Ottumwa weekly courier. (Ottumwa, Wapello County, Iowa) 1872-1899, 1878-05-22
rne RA,LRoAp s,ruAT,oN,


Az our readers are already inform
ed large and enthusiastic railroad
meeting was held at Sigourney, ON
the 22d ultimo, at which large dele
cations of influential people from
Cedar Rapids, Sigourney and Ottum-
wa were present. The meeting re-
ceived its inspiration from Cedar
Rapids, and the delegates from that
city, who were among its leading
bankers, manufacturers, capitalists,
and taxpayers, entered heartily and
unanimously into the organization of
the Cedar Rapids, Sigourney and
Ottumwa Railroad Company.
Prior to that time s. L. Bows, of
Cedar Rapids, had organized in q
quiet way, q so-called railroad COM
pany, having it's headquarters at Ce-
dar Rapids and naming himself Pres
ident and other Cedar Rapids people,
exclusively, the other officers of the
company, which was intended to be
an exceedingly close corporation and
which was ushered into the world as
the Cedar Rapids and Southwestern
Railroad Company. At the Sigour-
ney meeting our people met the rep
resentatives Of Cedar Rapids on one
side and Mr.. Dows,representing him
self, on tho other, the former claim
ing that the organization of the latter
was made without the knowledge or
approval of the people of that city,
and that it would not meet with the
endorsement of the people there in
the way Of local aid, &c. As our
readers know, Mr.. Bows, finding
himself without any support in his
scheme, entered heartily into the
new organization at Sigourney, be-
coming himself a Director and Treas
urer of the new company, and NAM
ing from his old organization anoth-
er director, all OF which was accepted
by the Cedar Rapids people and the
meeting generally, as q measure of
compromise and harmony. Mr..
Bows, at the same time in the public
meeting, by his own word of mouth,
and through his attorney, agreeing
to withdraw and cancel his old or
ganization. At this meeting Mr..
Bows gave it to be inferred in sew
eral speeches, that he had the Chica-
60, Milwaukee & st. Paul railroad
company at his back, and that if the
new organization would only give
him time, he would demonstrate his
ability to build the road, and
otherwise. show bis hand, which
he claimed was uncommonfy full
of trumps. Mainly at his own
suggestion committee of the
directors from Cedar Rapids, Sig
Quincy n Ottnmwa, which was
then and there appointed to visit Chi
cago and Milwaukee to interview
railroad magnates, was put off to May
I'd inst, or some ten days, and before
that meeting Mr.. Bows himself re-
quested the chairman of the commit
tee to make another postponement,
which was granted, but when the
time came Mr.. Bows failed to keep
his own appointment, and the COM
mittee ascertained that Mr.. BOWS
had no such backing as was in
ferred, the President and General
Manager of the Chicago & Milwau-
kee Railroad Company, informing
the visiting directors from this city,
and Sigourney, that no arrangement
had been promised or made with Mr..
Bows, and that company, while an
nouncing its earnest desire to connect
with the system of southern Iowa
railroads at this city, proposed to CO.
operate with our company, which
was regularly and fairly organized,
and which represented the people
along the entire route, and one which
could therefore command confidence
ana enlist local aid.
1t is not difficult, therefore, to inn
agine the establishment of the people
here aud in Keokuk county (who are
in full accord with us on this matter)
to notice that Mr.. Bows has finally
shown his hand and totally ignored
the Sigourney organization, taking
advantage of the delays made at his
own request; in the meantime, that
he has called a meeting in room No.
Ii, Postoffice Block, in Cedar Rapids.
and repeated his mysterious Sigour-
ney promises, and secured an express
sion from that meeting in favor Of
supporting his old scheme, towit:
the "Cedar Rapids d. Southeastern"
refusing in that meeting to have Ell
Their Sigourney or Ottnmwa mention
ed as points, all Of which we learn
from the Cedar Rapids papers, and
other well informed sources.
We tell the people Of Ottumwa and
Sfgourney that this is we'll consider
ed scheme on the part of Mr.. Bows to
see-saw us as to terms, after the man
ner of the "Chicago q Southwestern"
1t remains to be seen whether we
have the pluck and enterprise to cir
cumvent this evident attempt to
squeeze us for personal ends, and
to defeat this notorious and self evil
dent act of bad faith on the part of
Mr.. Bows and his hackers.
RAIL ROAD MEETING.