Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1900-10-18

seymour ana Ghll1cothe ship their
stock to Morrell's and each of these
points receive not less than $4,000
monthly. Ottumwa wholesalers share
IN the benefits of merchandise pat
ronage in the same proportions.
Seymour, Numa, centerviIIe.
Seymour, city of 1000, is accord
ed the distinction of being not only
the best business town in Wayne
county, but overlooks them all.
1t is even more elevated as to situation
than any other town between Chicago
and Kansas City along the southwest
division of the c. r. l. & P. The area
which Seymour adorns is said to be
the. highest altitude along the line
mentioned and strange to say, some
OF the deepest stratums of coal to
be found in the state are here.
The city has two excellent newspa-
pers, the Press and the Leader. A
magnificent school building, fine
church edifices, electric light system,
most worthy mayor in Hon. ]. D..
Johnston, two valuable coal mines that
are wage producers for small army
of miners
The Seymour Coal Co., M. P. and
Geo Elmore, owners and operators,
yields daily average output of 200
tons. The shaft is 245 feet deep and
the coal vein is twenty-six inches.
The product is known to the trade as
the celebrated Iowa Sunshine" and
one would pronounce the article well
named for it is said to contain Sc per
cent of coke carbon. Solicited sun
shine indeed it seems. The Elmores
lost their plant by fire Aug. 26, '92,
suffering loss of $4,000, but they
rebuilt better than ever and now are
on the high tide of returning wealth
and general good fortune. Geo. Ell
more has been twice mayor of Sey-
mour.
The Chicago Coal Co. property at
the intersection of the c., r. 1. G. P.
with the c., M. & ST. P. in the western
part of the city, is a strong company
and markets superior grade of steam
coal. Manager A. George Widmer re-
ports an output of about $50 tons daily
at capacity run, while the new mine
opened two years ago at Numa by the
same company has an output of $50
tons daily and IS conceded
to be one of the most
promising if not the best money
maker of any mine in the district Mr.
Widmer is thoro operator and tho a
young man his business qualifications
are not surpassed by any in this re-
Sponsible sphere of usefulness.
Seymour has some staunch support
ers and none more, worthy of mention
than Postmaster James Morrison; the
councilmen, j. r. Mccoy N. G. Mich
ael, w. A. Hockett, T. L. Morrison, w.
L. Smith, ]. M. Stevens and others OF
equal worth
Seymour has the grand total of
S97 900 expended as a record for build
ing improvements during the past five
years and is estimated as follows:
West side-$32 goo. Opera house
block, northeast corner, $40, 900; hotel,
southwest corner, $4,000; six buildings
1S94-1895 East side-s20, 900. NJ. q.
church, $4,000; u. B. church (unfin-
ished), $4,000; creamery, $4,000; Chi
cago Coal Co., rebuilt. $4,000
The Courier at Numa finds wei
come from the following citizens, viz:
!. w. Adamson, hotel; G. w. Holshou-
ser, Commercial House; DR.. U.L.Hutt,
the popular practitioner and popular.
lied by the entire community; Mrs. H.
F. Kewley, postmistress; the big Chi
cago Coal Co.'S store, managed by
John Jamison, whom we expect to find
a Benedict and very happy on our next
trip; Mr.. Jamison's assistant Charles
Ernest; j. w. Fox, the merchant and
a very pleasant gentleman, whose bus,
mess methods do him honor; r. e.
Martin, one of four brothers and all
successful merchandisers; M. e.
Hibbs, who has given to Numa the
finest meat market it ever possessed;
j. w. Lee and Uriah Fox, each a pro-
prietor Of well managed restaurant;
Grant Burkhiser, that prince of good
fellows. whose occupation handling
the Rock Islands business at the
Numa station has been so highly sat.
isfactory. Grants old home is near
Seymour and his wife, Mrs. Burkhiser,
is the daughter of Seymour's post
master, James Morrison, and whose
capable and obliging assistant she was
for several years-until Grant had his
way about it. Grant has been rail
reading Is years, nine of which has
been of service given to the c., r. |.
& P.
"The CentervIIe Block"
II the history OF CenterYllle was
written, if the leading industrial fea-
lures of the county of Appanoose
were to be enumerated, there would
be none to question what one of the
many in the list should be honored
with a place at the top. Centerville
is the home office of the Centerville
Block Coal Company, capitalized at
one fourth a million dollars and con
trolling a mining capacity of $4,000
tons of coal daily. The company is
Offered by C. w. Lane, president;
A. Dargavell, general superintendent
and vice president; w. W. Oliver
secretary. The origin of this great
company finds it's nucleus in the
Diamond Coal Co., 1881; later the
Centerville Coal Co., then the Walnut
Block Coal Co., and finally February 1,
1894, these interests were incorpo-
rated as the Centerville Block Coal
Co., the best advertised coal company
in Iowa with markets in dozen
states. The company has four mines
at Centerville, four at Brazil, one at
Numa and if mining full capacity can
employ 1900 men, at present little
less than a thousand are used. Ship
ment is made over the G. r. I. & p,