Ottumwa weekly courier. (Ottumwa, Wapello County, Iowa) 1872-1899, 1878-11-20
RAILROAD MArrERa,

Burlington, Cedar Rapids and North
ern Railroad Company shows a falling
off for the past month as against the
same period of time last year, which
is equal to loss of some seventeen
per cent. per annum. This road, like
the Chicago, Milwaukee & st. Paul,
draws its business mainly through an
almost exclusively wheat country,
and the short crop of that staple is af-
fecting the carrying trade of those
northern thoronghfares to a very ma
terial extent. Had it not been for the
unexpected failure of wheat In North
ern Iowa, Wisconsin and Minnesota,
for 1873, which he.Chicago, Milwau-
kee & st. Paul drains, we should now
be in the midst of the extension of q
branch of that great thoroughfare
from Cedar Rapids to Ottumwa, asall
the arrangements to that end, contin-
gent upon good crop, and conse-
quently a good carrying business. had
already been made.
We are informed by General He'd
rick, President of the Cedar Rapids,
Sigourney & Ottumwa Railroad Com.
pany, that his company has the
strongest kind of verbal and written
assurances from the Chicago, Milwau-
kee & st. Paul Company, of sufficient
monetary aid and endorsement to set
the scheme afoot on the opening of
spring. As 1t stands, the current
year has not been unfruitful of results
In that direction. Two very good
routes have been surveyed, plated
and the probable expenses arrived at;
the right of way has been mostly Sc
cured, and other impediments and
complications substantially straight
ened out, 80 that everything bids fair
for the early success of this much
needed and greatly desired enterprise.
When that time comes, as certainly
1t will come, Ottumwa will have no
rival In Iowa in the matter of rail-
road facilities, and manufacturing re-
sources, which are the things that
mark the location of the future great
city.
The unthoughtful and impatient
are inquiring continuously of those
they think ought to know: How about
this project of the Milwaukee & st.
Paul railroad to this city. All such
should keep their souls in patience.
If the people along the line shall do
their duty next season, including our
selves in Wapello county, and that
they will there can be no reasonable
doubt, we shall see the road in opera
ton for mostif not the whole distance
from Cedar Rapids to this city, dur
ing the year 1879. We regard 1t az
the grandest railroad enterprise that
can be presented to our people; it will
together with our present roads, give
the Undergraduates ofChicago, Mil
waukee &St. Louis meeting here ON q
common battle ground for our trade.
This road will, too, to our mind, very
clearly aid directly and materially to
the early construction of the necessa-
ry gap to bring the Iowa Central rail-
road to this city as Its permanent ter
minus.
With our railroad facilities, coupled
with our water power, which is far
superior to any other in the West
save those in the higher ATTITUDES Of
Minnesota and Wisconsin, then the fu-
ture of Ottumwa can be easily fore
told by all intelligent people.
We say again, be patient. There is
no possible chance for backward step
"a little time will Salty the most ex-
acting, and outstrip the imaginings Of
The most enthusiastic.