Ottumwa weekly courier. (Ottumwa, Wapello County, Iowa) 1872-1899, 1875-05-05
TO THE EARaERe,

VIC Aevo lew WORDS 10 00Qfe6S 20
the farmers generally Of this county,
and more especially those whose
market and trading point 10 the city OF
Ottumwa. and We may say still more
especially to those near this city.
At this time Ottumwa 10 not sur.
passed - . market for farm produce BY
any town In Iowa of the Mississippi
river. This city 10 indeed exceedingly
remunerative to the producer @ q
market. II 10 pertinent to enquire
how came It 20? The answer Il easily
and readily msde-it Il upon every
tongue, and none can be 20 stupid q
not to sec It. 1t IL because OF the rail.
road facilities which We possess.
Our buyers OF produce sre enabled
BY tho competition afforded In trans.
portation 70 pay price that iaaAs hut
little below the prices In Chicago and
St. Louis, two cities which are in con.
tinuous rivalry for our trade, and
each OF which are within ten miles Of
being equidistant from ~.
1t was not over thirty days after the
completion TO this point Of the North
Missouri Road that the fteights from
here 10 Chicago were reduced one.half,
the direct cause Of st. Louis compe.
tition. Previous to that time the sale
Of the crop OF potatoes in this market
did not amount to hardly anything % q
rule Ever since, however, the pota.
the crop has been very remuaerative,
and on simply this production alone
the farmers OF this vicinity have 70.
allied ten fold what this city and
county paid out TO secure the North
Missouri Road.
In addition to our haying . good
market for products the farmers also
buy what they need ct very cheap
rates, because our merchants arc able
TO get very low fFsights on their goods.
Tho tact IL that on many kinds Of
goods the difference between The
freights our merchants pay and what
our neighbosing towns pay Turntables
. good profit to our dealers. These Id
vantages rebound to the benefit Of ell
the farmers who are In convenient
hauling distance Of this city. They
have felt this sensibly for yeaes past.
and nearly al OF them admit the fact.
II Is 90 very evident that these I'd.
vantsges have come to 10 by reason OF
our railroad facilities that very few
men indeed, risk their reputation for
honesty or common sense by eontro-
verting It.
Fortunate first In obtaining tho B.
Il n. and the DIV. Roads, and being the
terminus Of the former during the war,
gave ne wonderful impetus. Then
following this, obtaining the North
Missouri brought to % finally the Cen.
trail of Iowa, and thus fortified, we have
prospered 80 rapidly that The cases are
very rare In tho State, fiat I'll, where
equal prosperity abounds.
Let US recall tbs history Of reoent
enterprises. There was about $l25, 600
raised BY subscription and paid to 90.
cure our Southern road. lOs this sum
there was perhaps paid by the farmers
Of this county 5000. There were .
few notsble examples among the
farmers who subscribed very literally,
bat these were very few and only the
smallcst numbar assisted at all.
In reality the farmers have reaped
and are to-day rssping more advantages
from our railroad feeiutes than any
other class Of people.
We failed In obtaining Tho Chicago
Southwestern Road, though in and
near 10 this city there wAs subscribed
about $50, 00Q and there VA not ten
thousand Of this sum which W. not
subscribed by citizens Of this city or
by those living within . mile Of t.
Had the balance Of tho people, those
Of the county who wsrs also in.