Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1901-04-11
BIG CONTRACT Is LE|
Iowa Central Lets the Contract
for improvements on the
North Division.
Work to be Commenced at Once
..Many Work Trains to be
Employed.
Oak Ties Arriving at Peoria
for Distribution Along
the Line.

The first contract for the grade revis |
ion and Improvement on the Iowa Cen
trail has been let, Mr.. George NJ. KEEP
ner, e well-known Iowa contractor, OF
Fort Dodge, receiving the work. The
contract covers the stripping of the Bel
morld gravel pit, from where will be re-
ceived the ballast for the north end
work. and also the grade revision be-
tween Mason City and Manley june
ton. In addition to this the contract
embraces the grading for several pass
ing tracks, and this includes all that
may be decided upon for the coming
summer. A new passing track at Union,
and an additional storage track at Ack-
ley, and a passing track at Marsh, all
left over from last seasons work, are
Included in this contract.
Mr.. Kepner's outfit arrived today at
Belmond and the work of stripping the
pit Will be begun a once. The surface
4 ing gang on the north end, which Will be
composed of about fifty men and will
work between Mason City and North
wood. will probably begin work next
week The surfacing gangs work,
however. will depend great deal upon
the receipt of the new Rogers ballast
cars, which are expected daily. 1t is the
l.intention of the company to put on in
the neighborhood of twelve or fifteen
work trains for the summers work,
nearly all of which will be stationed be-
tween Oskaloosa and Manley Junction.
The contract for the immense amount
of work that is to be done between this
city and Oskaloosa has not been let yet.
but probably will be soon. perhaps this
week. as the bids have all been sent in
to Chief Engineer Kelley at Minneapo-,
lis 1t Is thought likely the bulk of the
contract will go to Macarthur Bros. of
Chicago. which is the largest firm bid
| ding on the work. The Macarthur Bros. >
company Is one of the largest in ths
state and doing business on such an ex..
4tensive scale are able to bid closer or
the work than some Of the smaller con-
4 tractors.
The steel gang that ia ait work be-
tween Newburg and Grinnell is pro-.
crossing nicely and the campis we'll or
ilganized. about fifty men being en-
1 pioyed. The oak ties from Tennessee
and Kentucky, which are noated down
T he Ohio river and loaded at Evansville
4aA'.sA' oiAA A'io, hiVI ~ dTe dTTlNlTg
Iin large quantities. an average. of 5000
arriving each day at Peoria The entire
I contract for oak ties constituted a ship
ment of 100000. or such a matter md
about 10000 have already been distrib-
i uted along the line. in addition to so 900
mere that have been sent to the Minne<
/ apolis & st. Louis. to be used on that
/ roads work this summer. A large
quantity of cedar ties for the storage
4 and passing tracks, where the traffic is
not 80 wearing. has also been received
Y building gang was sent out from
& this city Wednesday. having been laid
Z off a month or Dix weeks ago on account
of the cold weather The men who. COM
pose this gang Will have charge of the
Work of building stock pens and doing
other carpenter work that is necessary
along the line.