Page:History of Iowa From the Earliest Times to the Beginning of the Twentieth Century Volume 3.djvu/48

 by the General Assembly. Their efforts were unsuccessful although they were supported in that position by many members representing portions of the State which were destitute of railroads, who were assured by the representatives of the companies that such restrictions would defeat, for a long time, the extension of railroads into the sparsely settled regions of the State.

After the adjournment of the Legislature several of the railroad companies declared that they would build no more roads in Iowa so long as that restriction remained on the statute books. The people living in sections remote from railroads, organized strong movements to influence the Governor to call an extra session of the General Assembly for the purpose of removing the obnoxious restriction and thus promote railroad building. Committees were appointed to correspond with members of the General Assembly with the object of securing the consent of a majority that, in the event of the assembling of the Legislature in special session, the restriction would be repealed. The effort was not successful and after a long delay railroad building was again resumed.

The main building of the State Agricultural College was completed in the fall of 1868 and a preparatory session was opened on the 21st of October. Dr. A. S. Welch, United States Senator from Florida, had been chosen President. Young women were admitted as students on an equality with young men. On the 17th of March, 1869, the college was formally opened. More than 1,000 persons assembled from all parts of the State to witness the inauguration of the people’s college from which so much benefit was expected. Governor Merrill and Lieutenant-Governor Scott delivered addresses. B. F. Gue, President of the Board of Trustees, which had erected the buildings and organized the college, gave a history of the work. Hon. John Russell, chairman of the building committee, followed with an interesting address. President Welch then delivered his inaugural explaining the plan