Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1901-03-07
TWO ROADS IN DEAL
Burlington and Milwaukee Lease
Railroad.
is A PART OF THE CUTOFF SCHEME
Means the Burlington Will Get Into
Davenport and That the Milwaukee
Is in Earnest About Shorter Line
to Kansas City.

Davenport. March 2.-It comes with
good authority that the Chicago, Bur-
lington and Quincy and the Chicago,
Milwaukee and st. Paul railway com
panies have closed a deal with the
Davenport Rock Island and North
western Railway company Tor the joint
use of all of the tracks of the latter
company. This means, of course, that
we will have the c., B. & @. in Daven-
port and that the Chicago, Milwaukee
and st. Paul will cross the bridge here.
1t probably means great deal more,
but the full extent thereof is not known
nor can it be ascertained today.
The negotiations for this move have
been in progress for the past four
weeks. 1t was about that time that
the officials of both lines visited this
locality and, in company with Traffic
Manager, j. S. Keefe, of the D., R. L.
& N W. went over all of the lines of
the road. 1t was also noted that they
new road, in itself a very significant
indication.
Covers Entire Line.
|; 1t is stated that the arrangement
covers the entire line of the d.. r. 1.
& N. w. from Clinton to Rock River,
including the bridge. Ever since
the new road was first built there has
been talk of one or both of these COM
panies availing themselves of the
bridge; it has also been rumored time
and again, that the Chicago, Milwau-
kee and st. Paul wanted to secure
rights over the lines of the D. R. l. &
N. W. from East Moline to Rock Is
land, but it has not been stated that
either roads wanted to use the line
between this city and Clinton.
Therefore, the propositions that the
track arrangements covers the entire
line comes with something of the ma
! ture of surprise to those who have
not been conversant with the situa-
| ton.
MiIwaukee's Cut Off.
| 1t is believed that this is part OF
the Milwaukees cutoff scheme to Kan
sas City. The new road has secured
about the only available route between
this city and Clinton and it would be
! fair to presume that it would rather
pay an annual rental for the right to
use the tracks than to parallel the
| track. The cost of construction would
be considerable owing to the fact that
the right OF way in many places occu
pied about the only ground that could
/ be used.
| The cutoff talk of the Milwaukee
i seems to have come from definite
sources and there is a firm BELLE
among many of the employees of thai
company that it will be constructed.
About the New Road.
Now comes the question: Is the
new company to relinquish its rights
here to these companies?
| While the people of this city woult
welcome the c., B. & @. and would
be glad to see the c.. NJ & st. P. us
| ing the lower bridge they would great
ly dislike to see the D., R. |. &. N. w
swallowed up.
| When seen today General Manager
E. E. Hughes stated that he had nc
/ information to give out in any way
He could not say that the arrange
ment had been completed for track
rights; in fact. he said he had no in
formation officially or otherwise, tina,
would warrant him in speaking fol-
publication.
1t may be supposed that the new
! iOe1u Will SOuIiluS dS II uslS anu VIII
operate the road. running it's owr
trains in conjunction with the trains
of the other roads. the same as is
done on many lines turnout the coun
try.
| And, yet, as nearly all of the bust
ness of the D.. r. l. & N W. is loca
in its nature. with each of the other
roads competing for it, over it's owr
lines, there would seem to be little
| left for the new road to do but tt
maintain the line and run trair
now and then to transact such othel
business as might be left after the
others have picked up the cream.
And, yet it cannot be said that this
amounts to purchase of the new
road, but it looks pretty much tha
way. About the only thing that car
be done it to watch for developments