The Oskaloosa herald., 1905-08-03
cAApTER THIRTY.
Railroads cf Mahaska county--Thelr
Beginning aad crcwsh.

4 AONN wv company naANtM NhS WIZ
sissippi a Missouri Railroad compa.
MY. Work was begun at Muscatlne.
The proposed route was surveyed di.
rectiy through Mahaska county, cross
.ne the river at Rochestcs During
Judge Crookham's administration OK
county affairs one hundced thousand
dollars OF county bonds as subscrip.
ton to the enterprise were voted to
the company. but they were not is
sued. Soon after Judge Rhinehart
was elected county judge IN answer
to petition OF more than one-fourth
az the voters In the county, he sub
mitted to the people the question
whether he should subscribe in the
name OF the county $4,000 more In
bonds payable in twenty years at ten
per cent interest, payable semi-annual-
". The subscription was voted in
March, 1856. Before delivering the
bonds Judge Rhinehart required Sc
curity from the company that the road
should be built. The security was not
given and the bonds were not deliv-
cred. In 1859 Judge RhinehaFt called
for an election to decide whether the
loan should be rescinded or delivered
to the company. A decided majority
werp against resembling and bonds 10
the amount OF 100000 were delivered
to John Al. Dix, president or the COM
pany, with the understanding that the
road was to be completed TO OsRaloosa
before September, 1860. The compa-
nv we're to expend the sum OF $4,000
III Mahasks county during the summer
Of 1859, and the county was to pay
interst on 100000 OF the bonds UNI
I'll the road was completed TO Oska-
Ioosa Certificates OF stock to the
amount of the subscription were given
by the company and also bonds for the
execution OF It's contract. In q short
time the sale OF the bonds was en-
Joined because parts Of the agreement
had not been complied with, and the
only loan ever made by the county
wax annulled.
The bonds remained In possession
OK the company until 1870, when steps
were taken by the board Of supervis-
ors to recover them. In this they
we're successful and VIM. q. B.iggs,
chairman OF the board, and the coun-
~ auditor were appointed commit
tee TO burn the documents.
II. r. Kendig says that IN 1867,
when the disposition OF these bonds
was in doubt, delegation Of gentle
men from Burlington, among whom
were Fitz Henry Warren, afterwards
General. and Judge j. G. fril5 repre-
senting the G., y. & q road, visited
oskaloosa and a public meeting was
held in the old court house. The q,
b. &c q. was at that time completed 10
Rome. These men proposed to our
flnanciers that II they would make
over to them the bonds which had
been voted to the doubtful M. a. M
road, the G., b. & @. company would
come UP the divide from Rome and
coming through oskaloosa would take
the third tier OF counties to Council
Bluffs instead OF the second tier, over
which their route had been surveyed.
They counted that they would gain a
decided advantage In the management
Of their road bed on this upland route
across the state. Although these men
pleaded their cause earnestly and elo-
uuently, the moneyed men In Osia-
loosa failed to see the immense value
10 be gained by the offer, and turned
II down. Everybody can see now that
IL was the golden opportunity not only
in the lifetime Of one generation, but
iii the lifetime OF q city. Just what
Oskaloosa) would have been all these
years with great trans-continental
trunk line touching its life eighteen to
twenty hours out OF the twenty-four OF
each day, II Is difficult to tell. 1t Is
said that u. w. Eastman became 90
discouraged over the failure TO accept
this offer that he left the city, lccat.
ing at Eldora, and in after years was
elected lieutenant governor OF Iowa
Keokuk & Des Moines.
The Keokuk and Des MoInes rail-
road was built from Keokuk 70 Eddy
vile as early as 1862. II was In
tended to extend II to Des Moines and
then on north into Minnesota. Until
IL reached Des Molnes some years lat
er ii was called the Keokuk, Des
Moines and Minnesota r. X. Co. Then
for some years 1t was known as the
Des Moines Valley. Later the name
was changed to the Keokuk & Des
Moines Railroad Co, which II retained
untiI the road became a part OF the
Rock Island System in 1878.
From Eddyyille the road was built
up the Muchakinock Valley through
the southeast part Of the county DUR
ing the summer OF 1864. Tho compa-
nv which furnished The capital for the
building OF this road were Gilman q
SON. of New York City. Certain al
ternate sections Of land located ten
miles on each side Of the Des Moines
river had been granted TO them BY
the state IN consideration Of this pub
Ilc Improvement. These lands had
been granted BY congress 70 the Desl
Moines River Improvement 90. This