Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1899-09-01
BIG LOSS FOR OWOSSO AND DURAND
Division and Shops of the Ann Arbor
to be Removed.
ALMA IS THE LUCKY CITY WHICH WILL
SECURE THEM.
Change Has Been often Talked or. but Is
Said Now to be Certain

L
| Said Now to be Certain.
There is something of bad tim,
ahead for OwossO and Durand 1t il
nothing less than the proposed remova
Of the division and shops Of the Ann
| Arbor road from these towns to Alma
All along the line the railroad men talk
OF plans under their breath. A hint here
and there has been dropped giving the
| train men an idea of what is going to
happen. That the division will be taken
from Durand within the next three
| months there is no doubt. A few lead
ing men Of that city are aware of that
fact and are greatly worried over it.
The removal Of sixty families from that
city would be big blow to the place.
Alma is exactly in the center Of the Ann
Arbor system, and of course Of the most
advantage for the division. Then, too,
President A. w. Wright of Alma has a
large tract Of land there which he
would like to see occupied by his COM
pany.
1t is an assured fact chat if the division
is moved there the shops will leave
Owosso. 1t is just as essential that they
be there as the division. Yet Owosso
does not want to lose them. When the
division was taken from this city, the
city officials put up feeble kick, and
allowed the division to go to Durand
The conditions of the bonus given the
Ann Arbor company included the pro-
vision that the shops should never be
removed from this city. The 200 men
employed in the shops are good citizens
who would far rather make their home S
in this city than Alma.
That some Of the officials of the road
residing in Durand expect the division
will be removed is proven by the fact
that they have recently purchased land
in Alma.
1t is said that President Wright
demands the removal of the division and
shops, and offers such inducements from
Alma that the objections Of other
officials will be easily overcome.
The above article appeared in the
Detroit Free Press of Sunday, Aug. 26,
from the pen of the Owosso correspond
ent. While this is news to Alma peo-
pie, it is extremely gratifying to our
vanity. We have known for some time
that Alma was the center Of Michigan,
geographically, and the rest of this nit
ten shaped state revolved around it, and
that all eyes were directed to the COM
mon center Of gravity, the future
metropolis of central Michigan, the
green eyed monster lurking not far in
the back ground, but we, the people,
did not for one moment suppose that
our sister towns, and cities, would per-
sist in thrustinA their institutions of
business upon us without our first seek.
ing them. We hardly think it right in
view Of the fact that there are not living
rooms sufficient for the people who are
in the place even now, to un-
tremendously thrust sixty or seventy
more families onto us and not building
in the town where they could secure
shelter from the cold, bleak winds of the
coming winter. 1t is not right. There
is no justice in it. Still if Owosso and
Durand are bound thst Alma shall have
the car shops and the division of the
Ann Arbor railroad we will try and sub
init to the inevitable and put up with
inconveniences accruing from such al
action. We would much rather wait
short time though until we get thor.
oughly accustomed to the boom we are
having in consequence of the erection
OF the beet sugar plant, the coming of |
the Columbus, Marshall & Northeastern |
railroad and other minor matters of |
interest. What is feared the most is |
that Ithaca will be forcing the county |
seat upon US next. It was tried last |
spring in feeble manner, but next time |
we might be caught mapping and success |
would crown their efforts.