The Denison review. [volume] (Denison, Iowa) 1867-current, 1906-03-22
he FOUNDED MANILA.
Engineer Stevens of Panama
Canal Father of Thriving City
so UNCLE MORRIS TELLS US
Was Head of Engineers Who Laid Cut
Milwaukee Branch and Establish
ed Town of Manila

do not suppose many of your read
ers are aware that the Chief Engineer
of the Panama Canal once walked
through Crawford county at the head
of corps of engineers hunting a
route for the Sioux City branch of
the Milwaukee railroad and that we
are indebted to him for several miles
more of railroad and for the town of
Manila with its round house and the
many employees that are needed at the
junction of great continental line as
the Sioux City branch is coming to
be-Manllla ought to place life size
statute of Mr.. Stevens on the top of
her round house. The Sioux City
branch was called the Defiance line
all along during the preliminary work.
The company had run several lines
from Defiance to Sioux City and had
Mr.. Stevens running the locating line
and putting in the curves for the per-
manent line with Defiance as the juno
tion point. The change to Manila.
came about in this way-I met the
surveying party as they were coming
down the Paradise creek on Andy
Bells farm, and had quite lengthy
visit with Mr.. Stevens in which he
told me of having his boys in the
water for hours at time nearly up
to their arms on the Missouri bottom.
Finally we got to talking about his
line to Defiance told him | thought
could mark him out a practicable
line that would strike the main line
some nine or ten miles east of Def
ance and make him much shorter
line to Chicago. He said he wished
would do so-We also talked of
saving about one-half mile OF line at
the mouth of the Paradise creek
Their preliminary lines had all been
run around by George Bells house one
half mile south of Robert Bells-l
told him thought he could make the
turn at Robert Bells and run in front
of Thos. Rae's and easily get down to
a grade crossing over the Northwest
ern-This was Saturday evening-Mr.
Stevens and party stayed over Sunday
at Dow City, stayed at my farm and
Monday morning as came up to
Denison / met Stevens and party just
as they had finished preliminary
line over the branch. He was we'll
pleased with his line and went back
and ran the locating line where the
road is built today gave him my
map of the Manila line He located
the line to Defiance and having COM
municated with the head officials got
orders to run a line to Manila o
rather to the place where Manila i
now-He camped with his party II
Buck Grove by the house of Al Hank
ness where fuel was plenty Harknes
came to Denison and told me tina
Stevens was about done. of cours
1 had a curiosity to see what kind OF
line they had got So drew anothe
map, showing all the sections cove,
ing his Defiance and the new Manill
line. l sent it with letter to Ste
vens and said, 81 dare you to mar
both of your lines on this map an
| return it to me. If you do | wi
| speak good word for you to you
| best girl. In day or so l got n
map back with both lines careful
| marked on it and letter TO me sa
ing, that he was just like he w
when boy and would never take
dare and as for the best girl he hi
already got her Stevens ran pr
liminary line through Denison a
near Battle Creek but found the Sio1
City end of it impracticable as
afterwards told me.
NORRIS McHENRY.