Knoxville journal. [volume] (Knoxville, Iowa) 1874-1986, 1875-04-22

VaA WakxEOE2Os
Under this caption the State Reg
'ster Of the 18th inst. says: Prior te
the war the trade Of Central and South
ern Iowa was almost entirely with st,
Louis. With the commencement ol
the great contest, and the necessary
nnsettling Of affairs i'm the Missouri
metropolis, the products of Iowa
naturally sought another market.
Iowa merchants follow the corn and
herds and Chicago gathered in the
rich trade that had formerly gone
down the Mississippi. When the war
closed some feeble efforts were made
by st. Louis to regain the coveted
Hawkeye commerce, but the Chicago
grasp was that Of giant and the
effort was asfruitless. Chicago reached
out score of iron roads; st. Louis
had no connection direct to offer.
Since then the scheme of South
ern railroad has been frequently
mooted, and some feeble attempts
have been made to organize conlpa-
nies for the construction of a Des
and Moines st. Louis road, but 80 far,
the organization has done nothing
more serious than to spoil white pa
per and pass resolutions. Now there
Is a prospect for the building of the
line. The money to build ID from
Moulton to Abba is secured, and
proposals for grading and tieing are
ready to be let. From Abba to
Knoxville the grading is partially
completed, and not more than ten
thousand dollars more than is pledg-
ed is needed to complete that sec
ton.
Des Moines interest must take up
the project at the latter place, and
see that the line is finished to this
city. The cars will be running to
Knoxville within twelve months,
and possibly within six. The con-
templated route from that place is to
Carlisle. Without now attempting
to decide the question as to the feasi-
bility aud desirability of that line,
we desire to call the attention of Des
Moines to the urgent necessity of
taking some action to secure the
completion Of the road by some route
to this city. AS we understand the
plan of the company building the
railway, they do not ask snbscrip-
tions in ready money but require
good notes, payable when the cars
are running to the place where the
notes are due. Knoxville raised $50,
000; what will Des Moines do
Last year we built the only railway
that was builti in the United States,
and the impetus ii gave TO our trade
was felt in every branch of business.
That road was less than forty miles
long and the northern terminus was
a village of less than fifteen hundred
people. The A. X. e. ID. M. Road
will be great thoroughfare, tapping
every line of railway between the
capital of Iowa and st. Louis. 1t
will be the common carrier for the
best agricultural counties Of the land
and the richest mineral section Of
the West. 1t is for us to say whether
Des Moines shall reap the advanta-
ges of the vast trade these regions
will afford. The road cannot and
will not stNb b at Knoxville. By some
route it will reach Des Moines, but If
that route should connect with the
Capital City by tapping road al
ready built here, tho junction and
not Des Moines will be enriched,
Now is the time TO act. With
proper exertions the amount we
must pay to secure the terminus can
be secured long before the summer
is ended, and the work OF construc-
ton can be commenced here as well
as at Knoxville. Who will move in
the matter, and see that proper ac-
ton is taken?