Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1901-07-10
Judge a. s. Blair.

Inc subject assigned me is" Manches-
ter.-Its comparison with other cities
and the advantages the railroad will
present for bringing manufacturing in
dustries to our CITY,"
This question confronted us at the
outset when we began to plan for the
building of our road. If we could sat.
isfy ourselves that 1t would benefit our
town, bring manufacturing interests here
and build up our town then we wanted
to embark in the enterprise, but if it
would not be of any substantial benefit
to us then it would be folly to under
take it and risk our money therein.
The only way we could then or can
now solve this problem with any degree
of satisfaction to US was aud now is, to
compare our town with the added rail-
road facilities with other interior towns
in our state like situated.
When we make connections at Oneida
with the q. M. & st. Paul and the q. G.
w we will have added two additional
roads to what we now have and give us
four more outlets,-we will then have
connection with three large railroad
systems, with an aggregate of over
10000 miles of railway.
Waterloo has three railroads with
four outlets, and with natural. aivan-
tages little, if any-better than ours.
since it has added the two railroads to
what it once had, giving it little over
10000 miles of direct connections, 1t has
grown to be a city of now fully 1900 in
habitants, has about eight whole
sale mercantile houses and over
twenty manufacturing establishments.
This growth must come largely from
its railroad facilities.
Marshaltown has three railroads and
seven outlets, the same as we will have,
but with only about 10000 miles of con-
nection in the three sytems. 1t has
large manufacturing and mercantile in
terest and with due allowance for an
increase of of,population since last census
it must now have nearly $4,000 popula-
ton. Oskaloosa, situated about as we
will be, has population now of about
10000. Ft. Dodge has four railroads
with eight outlets, and about $4,000
miles of railroad connection through
these systems. 1t of course has natural
advantages over US, viz. its gypsum beds
and coal fields near by, but its other nat
ural advantages are not quite as good
as ours. 1t now has wholesale mercan-
tile houses and large number of man.
ufacturing plants and population
of about $4,000 No one can
question but that 1t is the railroads that
have built it up to what it now is.
| Among thelarger towns which have
been built up within the last few years
by their manufacturing interests, stim.
ulated almost entirely by railroad facil-
| tiles are Ottumwa, with its four rail
roads and eight outlets, and popula.
tion of over $4,000. Cedar Rapids, with
four railroads with nine outlets, and q
population of over 25,OOO and immense
manufacturing interests. and Des
Moines with its five railroads, giving II
twelve outlets, and population of ov
er $4,000.
J A study of our state railroad map viii
satisfy anyone that there is no towr
in the state of any Importance that ha,
J but one railroad, and none of any con
siderable size or Importance that hal
but two roads, and that all cities of any
size or Importance have three roads an(
upwards with six or more outlets
These facts, satisfies us that 1t is rail
, roads that buila up our towns
With the connections the M, & o. will
} give us, we will have sufficient railroat
facilities to largely increase the manu-
, featuring interest Of our town and built
it up in size and Importance In the nea
future. This is our Judgment and thu
3 reason for the faith that is within u
for spending our time and money il
building our now road, and we feel jus
I tilted in so doing. When built we will b.
5 1915 miles nearer to Chicago via. Oneid
and the y. G. w. than by our presen
route. The distance from Mancheste
to Chicago via. the Illinois Central i
!. $50 miles; from Oneida to Chicago via
/ the @. q. w. is 2l0 miles, add to thi
/ the TX miles of the M. & o. and tn
1 distance via. that route from our city t
Chicago is 2l71s miles. The Chicag
t Great Western is the short line fror
r Manchester to nearly every city of i'm
i portance in the northwest.
Continued on End page.