Ottumwa weekly courier. (Ottumwa, Wapello County, Iowa) 1872-1899, 1873-04-03
1nR cEDA6 HArsDs = a, LoUla
OrruirwA, March %, 1879.

OTru1fwA, March ~, 1873.
Ed. REPuDLrcAN: ! was surprised
On reaching this city to find 50 much
interest manifested in regard to the
above road. Il IL specially Heightened
now from the fact that there is I we'll
founded idea prevailing that 1t is ODE
completed to Cedar Rapids this sum-
mer. This belief is based on the fact
that the line has changed hands and
gone into the keeping of men Of CAPT.
tai and influence, who have staked
their reputation and money on its sue
cess. They have been quietly work
Ing. this winter to bring their plans
around 80 = to begin active labor on
the road as soon as the frost is out of
the grcund, aud have so far succeeded
as to advertise for ties to complete the
first thirty-1ve miles to Sigourney.
called on Judge Vail, the President
Of the lows National bank, who is the
General Manager-was cautiously re-
ceived and given as much information
as he deema proper to lay before the
public.
He says they have arranged to COM
mence vigorous work at once on this
end Of the line and will, If nothing in
tervenes, have the cars running into
Sigourney ID July. They have adver-
tised for 100000 cross ties to be dcliv-
cred along the line, for which they pay
cash on delivery, which is significant
that the money is forthcoming to build
it. They win do nothing on our end
till this end Is completed, although
they expect to reach Cedar Rapids be-
fore cold weather, so as to furnish us
with our winter coal.
The coal business is great thing
for Ottumwa, and will be for us when
It Is delivered for $31k or $3A q ton
It is furnished at the mines for $1.75
and ought to be laid down at oul
doors for that amount. The Judge
says they intend to make an immense
coal depot Of Cedar Rapids, to furnish
our railroads, manufactures, and
dwellings with cheap fuel. The coal
company now own somewhere from
| 1,50O TO 1000 acres Of the very bes,
coal lands about here, on which are
veins from four to six feet in thick.
ness. This ID along the line Of Their
road, and having only 80 or 80 miles
to haul it, they cen afford to under.
sell every one else, and still make
money.
l endeavored to show to him, thai
while he was doing us favor will
his cheap coal, we could reciprocate
by furnishing his line with vas
amount of freights which would cen
ter at Cedar Rapids from our northern
| and western lines of railroads. H,
seemed pleased to find that Cedar Rap
Ids was SO interested in its completion
and hoped we would be mutually ben
Gifted.
Already is Ottumwa interested abou
the machine shops. The chances arr
that unless we put our hands dowr
deep in our pockets, they will no
come here. Point by point the twt
towns win compare favorably as K
advantages. Ottumwa has the Del
Moines Valley, north and south; tn,
3. & NJ, east and west, and the NORTH
Mo, south. To counter-balance oul
water power, they have coal, while til,
population Is estimated at about 5000
l think we can lead .hem on manufac
turing. tits the best city, at any rate
In southern Town, west Of the Missis
sippt aud is destined to be large
place; in fact, It is neighbor whose
acquaintance Cedar Rapids ought tt
cultivate by all means.
Since the completion Of the line Il
st. Louis, frcights have been reduced
one-third, and not only that-they
have been kept down by the riva
lines whose interests are entirely ad
verse to each other. The merchants
consequently have reaped large bene
fits which have done much to buili
up the place. Tho freight price for /
car to St. Louis-290 miles, is $4,000
-Coyrespondence Of Cedar Rapids Re
Dublfcnn. $50