The Oskaloosa herald. (Oskaloosa, Mahaska County, Iowa) 1885-1919, 1902-11-06
C., & O. EXTENSION.
Work Being Pushed on the New
Line Near Tracy.


man and team which can be secured
is being pressed into service in the
construction of the new road which is
being built from Tracey to Oskaloosa.
The railroad company as well as the
different contractors On the work are
making every effort to finish the road
before cold weather sets in. The
summer just past has been hard one
on contractors and graders, and the
great amount of wet weather has kept
them far behind with their work. Some
weeks during the summer it was pos.
sible to get in only Gay and a halls
work in the week, and for this reason
it was hard to keep men on the work.
During the past few weeks, however,
the weather has been more favorable
and the work has been pushed along
rapidly. Several of the contractors
have almost completed their work of
grading, among whom is McClavy
week. Men are still in great demand
and as high as 1925 per day is being
paid.
A large crew of men employed by
the railroad company is now at work
laying the ties and rails and already
about a mile of track has been built
out of Tracy. Another crew is at
work unloading car load after car load
of ties, bridge timbers, rails, ETC., and
judging from theamount of such mater
ial piled along the track a road could
be built from Tracy to Burlington
instead of to Oskaloosa, and yet not
half the material ~ on the ground.
A train and crew is kept constantly at
work hauling material along the road
already built, and to the workmen lay
ing the track. Before the week is end
ed another train will also be at work
hauling dirt with which to finish UP
the grade and put on the finishing
touches.
By the end of next week the steel
will be laid to the Des MONIES river,
which is the objective point just at
present. Work is in progress building
the bridge across the river, but until
the road is built up to that point and
material can be hauled on cars to it,
it will not be gone at in earnest. A
pile driver is now at work preparing
the false structure and everything will
be in readiness when the road reaches
the river to push the construction of
the bridge as rapidly as possible.
1t is understood that the work on
the other side of the river is also well
under way, and will soon be ready for
the trock layers.
Much speculative talk is being in
dulged in by the people of Tracy and
vicinity, as to what the movements by
the Chicago, Milwaukee & st. Paul
railroad mean. 1t is no secret that
the road has purchased the 800 acre
farm of Alvin Goodspeed at sos per
acre. They have also purchased the
coal right on the 12O acre farm of
Ivan Smith and the 100 acre farm of
w. P. Smith. From Henry Blair and
Mr.. Rankin they have purchased the
farms outright. All of the above men,
toned farms are west of Tracy, and
it is thought that the road will build
in from the east through Oskaloosa.
Surveyors have several times been
over the country around Tracy and
it is thought they are looking for a
route. At different times they have
been south OF Bellefountain bridge
where a creek empties into the river
and the report is current if the road
goes through it will cross the river
there.
1t is supposed that the object of the
road is to strike the rich coal fields
of Marion county, and following along
the policy of great many of the 9th
er large systems own their own coal
fields and control their output.
While there is nothing definite
known in regard to what the road will
do, the indications are strong that
some move along that line will be
made soon. Should Tracy secure
this new road, together with the con-
nection which is being built to Oska-
loosa, and the other two strong roads,
it would have railroads facilities Sec
ond to none in this section of the
state.