Ottumwa weekly courier. (Ottumwa, Wapello County, Iowa) 1872-1899, 1875-08-04
A CRYING EVIL.


realize immense sums annually from
the people, are under certain obliga-
tons to that people, which should not
be ignored. Railroad companies get
tho right-of-way; charters from the
State; liberal local aid and gigantic
public endowment, and in return they
should be compelled to carry passen.
gers and freight Mt fair rates. More
over they should be required by pub.
lie sentiment, or more potential au-
thority, 10 give the business commu-
nifty convenient and ample freight and
shipping houses. But, above all, they
should furnish the travelling public
with convenient, clean and comfortable
ticket offices, and waiting rooms.
The Chicago, Rock Island and Pa
cific Railroad Company received .
munificicnt land grant, yet It has boon
for fifteen years receiving and dischar-
ging its passengers at tho Capitol OF
the State, in building unfit for first
class hog pen. That Company doubt
less receives at the Dcs Moines station
hundreds of thousands OF dollars per
annnm which 60 to pay dividends
on watcred stock, and enormous sala-
rics to officers, not to mention the
erection of palatial Depots at Chicago
and other favored localities, while the
people of the Capitol Of Iowa must do
their business and await the depar ture
or arrival of trains In q miserable,
dingy, sinking, uncomfortable old
shanty that was probably erected when
Blackhawk, Shop. Letter, and Bill
Allen were running around in their
brcech clouts.
Take Ottumwa for instance. 10
there any reasons or necessity why the
B. & NJ, which Is one of the most
wealthy and successful corporations
in the country, and the Keokuk and
Des Moines Railroad Company, and
tho Iowa Central should all be tenants
at will in the grossly inadequate bull
ding which they now occupy. II 1t
is right and equitable to compel rail.
road company to do business at fair
rate; to run clean and comfortable
cars and to hold said Company liable
for life or limb, why 10 1t not equally
just and reasonable to compel 1t to
have Depots at proper and safe places,
and in buildings sufficient and conve.
nient for the safety and reasonable
comfort Of its patrons?
II passenger should arrive at our
miserable apology for Depot on the
B. s. NJ. train from the East at 10 AS
tonight, he will be dumped out into
the open air; no will find q wilderness
Of railroad tracks In his front, and an
impenetrable morass In his rear. He
will find three or four screaming loco
motives on the tracks in his front, and
between him and his destination In the
city, with their long trains extending
up and down completely imprisoning
him until they are ready to move out.
Sandwiched in between these trains,
or beyond them, will be found after
awhile the public conveyance, and II
he manages to flank q train or two
and reaches bus, and then gcts that
bus out of the maze of railroad loco
motives, which environ him, without
instant death, then he ia lucky indeed.
Ono Of these days a locomotive will
smash up load Of passengers down
there, and then the Coroner's Jury,
and. perhaps the Grand Jury will hsve
something to say about nigssrdiy COR
porations making such dangerous man
traps.
The man or the Company that pnts
its passenger and ticket depot on the
wrong side of all its tracks compelling
men, women, and children to daily
peril their lives to reach 1t, ought to
be complimented ii called simply idi-
otto.
Great and wealthy corporations de-
pending upon the public for support,
and right royalty endowed and sup
ported by that public, ought not to
permit such nuisance to exist for one
day IA what we now facetiously call
our "Union Depot"
All that was senseless and commu-
nistic in the Granger movement has
died out, and the demsgogues who
rode on tho topwave of that delusion
have died with those insane ideas
The better part of the Organization re.
mains, and general feeling is abroad
among the people to allow railroads
just returns on their Investments
Let the railroad companies do their
part, especially those OF them who can
not plead impecuniosity, towards in.
augurating the era of harmony be-
tween labor and capital. A decent,
safe, convenient, and comfortable De-
pot in Ottumwa would DO q good
thing to start that movement with, 60
far as this community is concerned.
Rev. +. Tibbets, Of Agency City,
has a three year old stallion (sired by
Old Honestly lG hands high. weighs
/ LOO fbs. has good action. and "A fine