gauge
had opposed a per cent. tax for tn
Grinhell road, as he wanted some
thing left with which TO aid a roa,
in their own town; did not believ
the Sabula road would be bull
through their town.
Messrs. Allen and Lusch then CAV
assurance that Waterloo was deter
mined TO build the road.