Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1903-08-06
OPENING OF CUTOFF.
Regular Train Schedule to Be Opened
About September 1.


In answer to a telegram sent from
the office of the Courier asking when
the cutoff would be put into use, f.
A. Miller, general passenger agent of
the Milwaukee road, has sent the fol-
lowing reply:
Chicago, July 81, 1908.
Courier, Ottumwa, Iowa
1t is not likely that the cutoff will
be ready for business before Septem-
Der /. Local service may be estab-
lished at that time. All depends upon
the weather and our ability to secure
labor. F. A. Miller,
Same Statement From Superintendent
From Superintendent of Construc-
ton Laas, who has been making his
headquarters at Washington since the
work of ballasting the track of the
cutoff was begun, comes the state
ment also that it is very unlikely that
service will be established before Sep
TENDER l. The superintendent mas or
ders to complete his work by Septem-
Der l, if possible. Notwithstanding
repeated rumors and reports to the
contrary, it would seem from the
statements coming from these two
sources that a regular train schedule
on the cutoff cannot reasonably be
expected before September 1.
High Officials Inspect Line.
1t will be remembered that Presi-
dent Earring and other high officials
went over the cutoff a few days ago,
when it was strongly intimated that
the officers of the company were very
anxious to have the work pushed along
from the fact that passenger and
freight traffic will soon be heavy on all
roads. The Milwaukee people wish to
be ready to get all this business they
can. The orders sent to Superinten-
dent Laas here is the result of care
full view of the situation by the Of
ficials who went over the cutoff.
For the past five years the fall traffic
through Cedar Rapids and Marion has
been too heavy for. ready handling and
the new extension greatly facilitates
in the handling of business.
Working Rapidly.
The weather the past six weeks and
at the present time has been in the
roads favor. Not since the work was
begun on the cutoff, with the excep.
ton of the first few weeks, has the
work been pushed along as fast as it
is now. The second raise of sand has
been finished from the east to this
city. From Washington west the first
raise of sand ballast has been COM
pleted almost to Limby. the second
station this side of Rutledge.1 With
good weather it will take until August
10 to finish the first raise to Rutledge,
~ 80 ,oly
the second raise from Washington to
Rutledge by working night and day.
Some of the big fills are settling and
will require still more ballast Also
where washouts occurred this spring
culverts are being extended.
A Splendid Road Bed.
The road bed is being put in fine
shape, so that when trains are put on
regularly they will make good speed
from the start. Work trains are max
ing good time over most of the cutoff
now, running so smoothly that they
make little noise passing over the rail
joints.
A telegraph wire has just been
strung over the entire extension and is
in use, instruments having been plac-
ed in each station along the line.
Three more wires are to be strung by
the Western Union and alternate poles
set The operator who heretofore held
forth at the coal chute at Washington
is now located at the depot, using flags
to signal the work trains.
The fence gang has been working.
on the Washington end and reached
Grace Hill this week, abandoning the
work there to work on the west end
of the cutoff.