Ottumwa weekly courier. (Ottumwa, Wapello County, Iowa) 1872-1899, 1874-12-24


demonstrated that the rapids In the
river at this point furnished one Of the
best water powers In the West.
Strangers whiting our city have fire.
quently manifested astonishment be-
cause this power was not utilized, but
the explanation has been that on &C..
connt OF our other advantages Of lo-
cation and railroads facilities, We have
never been pinched enough ~ neces.
eity. to tnrn altentinn nAl,3a- fhA. a-Aat--
est source Of our wealth and prosper
ity.
Had Uttumwa been Situated on one
line Of railroad, only, and therefore in
the power Of grssping monopoly, she,
perhaps, would have long ago turned
her attention from mercantile to man
ufactaring pursuits.
Situated % We are, equi.distant from
Chicago and st. Louis, with direct and
important railroad routes to both
cities. which have been and will be
perpetual rivals, we have Thus had
cheaper fraights than any other town
in the West. This has enabled our
merchants to pay more for produce
and cell goods cheaper than any Of her
rivals. Hence we have, to-day, four
teen houses engaged in the Wholesale
trade hesides doing larger retail and
grain business than any town in Iowa
off Of the Mississippi river.
For ten years, at least, the CoURlEE
has from time to time been urging up.
on the attention Of the people the i'm.
portance Of improving our water
power, and the time now seems to be
suspicious for inaugurating that work.
Mr.. John %. AIRY, Of Sterling, I'LL
nsis, = gentleman with the highest
Recommendations - to skill and hon
esty, has lnaGae survey and report
which has boon published in the
COURIER and read and fully consid-
cred by all orr people,:
He shows thst . dam can be put in.
the race ding and everything completed
for the operation Of machinery from
Turkey leland to the iron Railroad
BRIDGE : distance Of $500 feet, for
100000, which will give about ten
and one.half feet fall at the bridge,
and over 1900 horse power. This
power 10 sufficient to run thirty or forty
laxge mile.
Moreover 1t has been demonstrated
by recent patents, improvements and
experiments that this power can be
transmitted by cables without dim.-
Guilty st lesat one thousand feet, 30 that
manufacturing establishments d far
Away from the proposed power - the
Rumer Factory could be run very near.
| " q chsAply . II located immediately
upon the race.
Mr.. AIRY shows that . continuation
Of the race 70 the river below and near
Ballingsll's Pork House, would give
no fully $500 horse power, which 10 On
amount 90 large, that It would scarcely
b exhausted by . manufacturing city
1 OF $1,000 inhabitants, and this extern.
sion Of the race from the. bridge can
be made at any time whom the Deeesi:
Ties Of the city may require It.
Tho works at TamA City which cost
|about 100000 were completed inside
OF i've months, 90 that II We 60 to
work, organize Company, and snb.
scribe the etock, the enterprise may be
completed by the lat day - next Sop.
tember.
II il the opinion Of the gentlemen
who have Visited N in regard 70 this
matter. that this 10 ora of tho best
powere in tho West: thst with orr
facilities for receiving and forwarding
freights, the Water Power would be
readily rented, and that manufacturing
establishments such - FIGURING Mills,
Paper Mills. Rolling Mills &C., &c.,
would spring up - II by magic. This
would greatly add to The value Of our
real estate, increase our population
with great rapidity. give . market
1t homo for III the products Of the