Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1900-05-15
b WORK.
Promoters Of the Des Moines and.
Northern Iowa Laying Out
the Routa
Force Of Surveyors Pit the
Field at Boone the
Prospects.
lInwa (.ifv r = wv.,. p.nre.inr CAr
Iowa City Lawyers Preparing For
the Convention Of State Bar
Association.

q ASoDais, 1slAS Ao.r--SSViHeIl lnea passenger
train arrived on the Milwaukee road
yesterday from Des Moines 1t brought
q party of engineers here to lay out
the line OF the proposed Des Moincs &.
Northern Iowa railroad. james Cars,
chief engineer of the road, Is In charge
of the surveying party, in person. and
he has six or seven assistants to help
manipulate the levels. carry the flags
and chains and drive the grade stakes.
The surveyors came for business and
went at their work as people do who
have full knowledge OF the business
ahead of them. Their luggage was piled
up in the depot, temporarily, and the
number of grips and other perapherna-
lila indicate that the men have UNDER
taken a job- which will keep them In
the field for some little time. The sur
sveying Instruments were hauled out Of
the cases and fixed onto the tripods
The rodmen cut bundle OF latin into
grade stakes and the machinery Of the
survey was formally set in motion.
! Chief Engineer Cars is running the
line himself. He says the survey will
be made direct to Webster City and
from there to Clarion. The route be-
tween Boone and Webster City will be
pretty much the same as that laid out
years ago for the projected line of the
old Des Moines, Northern & Western
road, but will vary in some respects
from that line. Mr.. Cars says he did
not make the old survey, as has been
reported, but he is familiar with the
work that was then done. From Web
fster City to Clarion the line will vary
widely from the old route taken. which
runs much farther to the east In di-
rect course to Mason City.
What the route will be south from
Boone remains to be seen. IL, as has
been oonjectured, the new work is a
Milwaukee extension, then the connec-
ton would be made here just south of
the depot between Fifth and Sixth
streets at the north end OF the trestle
over the present main line of the
Northwestern. Starting as the survey
does, in the center8o of Nebraska street
the trestle. II It is maintained, would
be relieved OF much, II notsquite all. Of
the curve II now contains.
The promoters Of the new road, who
live in Des Moines, declare that the
road is independent of the Milwaukee,,
and is in no way fostered by the latter
company. They say the enterprise is
backed Wholly by Dies Moines capital
lists, who looked we'll into the matter
before taking action. The Des Moines
officials say the surveying party will
not get into the field between that city
and Boone until later in the season.
There are several reasons why the de-
lay is rendered necessary All up and,
down Beaver creek and along the Des
Moines river, it is known that prospect
ling Is In progress for coal. Until these;
coal lands are fully developed the pro-
motors of the road do not wish to run
any lines. Until this matter is settled
definitely the men who are backing the
new road know that IT Will be useless
expenditure of money to run a survey,
and then be compelled to change 1T. II
Ills the coal lands that the new road:
wishes To traverse. aud 1t is for that
reason The delay is necessitated.
No definite information has been.
given out as to when the construction
work on the new road may be expected
Ito begin, but the belief is entertained
by many that the grading will be done
from here to Clarion the present sea
son. The promoters are men of means
and they appear to mean business in
their undertaking.