The Iowa plain dealer. [volume] (New Oregon, Howard County, Iowa) 1867-1895, 1883-09-13
from the Iowa Tribune. !

- g .' siist' W "HiSH was I'aSScu July
,, 1864.
The greatest outrage upon the
rights and interests of the people, in
this Pa ifie Railroad Jaw, will be foun.l
IN the seventeenth section of this
amendment. BY the original act, the
Union Pacific Company was required to
construct a branch road from Sioux
City ION the most direct and practicable
route to some point on its road, to be
fixed by the President Of the United
States tbut not beyond the one-hun-
dredeth parallels. when a railroad
should be constructed through Mime.
sofa or Iowa to Sioux City, This new
road was to unite with and form part
OF the great monopoly, and was to re-
celve the same amount of lands and
subsidy bonds, per mile, rs the main
line received. The building of this
road from Sioux City west, to proper
point Of connection with the main line,
would have cost but little, compare
lively, because of the favorable char
acter Of the country through which il
would pass.
For some reason unknown to the
public, it was decided to make change
IN respect to this branch, not only as to
its location, but also as to the company
whose duty it should be to build it. To
effect this object, this seventeenth sec
,i,n contains the following sections:
That so much of section IA of said
act as relates to branch from Sioux
City. be, and the same is hereby amend
cd SO rs to read rs follows: That when
ever line of III lroad shall he COM
pleted through the Stat of Iowa or
Minnesota, to Sioux City, such COM
panv now organ eel, or as may be here
after organized under the laws of Iowa
or NJ nnesota, Dakota or Nebraska, ms
the President of the United States, by
its request, may designate or approve
for the purpose, shall construct aud
operate line Of railroad and telegraph
from Sioux City upon the most direct
and practicable route to such point on,
and SO rs to connect with the Iowa
branch OF the Union Pacific railroad,
rs such company may select, and on
the sumo terms and conditions rs are
provided in this act, aud the act to
which this is an amendment, for the
construction of the said Union Pacific
railroad and telegraph lines and
branches. ]"
Now, if the reader will take late
map having the lines of railroad upon
it he will discover that q road from
Sioux City to Columbus, in Nebraska,
would be about 100 miles in length, OH
4 line running nearly west: and ut this
latter point it would intersect and mite
with the Iowa branch of the Union Pa.
cific: or line running southwest for a
less distance would unite with the I'm.
ION Pacific Mt Fremont, in Nebraska. In
the original charter it was contemplat.
ed to occupy one of these lines, and, in
fact, branch road was commenced
from Sioux City to Fremont It would
seem that this road, running southwest
to Fremont, and there uniting with the
Pacific. would afford all necessary fa-
cilities for securing the transportat on
Of the mails, troops, etc, and that upon
no preteNt whatever could another
grant of lands and subsidy bonds be
asked. Yet Congress thought other
wise, and in the section last quoted au.
thorized any company organized under
the laws Of Iowa, Mime sofa, Dakota OF
Nebraska, that might he designated by
the President of the United States, on
applf cation to him for that purpose, to
construct Il railroad to unite with the
Union Pacific. leaving it with the new
company to fix the point ut which il
would SO unite, Int re Iuiring it to com
men Q ut Sioux City. Taking adsaa.
tage Of this act, two compa' les, tn
Sioux City and Missouri Valley, and the
Chicago and Northwestern, construct d
a line of road from Sioux City to Coun-
ell Ilaiis, there to unite with the
Pacific; the Sioux City and Missouri
Vail, y constructing the road from Sioux
City t. Missouri Valley, and the Chi.
cage and Northw, ern from \ is souri,
Valley to Council Bluffs. This Zine oil
was constructed ostensibly as part of
the Pacific road. 1t is presumed to run
west. Look Mt the map aad you will
see that from Sioux City to Council
Bluffs, instead of going west, it runs on
a line east of south to the extent oi
thirty miles, Council Bluffs being thirty
miles east Of Sioux City. The company
constructing this last named road re.
ceived from the Governn ct a grant oI
loo sections SHOULD read 20-Eds.) Of
land per each mile, and $l6,00D in sub
81 ~ bonds for each mile OF road. This
line runs on the east side Of the Mis-.
souri, river, and, in truth, is no use as a
route for the transportation oe mails,
troops. etc, unless the Government
prefers to use the longest, least tx.
pcditious, and the most expensive line
of road. Indeed, it seems to be n road
under the especial care and protection
Of Congress. 1t is called in the railroad
MANIA. The S oux City and Pacific
railroad" 1t was n nice and fat" job.
1t has one feature not often found i'll
these railroad jobs carried through Con
gress. 1t appears to have been gotten
M for the benefit of Congressman.
After re oeatel efforts to learn who were
the incorpe rators of this company, We
addressed letter TO the Secretary oi
the State of Iowa, and received the fol
lowing answer:
DE MONIES, lee =, iA.a.
DEAR SIR: The corporators ri
the sioux Cit and Pacific Company We're l.
b. Croker, NJ. X. 'essnp James Wilson,
A W. Hubbard, Ghas 4. Lombard, Frank
Schucharlt. W. b. Allisoa and John J. Is air.
Yours truly, ED WRIGHT,
Secretary OF State.
Ann ng the Directors o. the Cedar
Rasids and Missouri River Company
Il opear the names of John /. Alley and
lumes L. Wilson, who were members