Missouri Valley times. [volume] (Missouri Valley, Iowa) 1874-1931, 1901-06-20
He Tells of tho Act. by which tho Debt
to lie Settled by sale Was Incurred-
Tho Financing Of the Project and
Work cf Constructions.

Pacific railroad located in Iowa. This oct
also provided for land grant and for the
Chapter ZIG of the acts OF the first ses-
sion of the Thlrtyeighth congress amends
chapter l20 of the preceding congress- and
ton of and land grant to the Sioux City
ond Pacific Railroad company. 1t was
S sr BY the - president IVY 1884
Sioux City and Pacific Railroad company
were lile,l for record In the office Of the
, ,s. r. of state Of Iowa August Is.
Smith Inc sgosfea James Ssfs w Rss.
a. w. Hubbard, Charles A. Lombard,
| Frederick schuchart, William r. ALI
SON and John j. Blair
Two years passed before the Chicago
and Northwestern reached the Missouri
valley and preparations for its construc
ton began.
In the meantime it was not without in
Ndious attention. In the matter OF its
location upon the east side of the Mis-
souri, river, y was. said that one of its
that IT was impossible to build from Sioux
City In a due southwest direction to a
Union Pacitic connection on account OF
hg Ha' vb Hills which the Missouri H.;
tcnion was directed to the fact that the
Black Hills were somewhat more remote
than he had stated, he explained that he
meant the Blackbird hills.
saving that the Sioux City and Pacific
was the only road In the United States
whose eastern terminus was twelve miles
west of Its western terminus. The maps
Will show that he was somewhat inexact,
but not far out of the way.
1t was urged that no bonds of the gov
ernment could be issued in aid OF the
Iowa portion of the Sioux City and Pa
gific under an act providing for aid to
line extending from the Missouri river to
the Pacific ocean.
Preliminary Survey.
In the fall OF 1866 the preliminary survey
was made from Missouri Valley to Sioux
City The writer was one Of the party,
that he was its leading and foremost
member by virtue Of his position as head
chairman. The engineer in charge was
nade the location Of the Chicago and
Northwestern railroad from Marshaltown
to Council Bluffs and had been identified
with its surveys and construction from
Cedar Rapids westward. Mr.. Burnett was
graduate Of the Troy polytechnic school.
a,i unusually accomplished mathemati-
clan, a fine hotanist and generally a man
whose technical knowledge was varied
and exact. He possessed that desirable
quality In an engineer, nose for loca-
ton and was quick to perceive and take
advantage of the physical features of Il
country that permitted the best engineer
Ing work. He will be remembered by many
Sioux City people as the roads superin-
lncmbered il not for his urhanity, at
least for never losing sight of the COM
pany's interest lie died In 1880
The first IS surveys we're begun November
10, lS66. The weather was cold The
prairie had been burned over from the
Little Sioux river to serKeat Bluff and
the ground was smooth as a floor. BY
Tie Floyd river, where we turned back
and fixed the location back to Onawa
The final location and building of the
line was begun at Missouri Valley April
$, 1864 under Mr.. Burnett as superintcnd-
ont of construction, with Douglns &
Brown as principal contractors. Mr.. J.
bridges was one Of the four engineers
in charge of earthwork. December ],
1864, found the grading completed to Ser
se"nt Bluff With the track Mt Onawa.
work above Floyd bluff with track and
bridging: We boarded with James Ma
l'ney OF blessed memory Of the North
During the summer of 1867 most of the
Sioux City people had their serious doubts
concerning the completion of the road to
row do concerning the Movlle line. The
Sioux City Journal of September I, 1867,
Mahlon Gore. editor says that while max
ing, ING II, TRIP across the state few days be-
tors. who told him they expected to have
tho grading completed to Woodbury. (Ser-
gsant Bluff, by Christmas, and during tn.
winter To use their forces in the heavy
work near Floyd blun. Mfr. Gore, In con-
clnsion. says: We think our people may
regard this information as correct, as 1t
WAS Impaired to us in all apparent cam
dor"
October l2, 1867. the Journal says: IA
gentleman from Onaw-l says they expect
the track at Onawa within fifty days
Nov. ], 1861, Journal: Track crossed
Little Sioux river and graders only five
miles below Sioux City
Nov. 10, 1867, Journal: I'VE can see tho
grinders At work within sight of our win
dow
JAM January s. 1858, Journal ". Passenger
eighteen miles above ona
February q, 1868. Journal: Track
reached the Floyd river
March 3, 1868, Journal: John I. Blair
with the government commissioners, in
Regular train service was at once es-
Superintendent The Undersigned '', was
given charge of the location party and
proceeded o.,ss to make the location from Calf
5b bs dmnesioq Ia to JUNCTION with
Richards, who had the good fortune to be
! defeated few. years ago, when repub-
lcan M, nomnee for governor Of Nebraska.
ried on during 1868 and completed March
]. 1863. Much aid was voted and secured
to the road in Nebraska by counties and
by the requirement of franchises carry
ing with them grants of land Alto
| scther, In the parlance of the street. the
| construction company had melon
Financing of the Road.
| The road was financed by three inter
\ csts, headed by John l. Blair. Cakes and
| Oliver Ames and Horace Williams all
| represented in the directory, with Mr.
| Blair as president. The Blair and Ames
| interests dominated matters, and the
i Williams interests had but little voice in
| matters. After the Credit Mobilier de-
| velopments and the Ames failures, on ac-
| count OF favors previously rendered to
| Mr.. Blair, the Ames brothers desired the
| assistance that he could readily render
| and to which they felt themselves en-
| titled, but Mr.. Blair had employment for
| all his funds In buying U. p. stock AT
4 the next annual election of directors the
| Ames and Williams interests combined.
| Mr.. Blair was laid upon the shelf, never
| more to have a voice in the management
| OF the various companies founded and
| fostered by him. No greater punishment
could have been inflicted upon him
The commissioners making the inspec-
| ton were General Frank p. Blair. Cen
eral N. b. Buford and Isaac T. Rogers.
The road was accepted by the president
as follows:
March g. 1s6s-From the goth to the
| G.l4th mile post (Blair crossing)
4 March q, 1S68-From the LIST to the Goth
mile post.
March 2. lsss--From the sshth 10 mile
post 101, 1921 miles.
The United States subsidy bonds, run
min thirty years, were Issued as follows:
March 10, 1868. $7S2.000: March 3d. 1868.
1920. 900; March 8, 1862 $5l6, 800, q total OF
Sl.6zs.32o The issue Of bonds was sorne-