History of Springfield, Illinois, its attractions as a home and advantages for business, manufacturing, etc. Pub. under the auspices of the Springfield board of trade, by J. C. Power.

ITS ADVANTAGES FOR MANUFACTURING. 33
nois River, has been completed for a cou- spiked on to the pieces of timber, and
pie of weeks so far as to permit the pas- then it was ready to receive the locomosage of trains of ears through the whole motive and cars.
line. The locomotive has now commenced After running awhile the engines needtrips between this city and the Illinois ed repairing, and the track became unRiver; and, for the present, we under- even, so that the cars ceased to be run by
stand it is arranged that the locomotive steam. The road was then leased, and
will leave this city every Monday, Wed- mule teams took the place of the locomonesday and Friday, and Meredosia every tives. After becoming so dilapidated
Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday. We that it was a public nuisance, a law was
also learn that the steamer "Mungo Park" enacted authorizing the sale of the enwill run regularly between Meredosia and tire road. The sale was effected for a
St. Louis, going and returning three mere trifle, with the stipulation that the
times a week, so as to connect regularly parties coming in possession of it should
with the train of cars. This arrangement put it in running order, for the accommowill be of immense utility to our citizens dation of the public. This was someand the traveling community, and will thing like the manner in which the interfurnish the easy means of conveying to nal improvement system of Illinois was
market the produce of a large and most closed out, after having started with
productive region of country." $10,000,000, appropriated from the State
March 18, 1842, the Journal says: "On treasury. There are men who assert that
Saturday last, March 11, the cars ran froln the disasters were all occasioned by a
Jacksonville, 33Y1 miles, in two hours misnomer, that might have been avoided
and eight minutes, including stoppages. by erasing the letter t and inserting the
It is believed the distance can be passed letterf, in the first part of the name. Had
over in one hour and a half. Trips con- that been done, the true character of the
tinue to be made three times per week." enterprise would have been understood
March 25 we find in the Journal: and the danger averted. But Illinois has
"PLEASURE Tmrp.-On Monday, March profited by instruction, obtained through
21, a large party left this city for Jack- disaster, and has, for many years, been
sonville, filling two passenger cars and marching with rapid strides on the true
another fitted up temporarily for the road to greatness.
band of music. They speak in high After the Northern Cross Railroad pasterms of the hospitality and kindness of sed out of the hands of the State, other
the citizens of Jacksonville, of the party changes followed, until it became a part
there, and the pleasure of the trip." of the
In that paper, of the same date, we
find: "During the few days the Spring- TOLEDO, BAS AND WSTERN RAIsLAY.
field and lMeredosia Railroad has been in This road runs the entire distance
operation, and before the public generally across the State, -from east to west, and
were aware of the running of the cars, touches all the principal points mentioned
the receipts from passengers alone have in the act incorporating the Northern
amounted to about seven hundred dol- Crossroad.
lars." The Toledo, Wabash and Western is
This road was all made by laying long one of the most important roads in the
pieces of timber lengthwise with the country-being the shortest route from
track-cross pieces were placed six or the Atlantic seaboard to Northern Miseight feet apart, to keep the stringers souri and Kansas. The whole line, with
from spreading-flat iron rails were its branches, comprises 814 miles.