Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1901-02-05
The Milwaukee Cutoff is Now a
Certainty.
OFFICIAL NEWS JUST GIVEN OUT
viii Be of Great Benefit to ottumwa
Reduction in MiIeage-Washina.
ton Wants New Line-Burlinsto
May Put on New Mail Train.

the OfflceS or the milwaukee company.
This has been under consideration
for several months, and at last the Of
fetal news has been given to the pub
lie. What the change means to OF
tumwa should not be underestimated.
The volume of business, both passen-
ger and freight, which will be given
to this city, will be very great, and
will include not only the present
amount from Kansas City, but much
of that which is now handled at Mar
ion, as we'll as an increase over that
now handled thru this city from the
southwest, as by the building of the
short line the outlet from that part of
the country to Chicago will be more
direct.
VIII Come to ottumWa.
AS it appears now, Hedrick as well
as Ottumwa is considered as posi-
BILE point where the new line will
slrike the present Kansas City line,
but this is hardly probable, for it
would be more practicable to bring it
to this city, where the capacities are
much better for handling the business
and where several division offices are
already located.
DSuSHtS 10 SttuTnWds
Ottumwa will be, greatly benefited
by the building. of the cutoff. BY
the increase in the volume of business
the population of the city will be
largely increased, as more men will
be needed to handle. the business.
More engines and cars will be hand
| led here, more trains, both passenger
and freight, will run into and out of
the city, and more trainmen and OFF,
cials will live here. In short, the adj
vantage of the change to Ottumwa
business men will be great and the
| cutoff is something which this city
cannot afford to lose.
The New Survey.
Altho considerable has been said
about the Davenport cutoff recently,
there are few people outside OF rail-
road circles who really understand
what the term means Engineers
have recently finished their survey OF
the route, and the public is given an
opportunity to see what saving in
mileage will be made. According to
the present system, in order to get
| from Davenport to this city on the
! Milwaukee, one has to leave Daven-
/ port and travel short distance in al
most exactly the opposite direction
that would be taken in coming straight
to Ottumwa. The line runs thru Ok
ford Junction to Marion, and thence to
Ottumwa.
Shortening the Mileage.
By the building Of the new short
line this will be changed Roughly
speaking, it is little farther from Day-
export to Ottumwa than it is from
Marion to this city, in straight line,
and the object of the Milwaukee peo-
pie is to build the new cutoff along
the straight line from Davenport to
Ottumwa. This will give an idea Of
the saving in mileage.
4 The survey of the new line as re
Gently completed by the Milwaukee
engineers, runs in a nearly direct
line from Davenport to Muscatine
and from that point to Ainsworth, sew
en- miles east Of Washington, follows
the Rock Island right.of-way pretty
closely. At Columbus junction il
crosses from the south side of the
Rock Island to the north side, and al
| Ainsworth crosses back, taking al
most straight line from that point
to Ottumwa.
4 How Washington Is Affected.
4 Right here is where Washington
finds moething about which to worry
The new line, if built according to thu
recent survey, will pass about three
miles south of Washington, and the
residents of that city, recognizing the
benefit of the road would be to them
| if it went directly thru their city
70 1yN
efforts to get the officials of the
road to, give them this consideration
| by letting the new line follow the
Rock Island from Ainsworth on t
Washington before. striking out fol
this city. They hope to secure new
manufacturing Industries if the Mil
waukee is added to their list of rail
roads.
A New Mail Train.
1t is very probable that within
short time the Burlington will inaug
urate a new mail train going east
This has been the subject of consid
cradle discussion for some time, an,
was considered when the new ives
bound mail and passenger train, Nc
Is. was put on. Three trains are us
ed to carry the mail west from Chica
go, Nos. Z, 10 and Is, and the servic,
is all that could be asked. Only on
exclusive mail train, however, i
used for the east bound mail, and TIL
addition of another would be o
great benefit.
The only convenience would not b
5 that to the mail service, however, TO
; the new train would create run O.
: which the extra crews could retur
2 eastward without deadheading, as /
!, now the custom. At present there |
2 one more train west than there |
: east, and consequently one crew
4 compelled to deadhead across tn
s state. This crew could bring ma
/; train back, thus making much NOR
: money for the company than the cos
Q Of running the train would amour
n to.
!. In connection with this same ma
I ter, reports are current, to the effee
that Mo. 10, the new passenger an
mail train, will discontinue carryin
: passenger coaches. This is hardl
. probable, however, for it is coming l
l be recognized as a good fast trai
out of Chicago for points in Iowa. an