Ottumwa weekly courier. (Ottumwa, Wapello County, Iowa) 1872-1899, 1875-10-06
1orTuNNs soUTHwaRn

OTTuMwA, Sept. %, rs.
iot you the following items that are
at least OF local interest and 80 far as
they serve to show by comparison with
other parts of the State arc of general
interest.
Ottnmwa located as it is in the heart
OF rich agricultural region and in the
midst OF rich minerals, including one
OF the best coal fields of Iowa could
hardly be expected to improve with
less rapidity than she does, vet il takes
vim and ability to accomplish the ad-
vancemcnt that this city is making and
ofthese qualities there seems to be no
lack. During the past year more
buildings of better quality have been
bnilt-most of them Of brick-than
any year previous, Notwithstanding
the unfavorable wet season. Among
the more prominent and costly build.
ings, l note the following:
j. Ii. Merrill II Co., Wholesale gro
cers, one-half block of two stories
high; Samuel Mahon, three stores !;
Seth Richard, four stores; Daggett &
Company, Oil mill and one store !;
Duckworth & Co., Touring mill; Ira
A. Myers, one store Geo. Mccullough,
three stores; A. ID. Boyer, two stores !;
Charles Bachman, one store: O. ID.
Tisdale and e. G. Warden, dry goods
house; II. N. Mccoy, planning mill !;
Herschauer, boiler factory; Gray e
Bedwell, livery stable the City 49,.
600 brick public school building. p.
q. BallingaIl has just completed an
addition Of fifty feet on Main street to
the Ballingall Honse and is now fur
nishing il with the latest stylca of
black walnut furniture in suits. When
done he will take the old part in hand
and refurnish it with the Same, in
Gliding new brussels carpets for the
whole. When done the BALLINGALI
will continne to occupy its position as
the first.class hotel of the Des MOines
Valley. or the
oTTuMwA WATER POWER COMPANY
l give yon short sketch, hoping that
it may prove an incentive to the cap
italists and good people of our own
good city to go and do likewise, and
inangurate q movement that will give
the city Of Des Moines An hundred
fold more water power than it now
has. Ottumwas business men, some
months ago, determined that they
could utilize good portion of the wa
ter of the Des Moines River as it
flowed past them, so they organized q
stock company, with capital of $780,.
600, electing as officers: w. Il. Bonni-
field, President; A. II. Hamilton. Vice
President, and j. O. Briscoe, Secretary /;
w. B. Bonnifeld, A. Ii. Hamilton, G.
F. Blake, William Daggett, and Daniel
Eaton, Directors. The object of the
company is to furnish hydraulic power
for manufacturing purposes. To ac-
cemplish this, they sufficiently dam the
river at Turkey Island, about q mile
above the city. and build a canal, l5O
feet wide and feet deep, from the
dam to the city, getting . fall of ten
and one-half feet. 1t is estimated that
in this way they will accumulate 4
power equal to twenty-five hundred
horses, The sonth termini of the canal
furnishes eligible locations for build
ing purposes, the company here hav-
ing about twenty-six acres of land
suitable for this purpose. 1t also
brings them into close proximity to
the many railways OF the city, so that
no long or expensive switches must be
constructed tor their convenience. The
project will be pushed forward to an
early completion, and then you may
look out for busy business. In addi-
ton to driving the wheels for manu-.
facturcrs, it is expected to employ
enough power from this source, by
pumps or otherwise, to supply the city
with system of first-class, yet mex
pensive water works. This can be
done by sending the water to reser.
voirs on the adjacent hills, IN the east
ern part OF the city, where the force of
the fall it will have will send it to
every apartment of every house in tho
city.
There is also another interest here
that other citizens OF Iowa must look
we'll 10, Or - WAlA Am . SaASsA
time outstrip them. I refer to her
railways they already number four,
and more projected. They are the
Chicago, Burlington & Quincy, the
Keokuk e Des Moines, the Central
Railroad of Iowa, and the st. Louis
Kansas City & Northern railways.
Iron arms, that as their names suggest,
reach out in every direction to tho very
great advantage of every property
holder and citizen of this city and the
country round about it. OF the most
noticeable railway improvements of
late are those made by the keokuk &
Des Moines folks, under the superin-
tendence of Geo. Fl. Griggs, Esq. This
gentleman mas certainly earned the
good will and best wishes of the peo-
pie of this part of the State for the
good condition in which he has placed
the old Valley road. The st. Louis,
Kansas City & Northern has also awak-
ened from its Rip Van Wrinkle sleep.
and is after business with such keen
zest that very soon / apprehend Iowa
people will fully realize that there is
such city as st. Louis. Gee. W. Linn,
Esq, ia the General Agent at this
point, and \ railroad man that fully
understands his business, and ia the
right man in the right place.
ECcLEs.