The Oskaloosa herald. (Oskaloosa, Mahaska County, Iowa) 1885-1919, 1902-04-03

material and appliances, necessary
to build the line are either on hand
or arranged for and that your as
sistance is not necessary. You
should not give such statements
any credence from. the fact that part
OF the business Independent on your
grant of franchise aud aid. There
fore grant both of these items first
and the material and other appur-
tenances will be forthcoming in
due time. The full completion OF
this Oskaloosa and Tama railroad
means an additional population to
Oskaloosa equal to 1000 and many
more customers not mentioning the
permanent additions. There should
be no opposition as we see it.
The Globe this morning says:
In our judgment, the building Of the
Oskaloosa & Tama railway is an abso>
lutte necessity for the future welfare
of this city. Oskaloosa is city that
is dependent upon outside trade SUr
it's prosperity. In other words, money
must be brought into this town and
spent if we are to grow in the future.
We believe that 1t is the Judgment of
thoughtful people that the city has at
tanned its growth and is now support
ing business and population beyond
its capacity If there are no neUy enter
prises in sight in the future.
For over twenty years, within three
to FIVE miles of Us, large mining towns
-Mtchakinock, with about twenty-five
hundred peoples Beacon, with large
mining population; and Evans, with a
similar population. We are losing
those towns Muchakinock is about
gone; Evans will not last forever, ami
the mines about Beacon will be ey-
hausted in the near future
That the city got large trade from
those towns, and that the prosperity
0f the past was largely dependent up
on them, we think no one will deny.
The building of this road will bring
Buxton as near to us as Muchakinock
was, and We will be able to save the
greatest part of the trade that we are
now losing. We understand that the
road Will be built to the mines that
will be built near 0livet, thus insuring
us large trade from that section of
the country. Between here and Barnes
City is large section of country
which has no railroad facilities, III
which This road Will bisect That New
Sharon, Barnes City, Montezuma and
What Cheer are now getting a large
trade that this town should have and
will have if this road is built we think
can not be disputed
To get this road we must grant the
tax that is asked. In the last few
years We have given bonuses to sever
al manufacturing enterprises. Why
should we not give it to this road?
1t will bring more money to this town
than all the manufactures that we now
have. The tax is small when you
come to figure it out Fake one who
owns homestead worth a thousand
dollars. The assessed valuation would
be $3.50; his tax on that would be So.
payable in four equal instruments of
Sl.25 each. That his property would
be increased in value far beyond that
amount there can be no doubt Let
the people of this town make no mis-
take. We can not afford to lose this
railroad. II won't do to say that Il
will come anyhow. Years ago the peo-
pie of this town thought the same
thing when the Burlington made "a
proposition 10 come here If they were
EEiln Nc ha
wa was built up at our expense. let
us not repeat the mistake today that
We then made.