Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1903-01-20
Prominent Ottumwans Will
Try to Get National Plum.
MENTIONED AT BANQUET
Calvin Manning and F. w. Simmons
Refer Prominently to the Question
and Commercial Association May
Take Hand.
From FRIDAYS Daily.

From Fridays Daily.
That Ottumwa should be the loca-
ton for a federal district court is the
sense Of the business and professional
men in this city, and the matter, which
has been casually mentioned but never
doomed may be taken up soon by the
Commercial association Of Ottumwa
as result of the prominent mention
made of it by Calvin Manning and
F. w. Simmons in their add esses
last evening at the business mems
banquet at the Ballingall hotel.
Ottumwa attorneys have tried on
several different occasions to bring
about the establishment of federal
court in this city. There is much bust
ness from Ottumwa before the federal
court in Keokuk, Red Oak Council
Bluffs, and in the part of the state tri-
butary TO this city the cases have to
be taken to Keokuk That city is in
an out-of-the-way corner of the state
and is much less central than is OF
tumwa. In addition to this fact it is a
smaller place and the business natur-
ally coming before the court there is
less than it is in this city. Many at
torneys and business men in this city
think that if the proper effort is put
forth this city can get the federal
court.
Benefits to Be Derived.
Ottumwa merchants would derive a
great deal of benefit if federal court
were TO be established here. The jury
men and witnesses would naturally
spend large sum of money each year
ia ~, n;t 1. wi LNl1 not
only for board and lodging, but also
for the necessities of life, and the gain
to business is material.
Government Owns Land.
In the present government building
there are rooms which, with some re,
modelling, would make good quarters
for the federal court. The government
has already purchased land between
the present postoffice building and
Fourth street, and any time when the
need becomes apparent enough the
present building can be remodeled OF
rebuilt so that it will cover more
ground and can easily accommodate a
federal court. Judging from the
growth of Ottumwa in the past few
years, there is no doubt that in time
Ottumwa will have to hove federal
court, and those who have devoted
thought to the subject see no reason
for not beginning to ask for it now.
1t has been suggested that the Com
| mercial association enter into nego-
tiations with Congressman John F
Lacey looking to the establishment Of
| federal court in this city. Ottumwa
| has received no more than her share
of plums from the national tree and
it is the sense of a great many think
| ing business men that she should have
this one, not only for the reason JUS
given, but because it is needed anG
would be a benefit to this and sur
rounding counties.
| A Hotel is Needed.
In the consideration of this matter
as with that of other enterprises, how
ever, the family skeleton, as it We're
| in the form of the pressing need of /;
new and first class hotel comes vi
before the mind. The question as t.
where the people who would come t.
Ottumwa to attend federal court would
stay is making itself evident. 1t is
we'll known fact that the present hote
I accommodations are inadequate a.
conditions now exist, and it is though
| by some citizens to be useless to tall
of bringing new enterprises and peopl
here unless there is some place in tn
city to house them.