Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1901-07-11
INTER URBAN LINES.
Conditions Which Exist in the
State of Iowa.
NATTER TALKED OF IN OTTUMWA
Glance at the Map Will Give One an
Idea of What Is Proposed and Form
Basis for Comparison Here in This
Vicinity.

Inter-urban railways propelled by
electricity are engressing the attention
of capitalists in the neighborhood OF
Des Moines and incidentally the towns
which will be touched by the proposed !
extensions.
The matter of inter-urban railroads
has been the subject of some attentioni
in Ottumwa it having been stated that
the present company has gone so far
as to consider the matter and to have
a blue print drawing of the elevations
and other necessary data made
In Des Moines the inter-urban rail-
way company, with view of strength
ening it's position in central Iowa, has
commenced canvass for franchises
for the operation of electric roads in
! the towns of Abel, Panora, Guthrie
Center, Audubon and Harlan, and it is
the expectation at this time to have
submitted in the fall elections in each
of these towns a franchise ordinance
granting it permission to build and OPP
crate electric roads through the streets
of the several towns.
If the franchises are granted, and
present indications are that there will
be no opposition to the plan, it is prob
able that within another year start
will be made upon the construction OF
an electric line between Des Moines
and Harlan. 1t is the intention in
these cities to ask for franchise
granting the company the right to use
the streets for electric street railway
and inter-urban purposes for term OF
years, as was done in Indianola and
Winterset, and to have inserted in the
franchise a proviso to the effect that
the road shall be in operation within
a year from the date of approval of
the franchise ordinances by the voters
of these towns, which would give the
company until two years from next
November in which to build and put
in operation the proposed road.
Copies of the ordinances it is deslr-
ed the councils of the towns named
shall pass have been prepared and for
warded to the mayors of the places
for their inspection and approval, and
it is the intention within few weeks
to bring the ordinances up for APPROX
al by the town councils so that the
question can be submitted to the peo-
pie in due time at the regular Novem-
Der election
If the franchises are granted there
is not much doubt but the road will
be built from Des Moines to Guthrie
Center during 1902, and that the line
will be extended through to Harlan
and possibly further, within another
year, or before the franchise Aperiod
expires.
Longer Line Projected.
This line, if built, will be the long
nc Of hne
will be about ninety-five miles long and
will leave the Des Moines & Winterset
) line at Commerce The course from
Commerce will be northwest between
the Rock Island and Milwaukee lines
, to Abel From Abel it will be built
to the inland postoffice of Greenvale
: and thence to Panora. From Panora
, and Guthrie Center the line will be al.
5 most direct. West of Guthrie Cen.
ter the first town will be Nelson,
5 which is about six miles due west. Au.
dubon will be the next point, and then
|. Poplar, from which point it will run
to Harlan.
Greenvale, Nelson and Poplar now
have no railroad facilities, while the
!, towns of Harlan, Audubon and Guthrie
! Center are on branch lines of either
), the Rock Island or the Northwestern
! and have no direct service into Des
!, Moines The branches are short turn
\ arounds, extending from the mair
lines, and nine Of these places have ar
east and west service. The distance
from the proposed line to the Milwau
kee and Rock Island line varies from
ten to fifteen miles The country is
y rough and not adapted to the building
of steam roads, and it is generally con
l. coded that an electric road is the onl!
d practical east and west line through
It this country and will be without com
c petition for years to come except from
8 the unsatisfactory branch lines.
y If the plans of the inter-urban PEG
If pie are carried out, and the presen
l. indications are that they will be- there
a will be considerable electric road bull
out of Des Moines in the next twt
If years. The Indianola line will be com
n pleted this fall and it is the intention
a to have the line to Nevada in operation
d before cold weather sets in. These ar
a. sixteen and thirty-seven miles il
If length respectively 1t is not prof
s. able the Inter-urban will do any NOR
Is building than this this season. Mex
n season there is no doubt but that tn
line will be extended from Vale
junction to Winterset and possibly t
Greenfield and that line will b
built into Guthrie Center, with the il
S. tention of extending it to Harlan tn
following year, while during the sam
season it is the intention to build froI
S. Nevada as far northeas Eldora
II II As Compared With cttumwa.
S. A glance at the map and a shol
IN study of conditions obtaining in thi
b. neighborhood will form basis o
in which to figure whether or not
n, would pay here, 1t means the expel
OF diture of several hundred thousand do
II. lars but if Des Moines capitalists thin
it would pay there with one of tn
ell several lines projected ninety-fiy
It, miles in length, why would it not pa
I'd here all other things being equal?
n, CREW NOT TO BLAME.
n
Investigation Into Cause of Iowa Ce