Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1903-01-29
Visiting Site of Proposed Plant
and Examined Plans
WILL RETURN WITHIN TWO WEEKS
Jacob j. Kern, Chicago Attorney,
Brings H. J. Frank, Capitalist, and
w. F. Moore to ottumwa to Look
Over the Ground.

Infee men were IN OttumWa yes
terday, representing capitalists in Chi
cago, for the purpose of looking over
the ground with view to making a
proposition to the city for building
and financing waterworks plant ac-
cording to the plans and specifications
recently prepared by City Engineer
John T. Brady and Alderman Hoglund.
The men spent the day in Ottumwa,
devoting the major part of the morn
ing to visit to a point near the
mouth of Harrow's branch in company
with Alderman Hoglund and Attorney
Charles d. Fullen who was mainly
instrumental in bringing them to OF
tumwa. Late in the afternoon they
attended a council caucus. One of
the visitors is Attorney J. j. Kern OF
Chicago, who was Mr.. Fullens law
partner in that city, and who wrote
a letter regarding his plans to the city
officials a month ago. Another is H. J.
Frank, Chicago capitalist, who is
connected with the Illinois Watch Co.
at Rockford. The third is w. F. Mon
roe, a representative of the engineer
| ing firm of Sargent &. Lundley of Chi
cago.
Wanted it Secret.
The intention of the men was evil
dently to keep the facts regarding
their visit to Ottumwa secret. They
arrived in the city in the morning and
repaired to the Ballingall where they
would not register From the hotel
they went to Mr.. Fullen's law Office
on Court street, and with Mr.. Fullen
they boarded West End street car,
on which they went to the end of the
line Cutting across lots, they met
Mr.. Hoglund near the Morrell ice
houses on the river bank, and the
party surveyed the land in the vicin-
| ity of Harrows branch, where, ac-
cording to the specifications that have
been prepared by the engineer, the in
take for the proposed water system is
| to be.
On returning to the city the visitors
took dinner at me BalingaI, still
failing to register at the desk. After
dinner they went with Mr.. Fullen for
a trip over the city, and on their re-
| turn spent time in conference with
/ the attorney at his Office, going from
there to the city hall, where council
caucus had been called by the mayor
for $50 o'clock. 1t had not been the
| intention of the visitors to meet the
council at this time. it is said, for
they had no proposition to offer. Con-
sequently little or nothing was done
at the caucus, but it was decided that
the Chicago men will return to this
city about the latter part of next week
and it is hoped by the council that
then an agreement can be reached with
regard to the plans, specifications and
/ term of the franchise.
The plans and specifications, which
have not yet been presented to the
council at an open meeting, were TAX
en- to Chicago by Messrs. Frank and
Monroe last night when they left the
city on Burlington No. 2. Mr.. Kern
went to Des Moines over the Rock
! Island last evening At the council
caucus it was understood that the
plans and specifications. are to be ex-
! amined by the Chicago men and that
| they will return to Ottumwa in lit
tie more than week and that then
the agreement will, If possible, be
reached between them and the city.
An Obstacle.
However, there is an obstacle which
confronts the city and the promoters,
according to a statement made today
by one. who is close to the admins
tration. This is that the city council
is dilly-dallying with the City Water
Supply Co.. and has never burned its
bridges behind it so that friendly or
rather, business relations can be re-
sumed between the city and the COM
pany This makes the Chicago men
backward about taking steps toward
coming into the city and agreeing to
invest their money in a plant. when
ever the city is through with the wat
er company" said the man mentioned
above, these men are ready to take
a franchise with purchasing clause.
build the waterworks and conduct it
until the city shall pay for it."
Would Organize in Iowa.
The plan of the Chicago men is to
organize a company under the laws of
| Iowa and erect plant outright at
cost of probably 100000 1t is said
that Mr.. Monroe, the engineer who
was in the city yesterday, is very ia
vorable to having an intake above
= | Do AN