Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1900-09-27
PREPAREFOR CUTOFF
Milwaukee-C Clinton improvements
Significant Of Others.
MAY BUILD NEW ROAD NEXT YEAR.
viii Make ottumwa Division Point
and Give Milwaukee Second Short
est Route Between Chicago and
Kansas City-Local Railroad News.

1t is cited upon good authority that
the extensive purchase of land in Gin
ton by the Milwaukee and the an
nouncement OF the contemplated i'm
provements in that city are but con-
elusive evidence that that road is car
rying out the preliminary work of bull
ding the proposed cut Off between that
city and Ottumwa. The Milwaukee
will at once begin clearing the ground
which it has just purchased at Clinton
and will eXpend considerable sum
this fall in erecting sheds, warehouses
and new tracks thereon, and it is
thought that the work of laying the
new track for the Kansas City cut off
will not be delayed later than next
spring.
The Rock Island cut off from Eldon
to Trenton which is being constructed,
it is said will be an incentive to the
Milwaukee to hasten its contemplated
improvements. When the Milwaukee
track is laid from Clinton to Ottumwa
via Davenport, according to the pres
ent surveys, it will give that road the
second shortest route between Chicago
and Kansas City. The line then would
be only four miles longer than the
Burlington, slld the Milwaukee would
be right in the field for that business.
The construction of the new line would
undoubtedly make Ottumwa a division
point, the proposed new route being a
little over 100 miles in length. All
thru business, both freight and pas
senger, would be handled over the new
line with the old Marion route as a
secondary line.
The improvements now under way at
been said will be done in the way of
making shorter route for the Mil
waukee between Chicago and Kansas
City, via Ottumwa, and while there has
been no official announcement that
this work will be begun next season,
nevertheless the citizens of Ottumwa,
and especially local Milwaukee en-
ployes believe, or at any rate trust
that the supposition is not without
foundation.
c. J. Phillips Promotion.
The Delaware, Lackawana and West
ern announces the appointment of G.
J. Phillips, of Des Moines, Iowa, as SUI
perintendent of the Lackawana's re-
Gently acquired Portland and Bangor
road. Mr.. Phillips for ten years has
been division freight agent of the Rock
Island.
Burlington Notes.
Brakeman Bert Renfrew, of Bur-
lington, was in the city Monday.
Engineer r. Y. Cowherd has return
ed from months visit at his old home
in Kentucky
Travelling Engineer R. Maxwell, of
Burlington, was in the city today on
company business.
Engineer Jess c. Evans, of Charlton,
has been off duty for several weeks on
account of lung trouble.
w. Buckley and j. c. Downey have
been given positions as firemen ON the
Burlington at this place this week.
Tom Winders, who has been out of
the company's employ for the past
year, resumed work last week as
switchman in the local Burlington
yards.
Conductor Tom Merry, of the Gales
burg division, who has been off duty
for the past two months on account of
broken wrist, has resumed his run
between this city and Galesburg.
Ralph Tibbetts, Orville Giltner, Will
liam Campbell, ]. F. Clemments and
G. w. Boofter, are among the new
brakemen who have been employed by
the Burlington at this place during the
past few days.
The Burlington has put two new
construction trains on the West Iowa
;xy;r; l,,, hn 70 Low
is stationed at Whitebreast and the
other at Lucas. Both are manned
with Ottumwa crews. The trains will
probably be out till cold weather.
Freight traffic continues up to the
usual standard on the Iowa division of
the Burlington. Two hundred and fiji
ty car loads of stock passed thru OF
tumwa on the Burlington Sunday, in
addition to the regular run. About the
same number of cars of dead freight
was handled Monday.
A Busy Month.
That Ottumwa Junction was one OF
the busiest places in the city during
the month of August is clearly demon
strated by the showing of the monthly
report of the Milwaukee, which places
the total number of freight cars pass
ing thru the Junction, at 20,290, max
ing an average of 676 cars every TWEEN
ty-four hours.
Besides the regular inspection of all
these cars, there was an average of
twenty-six repaired in some form or
manner every day during the past
month. All this work, together with
the large amount of extra work was
done by eight and one-half men under
the supervision of A. Doyle, foreman
of the car repairing department.
Switch Engines Collide.
Engines and Al collided in the
Milwaukee yards in this city, early
Thursday morning. None of the crews
were injured, but the engines were con
siderably damaged. The accident was
due, it is said, to Misunderstanding
of orders, and no one in particular is
to blame. The left cylinder On No 4
was knocked to pieces, and the pilot
beam was splintered. The engine will
be sent to the shops at Dubuque for
repair. No. Al escaped with much less
damage, and was able to be in the SER
vice again yesterday.