Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1902-03-27
INTER.URBAN MATTERS.
oskaIoosa Carries Street Railway
Proposition.

TIOPOS'kiSi'
Oskaloosa, March 2G.-(SpeciaD
BY an overwhelming major
ity the voters of this city
yesterday said they desired to
give the Inter-urban Construction Co.,
largely composed of Ottumwa capital
lists, a franchise for twenty-five years
to construct and operate street rail-
way system in this city and to light
the city streets for the same period
This action is far reaching and means
the construction of an electric line
from Ottumwa to Oskaloosa and prob
ably on to Newton to connect with the
electric line now being built from Des
Moines.
Two propositions were voted on yes
terday. One was to grant the Inter
urban Construction Co. the right to
operate street railway system in Os-
kaloosa for twenty-five years. This
carried erwhelmingly, the vote be-
ing 1925 for and 46 against. The
second proposition was to grant the
same company the right to light the
streets of this city. put in a steam
heating plant and furnish power for
the same period as the life OF the rail
way franchise. This carried, the vote
being 1881 for and 67 against.
still Another Road.
Following on the heels of this step
forward monster petition containing
1.O5O names of resident free holders
was presented to the city council, ask
ing them to call an election for the pur-
pose of voting to the Oskaloosa & Ia
ma electric road tax to aid in the
construction of a line from Tama City
through Oskaloosa to Buxton in Mon
roe county. AS the petition represent
ed three-fourths of the property hold
ers, and about five-siXths of the prop
erty of the city, the council took favor.
able action at once, and the election
will be held on Monday, April Z.
The two electric lines are entirely
separate, and do not interfere with
each other at all. If the second cleo
ton turns out as the one today did
and there is every reason to believe
that it will, Oskaloosa will this sum
mer be the headquarters for the ex
penditure of over three million dollars
May Take in EddyviIIe.
| The statement has been made, and
it is said to have come from an author
itatiye source, that the Ottumwa com
PAW intends to establish a power
house at Eddyville, this being abou
half way between Ottumwa and Oska
loosa. 1t is in proximity to coal mine
where cheap fuel could be secured. Il
is also believed here that the company
ultimately expects to extend the lint
on to Newton where it will connec
with the road now being built from
Des Moines. If this is done it will
give Ottumwa connection with the cap
ital city over another transportation
system. 1t is known that the grount
at Peoria, in this county, small tow
between here and Newton, has beel
looked over by persons believed t.
have been connected with the Ottum
wa project. Oskaloosa people firml
| believe that this is the case.
All that now remains is to secur
the right-of-way between Ottumw
and Oskaloosa for the inter-urban line
The Ottumwa Traction & Light con
pany will in short time have trac
| laid to the old fair grounds in Fai
view and having been granted frau
chise to use the streets of the city {
/ Oskaloosa to the city limits, there r,
mains but the matter of interestin
urban residents in the proposition.
There has been some talk of TIL
line being run by the way of Kirkvill
or Fremont but the power house ide
at Eddyville if carried out would civ
this proposition a body blow.