Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1902-02-03
ALL OFFERS REJECTED
Iowa Central and NJ. { st. L.
Wanted by Various Trunk
Lines.
All Offers Rejected..No Sale I'M
less Both Properties Are
Taken Together.
cr.. so tho Efforf of
Speculation as to the Effect Of
the Rock Island Extension.
Railroad Gossip.

TIC NUN 1SlduU LAtCASAOA
Railroad Gossip.
The Iowa Central and Minneapolis &
st. Louis railways, talk of the amalga-
nation of which by larger line has
been rife for months, appear to be
a tempting prize for the trunk lines ac-
cording to dispatch sent out Saturday
from New York. The syndicate con-
trolling both properties has, 1t is
claimed. refused many offers for either
or both of the roads, but is DESTROYS, at
some future time, of selling both to one
road, preferably the Illinois Central.
The New York dispatch is as follows;
Golfers have been made for the con-
troll of the Iowa Central and Minneap-
oils & ST Louis by large systems. Thus
far all of these propositions have been
rejected by Edwin Hawley. George
Crocker and their associates in the syn
dictate controlling the properties. The
latest offer for the Iowa Central is said
to be so for common and reasonable
price, based upon the existing market,
for preferred. This offer follows a
proposition from the Rock Island for
the control of the Minneapolis & ST.
Louis at 100 for common. 1t was not
entertained by the syndicate.
THE fact is the syndicate intends to
sell the two properties to the same pur-
chaser, preferably the Illinois Central,
which some time ago offered a guaran-
tee of per cent on Minneapolis & ST.
Louis common. The syndicate would
probably have accepted IL the Iowa
Central We're taken over or guaranteed
proportionately, but otherwise it insist
ed upon 6 per cent guarantee on Min
neapolis s. ST. Louis common. The
large and no effort to secure control
thru the open market would be success
full. The larger systems are also after
the Des Moines & Fort Dodge road"
The proposed extension of the Rock
Island thru this city to Marengo, con-
meeting with the northwest branch at
Gowrie and the main line at Marengo,
is attracting considerable attention
turnout the state, and the newspapers
are discussing the probable effect
Sioux City has been in hopes that the
Central would soon extend it's Story
City branch to that city, but it sees
in the Rock Island move plan to
block that extension. especially If the
Central sells it's branch, which is not
among the probabilities. The Sioux
City Tribune says:
More definite information secured re-
garding tho Rock Islands proposed
short cut line from Marengo In Iowa
county northwest and thence west to
tap the Sibley line. indicates that this
move is of much interest in Sioux City.
The surveyed route is directly toward
Sioux City, and would cross the pro-
posed Sioux City extension of the Great
Western at Rockwell City. Thus
Sioux City connection with the Rock
island to the southeast would be made,
unless the Rock Islands plan contem-
plates in fact line to this city. upon
which it long has had its eye.
The expectation has been that the
Rock Island would enter Sioux City
from Guthrie Center. Some weeks ago
1t was reported that a survey was be-
ing run from the Guthrie Center stub
north toward Sioux City, but nothing
more has been heard from the work.
The Rock Islands short cut from
Marengo to Rockwell City would for
ever stop the Iowa Central from en-
tering Sioux City, as has In years past
been planned. The Iowa Central has
had surveys made westward from
Story City for Sioux City line. and
now IL is reported that the Story City
and Minerva branch of the Iowa Cen
trail is to become part of the Rock
Islands cutoff. The route as outlined
is new line from Marengo to Mar
shalltown and Minerva beyond; thence
by the the Iowa Central track to Story
City; thence a new line to Fraser,
which is the terminus of the MARSHALL
town and Dakota, which it is now re-
ported will be bought by the Rock
Island. This would give 1T a line to
Gowrie, whence the extension to Sibley
was built.
The result of the cutoff would be a
reduction of the mileage to Chicago
from northwestern Iowa some fifty-two
miles. If the Rock Island has full con-
troll of the Burlington. Cedar Rapids &
Northern as reported, it would then
have line into South Dakota nearly as
good as that of the Milwaukee, except
that Sioux City, the most important
point in northwestern Iowa, is not
reached. The construction of the line
from Story City to Frazer will give the
Rock Island access to some of the rich
est coal measures in Iowa. and in con-
nection with control of the Marshall
In,
length, and connecting Fraser with
Gowrie it will place the Rock Island in
a fine stratgetic position to command
a fair proportion of the freight and
passenger traffic with the mergence of
the Burlington, Cedar Rapids & North
ern into the Rock Island system.
Two or three recent visits of Super
intendent J. b. Swift of the Adams Elk
press Company, to Oskaloosa, for a
conference with General Solicitor
George w. Sewers, of the Central, has
led to the surnise that efforts are being
made to arrange a satisfactory settle
ment with Mort" Heath. of Ottumwa,
the Adams express messenger. who was
injured in the wreck of passenger train
No. 2, near Geneva on July 4, 1901.
Heath ia one of the oldest expreSS mes