Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1903-01-20
d Ballingall, ottumwa would nc


doubt be the Lowell of the west
but my friends, if We lay down and
i wait for some other fellow to take the
lead in opportunities which appear on
the surface and do not work together,
hand in hand and help to lift them up,
We must not expect and will not adj
vance as We should.
DO not understand me to say that
We will have the largest city on earth,
but | do say we have the natural IA
cllities coupled with the proper push
If we utilize it, to make the largest
city of it's size either in the United
States, or the biggest part of Mis-
souri,, and the people of that state al
ways have to be shown, anu We have
in our city a good example of showing
some of the good people of Missouri,
that which we have in our city which
is good. | speak of the Dain plant.
"Ottumwa, situated on the Des
Moines river, with her bountiful sup
| ply Of coal and wood, and in the ac-
knowledged center of the corn belt of
the United States, possesses advan--
tages which | shall not take time to
enumerate, but which are certainly
great agents in assisting us in getting
manufactures and other enterprises
to come to our city. Ottumwa is truly
proud of the various industries which
she has today. The Janney Manufac-
| turing company. the Dain (from Mis-
souri), the John Morrell Pork Packing
House, the Hardsocg Drill and Square
factories, the Ottumwa Iron Works,
the Fair-Williams Bridge Works, the
Box Car Loader Company and many
others which might mention if |
| had the time.
Mr.. Chairman, | believe that the
members of the Commercial associa-
ton of this city have a duty to per-
form. think they are the very foun-
dation of the future of Ottumwa if
they will act as they should. We have
associated with us gentlemen of ev-
cry occupation banded together for
the advancement of our city. They
belong in the various sections of the
i city ond ! believe will work for the
good of the whole city. Let us work
together with no thought of any divis-
ion. Let there be no North Side, no
South Side, no East End, nor West
End, when it comes to advancing the
interests of the future of Ottumwa,
but all work together. Will you do it?
believe you will, and in a very short
time / truly believe Ottumwa's future
will be materially benefited by the eff.
forts put forth by the members of this
association and that we may well and
truly be called the Lowell of the
i west"
4 w. A. McIntire.
i w. A. Mc1ntire, in response to the
toast, Iowa from an Educational
Standpoint" delivered the following
interesting address:
i Mr.. POSTMASTER and fellow mem.
bers of the Ottumwa Commercial as.
ISOLATION:
! Iowa, with her population of two
and quarter millions, with her
wealth of twenty-eight hundred mil
lions, with the value of her annual
farm products of over five hundred
and fifty millions, with two hundred
and thirty thousand cultivated farms
and three hundred and seventy thou.
sand family dwellings, eighty per cent
OF them owned by their inmates, with
her 1880 school houses and 100000
children attending the public schools
is the greatest and best all round
state in the union. She ranks first in
so many things that shall not under.
take to enumerate them in the brief
time allotted me.
While We may have a pardonable
pride in her productions of corn and
: hogs, grass and beef, and butter and
eggs, we take especial pride in the fact
that she ranks lowest in illiteracy, ex
! cept only the state of Nebraska, which
state Is not very densely populated
might mention some reasons why
Iowa shows better results in the gen
eral intelligence of her people than
. very many other of her sister states.
!, "The first state constitution declar
ed that the general assembly shall
encourage by all suitable means the
!. formation of intellectual improve
ment.' 1t also provided that every
!, school district should support schoo
!, at least three months in each year anG
! it seems each successive legislature
! made laws more liberal, until the
smallest community of farmers were
: provided with school facilities. To pro
: vide better schools in sparsely settled
townships, the twenty-fifth or twenty
: sixth general assembly enacted Law
!. permitting the use of school funds tt
. transport school children to and from
i some central school house in the town
T ship, where sufficient number NIGH
! be in attendance for an interesting ant
I profitable school Many townships IL
the northern part of the state have
4 taken advantage of this provision il
a the law. Some one is employed will
: a covered vehicle to gather up thu
s children in the morning, take them tt
: school and then return them in thu
evening.
''The siXteeth section in every town
r ship in the state was set apart by thu
!. government to the interests of the
i public schools, and through the sale
. of these lands an enormous state funt
r was created, the interest from which
}. is semi-annually apportioned to the
t numerous districts in the state. The
e services of the greatest public schoo
man in the United States at that tim.
D were secured in framing the schoo
: laws of Iowa-that of Horace Mann
d of Massachusetts, and that the worl
e was well done the schools of toda,
:. bear evidence. The state is dotted
/ over with white school houses, aver
J.! aging one for every four square mile
of the state and one for every 100 in