The Oskaloosa herald., 1902-02-20
THE IOWA CENTRAL.
News Notes of Oskaloosa,s Leading
Railroad.

An Albert Lea paper states that
since that since the Iowa Central
Railway built into that city it has in.
creased its business enormously.
The Iowa Central aims to keep next
to the business interests of every
town it reaches.
Commenting upon the Iowa Gen.
trails new passenger depot at that
place, the Mason City Times Herald
declares that "the exterior is no in
dication at all of it's interior. 1t is
very well arranged and it's furnish
ings are really quite artistic.
Church sociables nowadays are
selling hugs at so much hug. But
the up-to. date hug comes from man
who took his family to California
over the Iowa Central and Santa Fe
/ route, because he saved not only a
days time enroute, but avoided other
troubles.
The gross earnings of the Iowa
Central railway for the month of
January show an increase of sl1 ,573.-
80 over the corresponding period of
last year. 1t also shows total in
crease of 1921 ,005 90 since the begin
ming of the fiscal year July to Jan.
81 last.
tits significant fact that the Iowa
Central railway property is much
talked of nowadays I'M connection
with the merger propositions of the
big railway properties. A business
man would regard that as good in
dex of its worth. The Iowa Central
has always been strong factor in
business which makes it's property a
valued one in the railway market.
The fare on the Congo railway for
$50 miles is reported to be 500 or 40
a mile. 1t is in striking contrast to
our American railway lines. For in
stance: One can take fine Colonist
sleeper on the Iowa Central road for
delightful trip to points in Califor-
mia and return, about 1900 miles,
from points in Iowa, for a little more
than 500.
When it comes to railway texcur-
sions the Iowa Central railway need
not take a back seat for any of the
western railroads. Last year it car
ried almost four times as many pas
sengers to it's beautiful resort on
Clear Lake during the summer
months as in 1879. The liberality and
enterprise of the road in seeking
this increased business was appro-
priately recognized by the largely
patronized excursions from all prin-
cipal points on it's line.
For a modest summer resort Clear
Lake has outrivalled many older
pleasure resorts in point of excursion
attendance. Number of passengers
carried to this popular resort in 1899
over the Iowa Central was 100, in
1900 there were 200, and in 1901
there were 800. This is most graf
| flying index of the excellent and Wig
orous methods of the passenger de-
partment, and portends big excur-
sion business for 1902, as the same
general policy will undoubtedly be
pursued.
A compiled statement of the excur-
| sion business of the Iowa Central
road for the past two years proves
that Clear Lake is not second to any
of its size in the west for popularity
as a summer resort. Then, too, much
is due to the passenger department
of the Iowa Central road for persist
ent and liberal advertising and q
splendid systematizing of it's work.
In 1900 the percentage of increase in
excursion business ito Clear Lake
over the preceding year was 3s per
cent, and the increase for 1901 over
1900 was 1s1 per cent. For 1902 the
excursion business to Clear Lake
promises to be greater than at any
time heretofore il the present plans
of the Iowa Central are carried out.