Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1899-10-05
Road Has Planned the Most Exten
sive Improvements Ever In
Its History.
Des Moines River Bridge at Eddy
Vile One Of the Greatest New
Steel, Grading, Etc.
George s. Batty, New General Pas
senger Agent, Takes Charge Of
His Duties His Career.

was either in the course of construction
or being planned for the immediate fu-
ture. Some of the state papers have
made the claim at different times
that the Central'si property would
be allowed to depreciate and that re-
pairs would not be kept up, all on ac-
count of the New York officials, who.
they claimed, were against any great
expenditure.
Suchsis evidently not the case. how
ever and plans have been made to do a
great deal of work in the way of inn
provement, even at this late time of the
year.
Mr. Ira c. Hedrick, OF the firm OF
Waddell & Hedrick consulting ensl-
neers of Kansas City. recently went
over the road inspecting the bridges,
giving particular attention to the Des
Monies river bridge at E.ddyville, whers
the Central is considering the question
of rebuilding. The masonry work will
be put in this fall, ready for the super
structure next spring. This will in
volve an expenditure of 100000.
From one who has recently been over
the road it is ascertained that the COM
pany is renewing all of its water tanks,
many of which were in bad repair ane
had to be replaced with new ones. The
new tanks are being built more sub
stantiaIly than the old ones, and are
considerably larger.
Besides this work the company is
putting in concrete arch and maxim
a heavy fill at the Honey Creek bridge
near Morning Sun; reducing the grade
at Pickering, in order to get in readi-
ness for the new bridge at that point,
and is about to begin extensive I'M
improvements in the Iowa Junction yards
near Peoria.
The steel laying. which has been in
progress during the greater part of the
summer, is practically completed, the
| finishing touches now being in progress
between this city and Dillon. This give:
| the company 70-pound steel practically
| from Oskaloosa TO Marshalltown. Tbs
old iron rail on the Belmond branch has
| all been taken up and 60pound steel
! from the main track has been laid in its
| place. The track is also being ballast
ed with gravel. making the Belmone
branch and its Algona extension IN
\ -
company's branch property.
MIR. BAT1sY IN H1tRGE.
New General Passenger Agent OF the
Central Takes Charge of III Du.
! ties.
Mr.. George S. Batty, OF Portland
lore. the new general passenger and
ticket agent of the Iowa Central, whose
appointment was mentioned in these
columns a few days ago took charge Of
| his new work Wednesday. MIR. Batty
Ialthough only 43 years of age. Is old III
the railroad business, having started n
1872 on the old Great Western railway,
at Hamilton, Ont, nov the Irano
Trunk line Mr.. Battys railroad ca
reer began as "a junior clerk in the of
lfice of the secretary and treasurer
4 From there he went To the Chicago 4
lC;rand Trunk in the accounting depart
/ ment having in charge for severaI
wears the ticket accounts of the road
4 From there Mr.. Batty Went TO the Min
7lneapolis e St. Louis road at Minneap-
lois where he remained seven wears. o.
until he accepted a position as genera
freight and passenger agent of the Ma
/ son City e. Fort Dodge road, viii
4 Headquarters at Mason City. He die
mot remain here long, however-onlA
4 until the first of September of tina
year. when he took charge of the traffic
! of the Wisconsin Central on the Paciti'
coast. as general agent, with head
lquarters at Portland. He remained
there until the Northern Pacific LEASED
the Central in the fan of 1882 when, il
al
taking charge of eastern territory, hi
decided to go into business for himself
entering into the real estate and gen
eral brokerage business. at Portland
lin which he continued until March 1896
A when he was reappointed general agen
of the Wisconsin Central. He resignec
This position a little later. however, ow-
ing TO the fact that outside business
/ interests demanded more of his atten
tion.
Mr.. Batty is well acquainted with tn
4 western country, whore he has reside
so long, and has quite extensive inter
ests in the way of fruit farms am
mining industries
Mr. Batty's family consists of wifi
and five sons. whom he will leave ol
the coast until next spring, when h
expects to remove them to this city.
To Times Republican reporter MI
Batty said there would be no change
made in his department, that Mr.. III. /
Laird would be retained as chief clerl
and Messrs. c. S. Walters and j. +
Seessengutt as travelling passenge
agents.
Mr.. Batty is very pleasant gentle
man to meet, courteous and affablt
and he is considered by Acting Genera
Manager Tittemore as an excellen
, man for the place. The position cam
to Mr.. Barty unsolicited, and furthe
| than that was not gained through
personal acquaintance with any of tn
officials. His past work in railroad cir
cles seem to have been his one recon-
mendation, as his appointment wa
recommended very highly by some c
the leading railroad men of the coun
i try.
| SIX NEW ENGINES
y Central to Have Half Dozen Com
. In for vSn1 "A