The Oskaloosa herald. (Oskaloosa, Mahaska County, Iowa) 1885-1919, 1901-07-25

in operation to that point with through
/ connections for ST. Paul and Minnea-
polls Over this entire system of rail-
ways the best Of train service is given,
looked so carefully after by that good
| and great general passenger agent, Gee.
| s. Batty. The main line and its
| branches traverse a beautiful part of the
most productive portion Of Illinois and
| Iowa. Its main line is well ballasted
and the trains ride smoothly, they being
made of the most modern and comfort
\ able rolling stock of all kinds. Its
present management have great faith in
the property and Improvements are con-
tinually going on. Hundreds of men
were to be seen at work from Oska-
loosa tc Mason City, on our recent trip.
| engaged in cutting down grades and
| putting in new bridges, and we counted
| three steam shovels in operation. They
expect to spend 100000 for better
ments on the roadbed this year There
| have been numerous rumors the past
| few months that the Iowa Central was
| in the hands of the Illinois Central or
| some other big trunk line concern, but
| 1t is stated that the interests that now
| control it are entirely independent of any
combination and hope to remain so, and
II is not at all their intentions to dis
| pose of the property to any railroad
company 1t is a well managed road
| and under the exclusive supervision of
a corps of general OFFICERS, who as
| railroad men and promoters, fully I'M
derstand their business and are daily
improving the general policy and SER
vice, as well as the roadbed. The head
quarters of the road are at Marshall
town, Iowa, city of $4,000 inhabitants.
The Iowa Central has many beautiful
and enterprising cities along its lines,
much of which has been brought about
by its own progressiveness, thus setting
pace for the Illinois and Iowa towns
it passes through. Among the most
beautiful and enterprising cities of Iowa
in which the Iowa Central has especial
interest, is Oskaloosa. Though we were
only able to spend a couple of hours in
this fascinating city during our recent
trip to Iowa, We were much taken up
with it and its generous hearted citi-
zens. 1t is a city of 1900 people, all
wide-awake, pushing, prospecting citi-
zens in the true sense of the word, full
ly imbued with true principles of union
ism, and take great pride in the publ:
improvements of their city. which con-
sists of seven miles of paved streets,
good system of water works, gas and
electric light plants. an electric street
railway to be completed by January Ist,
next year, connecting Oskaloosa with
numerous coal mines. 1t is the county
seat of Mahaska, the third county north
of the south line of the state and the
fourth west of the Mississippi river. 1t
has five railroads. 1t is the home of
Penn college. one of the leading edu-
cational institutions of the West Six
large brisk public schools and twelve
churches are to be found there, most
all having been built at a big outlay of
money, one of the churches costing $3o,-
600; an opera house with seating ca
paclty of 1900, manufactures consist of
one bridge works, one wood working
mill, four foundries, two -four mills,
one paving brick plant, four hot water
and steam boiler works, one overall fac
tory. one wagon box factory and one
mattress factory. Improvements now in
progress are a government building,
costing $4,000; county Jail $4,000 and
a $4,000 Episcopal church. Plans are
being executed for a $4,000 Y. M. c.
A. building and $4,000 city hospital
They have several fine hotels, the Down
ing. in which the banquet was given,
being the leader. The city has board
of trade. an organization of Oskaloosa
citizens, banded together for the pur-
pose of advancing public enterprise and
promoting manufacturing. social and
commercial interests of the city. Our
two hours stay in this beautiful city was
too short and it is our desire to revisit
it, when we hope to have more time
to spend with the hospitable and en-
terprising citizens of that leading :ity
OF eastern Iowa.
Springfield (Ills.) Tradesmen: After
crossing the river at Keithsburg and out
of the state of Illinois, few stops were
made until we reached Martinsburg,
where a committee representing the Os-
kaloosa board of trade boarded the train
and were introduced to the newspaper
men by Mr.. Batty and Mr.. Cincebeaux.
Arriving at Oskaloosa, carriages were in
waiting and the party driven to the
New Downing" Hotel, where lunch
con was rendered the editors.
After luncheon impromptu speeches
wete made and the party again took
carriages for a drive about the city 1t
was the unanimous opinion of the edi-
torial party that OSkalooSa is n magni-
fcent city with enterprising :itizens
and will soon be one of the great cities
of Iowa After being so royalty enter
tanned by the people of Oskaloosa the
editors boarded the special ana pro-
ceeded on to Mason City.
Stark County (Ills.) News: The
first place where we stopped long
enough to "go ashore" was at Oska-
loosa. There we were met by a del
egation Of business men, dumped in
to carriages and driven around as
pretty city as you ever saw, of it's
size-about 10, 900 people. And such
people! They are lively; they are
alert; they are "old business!" Say,
now, the city of Oskaloosa is as well
built and just as modern" as any
section of its size in Chicago, or even
in Peoria. 1t is lovely place. l
wanted to stay there. But after look
ing over the city and eating every
thing we could, at the expence OF the
business men of Oskaloosa, the word
was Afford" for Mason City.
IT DAZZLES THE WORLD.
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