Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1910-11-17

An account OF some history OF the
Burlington road with which many are
not familiar, will be OF interest to- OF
tumwans and especially those who
have been identified with the railroad
in Ottumwa. The sketch given is from
the late C. F.. Perkins, for many years
the president Of the road and perhaps
in his time the best informed person
with regard to the road. Concerning
the condition of the Burlington in the
sixties, Mr.. Perkins once said:
Iowa railroad builders had quite as
much of struggle in the early days
as other pioneers, and the difficult
problems connected with railroad de-
velopment, was to find persons who
were able and. willing to supply the
money, OF those who were bold
enough to take the risks involved,
some have made profit, but not all,
by any means. The general impress
sion is that railroads have been great
money makers, without much, II any,
risk, and that their rates are too high
and their taxes too low. The truth is,
men who bought land west Of the Des
Moines river forty years ago have
made more profit than men who put
their money into railroads.
II had made my first journey across
Iowa in the winter of 1862, under the
auspices Of Colonel E. r. Hooker,
going by stage from Eddyville via Des
Moines, to Council Bluffs, passing
through what seemed to me like q
great wilderness. After the war our
Boston people were persuaded to I'M
sdemake an extension OF the Burning
ton and Missouri River railroad 10
Charlton, fiyty-six miles from Ut
tumwa, and in August. 1886, made
my second trip across the state with
James +. Joy Of Detroit. then presl-
dent OF the company. TheEend OF, the
track was few miles west of Chilli
Gothic. say ten miles beyond OttumWa,
where we left the railroad and took 2
carriage and pair, with Peter g, Bal
lingall 10 drive. After six or seven
days stopping briefly at the county
seats, we landed at Plattsmouth
.sThe result Of this expedition was
that Mr.. Joy definitely decided against
an extension to the Missouri river. and
he doubted the wisdom Of going even
az far as Charlton. He told me ne
did not believe a road through the
counties Of Clarke, Union, Adams.
Montgomery and Mills could be made
to pay in thirty years; and that ne
should advise his eastern friends not
to take the risk of building. He acted
on this conviction and a year or so
later resigned the presidency, because
his view did not prevail.
"Mr. joys wide experience as
successful railroad pioneer in Michi-
gan, and in Illinois, necessarily gave
great weight to his opinion, put'
fortunately. as it turned, out, Jonn IVY.
Forbes and John w. Brooks, OF Boston
and James w. Crimes of Iowa did not
agree with him, and the road was built
IN spite Of Every h hard sleddins
financially, and withn serious doubt
about the result for several years
Building Of the Road.
The road was finished from Chicago
RI Galesburg in 1854; the name was
changed in 1855 to Chicago. Burlington
q Quincy. and sin 1856 it was cOns0H-
dated with the Military Tract road. re-
tanning It's name, G. 3. & = me
road was. opened from Galesburg 10
Burlington March s, 1855, and from
Galesburg to Peoria In 1857. From
Galesburg to Quincy the line was built
hv the "Northern Cross" company and
nurchased by the Burlington In 1864
The a. IS. &. O., did not complete its
own independent line from Aurora
into Chicago until 1864. The bridge at
burlington was completed In August,
1sea and the bridge at Quincy In No
vember, 1868. {.
Meanwhile (1852 to 1869 the citi-
szans Of Iowa who had organized the
Burlington & Missouri River company :
to build from Burlington west. were
having their own troubles ana soH
the same causes which confronted, the
original illinois promoters OF rallroads
the lack of money with which to pay
workmen for grading, and with which
- purchase ties and iron, locomotives
and cars. Upon its list of incorpora-
+ora are many names of well known
sorner Burlington citizens, among
thor, Charles Mason, David Rorer, J..
= Hail LYMAN Cook, w. F. Cool
hauph. Henry w. Starr, A. w. Carpen-
tar George Frazee, T. L. Parsons, =.
w Newman, John G. Foote, Thomas
Hedee. John S. schramm, D. Denise, j.
% I,auman and many others
= Voted $4,000 Bonds.
The subscriptions to the stock were.
small The city of Burlington and the
county of Des Moines voted to Issue
bonds in aid Of the enterprise, as Ola
ereA,Nc STORY.