Ottumwa weekly courier. (Ottumwa, Wapello County, Iowa) 1872-1899, 1877-04-11
orrumwA,s MISTAKE.

oTTuMWA'S MISTAKE.
| The greatest commercial mistake
lever made by Ottumwa, was losin.
the Chicago and Southwestern Rail
road, which might have been brough
there, had not narrow views Of ccono
lmy stood in the way. Had we Sc
cured that connection, our real prop
crty here to-day would DO worth hal
a million dollars more than il is, be
cause with it Us railroad center ant
distributing point no other city in tn,
State would have excellcd us. Blu
having lost it, let us at least profit b,
such dear-bought experience, and no
commit another great error Of thu
same kind. In discussing our rela
lions to the Chicago and Southwest
ern, it was assumed by many Of
our leading men that tho commercial
Importance Of Ottumwa would force
the road to como horc, the result show.
ed the opinion to be mistake, alike
dear to our town, and to the road.
There now seems to be a fair pros,
poet that by proper effort We may OBJ
tain permanent connection with the
Central Railroad Of Iowa, which now
has only q provisional running ar
rangcment with the Dos Moincs Val
Icy Railroad, liable at any time to be
terminated, which would leave OF
tumwa distant from tho main line
about the same 40 we are from the
Chicago and Southwestern.
For $4,000 in aid here and along
the line, a road can be built from OF
tumwa by the way of Kirkviilc to
Muchichinock on branch of the
Central road about mile and half
from Givin Station.
This link of twenty miles will Sc
cure in pcrpetuity to our town the
terminus of the st. Louis, Kansas City
and Northern Railroad for all bust
ness in Iowa, and also the terminus
of the Central II. II. of Iowa and a
connection with the coal fields of
Kirkvillc, admitted to be the best in
the state. We are assured, on the
most reliable authority, that the sum
named will accomplish this, and that
the work can be done this season.
But there is another side to the
question: unless we move in this mat
ter promptly, we may, as in the case
Of the Chicago s. South Western, for
ever lose the opportunity.
The Iowa Central road is already
completed to Abba, and from Abba
to Moultcn, distance of twenty-five
miles, the line is graded, SO that bridg-
ing, ticing and ironing will give the
connection with the st. Louis, Kan
sas City & Northern, at Moulton, in
stead of at this place. The cost will
not be greater than to bring it here
and on many accounts the interest of
the Central points in that direction,
because in the event that the line is
built here that portion of the Central,
from Given to Abba will be Of but
little value, whereas, were the line
completed to Moulton, it would be of
equal value to any other part of the
road. Abba and Moulton, it is reas-
enable to suppose, realize the impor-
lance of a through line as much as
We do and will make corresponding
effort One or the other of these con-
nections the Central must and will
have this year. The people Of Ottum-
wa must move now or not at all ); we
are about in the same position as
when the Chicago & South Western
made their proposition, and have the
same power and right to decline as
we did on that occasion. Can we af-
ford to do so? The situation of the
city admonishes property holders that
we cannot at least, afford to forego
any of the advantages that we now
have; on the contrary all must see
that we must take o step forward, or
we shall fall back and lose the prest-
ige of being the leading town in the
southern half of the state.
We are able alone to raise the
amount asked, which will be repaid
four fold, in the enhanced value OF
our property, and certainly with thu
aid from Kirkville and other points
it ought to be an easy matter. We
trust that every business man and
property holder will realize the i'm
portance of the matter. Let il
not be said that Ottumwa has made
another mistake, that can only be re-
pentcd of but not remedicd.