Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1902-03-27
Centerville People Say the Burling-
ton Is To Build.
DRAW BIG ROAD INTO THE SCHEME
Report Has 1t That a Branch Is to Be
Constructed to Compete With the
Proposed Iowa G ST. Louis Road
No Definite News.

According to news received from
Centerville, the Iowa & st. Louis Rail-
road Co., the new line which it is said
is about to be constructed somewhere
in the southern partrof the state and
the northern part of Missouri, will not
have the thing all it's own way, but will
have competition in the form. of a line
which it is said in Centerville, is being
surveyed by the Burlington from No
vinger, a point in Adair county, Mo-,
on the Q. o. & *. c., to Sedan in APP
panoose county, this state, a few miles
southeast of Centerville and at the
crossing of the K. & w. and the c. B.
& K. G.. roads.
The theory that the Burlington is
about to build this line is secuted by
railroad men in this city. Why a line
should be started by that road at No
vinger, which is not on any line of the
Burligton system, is something that
does not look like the Burlington's
usual plan, they say. The Centerville
Citizen of last Saturday, however, was
very positive in its statement to the
effect that the G. B. & Q. company is
surveying line from Novinger to Sc
dan, parallel with the course which is
to be taken by the Iowa & ST Louis
route and between the latter and the.
extensive coal bluff which is to be tap
ped
Game of "Guess Why"
The people of Centerville seem I'M
able to tell why such move should
be made by the Burlington company,
and it seems very probable that the ru-
NOR is not a correct one but is one of
the many which are constantly being
Matched whenever a new railroad is in
progress of construction or in the pc
riod just preceding the actual begin
ming of work.
Centerville is somewhat exercised
just now over another matter in con-
nection with the proposed new road
The Citizen is responsible for the state
ment that rumors are rife in the APP
panoose county seat to the effect that
Centerville is not to be on the line of
the new road. The fact of the matter
seems to be that nothing of definite
nature is known by any one in Center
vile regarding the Iowa & st. Louis
Co., and diligent inquiry by Courier
representative in Centerville Saturday
failed to elicit anything upon which to
make any statement more definite
than the following from the Citizen of
Saturday:
There is a rumor in circulation here
that the new railroad to be built by
the Iowa & ST. Louis company will
not come to Centerville. One report
says it will not be built farther north
than Sedan or any farther in this di-
rection, at least for the present An
other report says a survey is being
made from Sedan to Dennis and that
the road will follow the Charlton river
up to the latter place to connect with
the Central or cross that road and con-
tinue directly across to Buxton. This
theory presupposes that the promoters
have abandoned the survey from Sc
dan to Centerville.
Officials Silent.
There is nothing definite about
these rumors and they are not from
any authoritative source. At present
the officials of the road and those en-
gagged for it's construction decline to
discuss the matter and it may be that
their plans for that portion of the road
north of Sedan are really unsettled
This might be inferred from their dis.
inclination to discuss the Buxton eX.
tension, which, has hitherto not fig.
ured much in the gossip concerning
the road.
There seem to be no good reasons
why the l. e st. l.. should want to
miss Centerville. The COMPANY has
never asked for any encouragement
from this city but have given ol5 thar
this city was one of their objective
points. Surely Centerville will tie az;