Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1903-09-22
SKBETTER SERVICE
MERCHANTS WANT CHANGES. ON
MILWAUKEE, CUTOFF.
COUNTRY PEOPLE DISSATISFIED
Want Trains Into ottumwa in the
Morning With Chance to Return in
the Afternoon and With Time to Do
Trading During the Day.

At called meeting held at p. M,
yesterday the Retail Merchants asso-
citation appointed committee of three
to act in conjunction with similar
committee appointed by the board of
the Commercial association on last
Wednesday evening for the purpose of
securing a more advantageous train
service upon the new Milwaukee cut
off. j. B. Sax, Frank Kerfoot and J.
A. Phillips were named as this COM
mittee.
The meeting was held in the Wapel-
10 club parlors and was a short busy
session. The meeting was called to
order by President J. B. Sax, who stat
ed the object for which the meeting
was called.
Deserve Better Service.
The merchants present were unit
in their belief that Ottumwa was en-
titled to better service than they are
at present receiving. During the dis
cussion it came out plainly that what
is wanted is a morning train into OF
tumwa which will return during the
afternoon. giving a service by which
people living along the line of the cut
Off can come into the city, do their
trading and return again the same day.
AT the present time people along the
| line OF the cutoff can only come to the
| city late in the evening, too late to do
any trading, and must remain over
| night and return at 1890 p. M, the
following day. With this train serv-
| ice the cutoff is of practically no value
| at all to the merchants,
Desired by Country People.
That such train service as is de.
sired by the Ottumwa merchants Is
also desired by the residents of the
section through which the cutoff
runs is abundantly evident from the
complaints Of these people to the mer.
chants and from the letters that have
been written to the retailers associa.
ton. The following letter from G. w
Dickens of Farson, about twelve miles
on the cutoff will serve to show the
feeling that exists among the residents
of the little towns along the line:
Request From Farson.
Twill you kindly bring the matter
OF train service on the Milwaukee cut
Off before your association and see If
there cannot be something done to
get such a service that the people
falong the line can come to. Ottumwa
and return the same day. There is
to be new time card go into effect
on Oct. 10. 1t will be better to ask
i for a change now than later Any
thing that you can do will be appre
ciated. believe such a change would
be much better for the railroad, for
Ottumwa and for this vicinity"
| Poor Service From South.
II 1t developed during the discussion
of the desired change on the cutoff
that the Milwaukee service from the
south was in practically the same
condition as on the cutoff. The only
opportunity that people of Foster
Moravia, Willard and Blakes
burg have Of coming to Ottumwa is
late in the evening after the stores
are closed. On Saturday evenings
/, when the stores are open they car
do their trading and return at mid
night but on other days they must re
main over night, do their trading il
the morning and return about 1920
Instruct Committee.
The merchants of the retail associa
ton believe that they are entitled te
| better service on both these branches
and their committee was instructed
to use every effort in connection witt
the commercial association COMMITTEES
. toward securing trains on both line.
by which the country people can com,
/. to Ottumwa, have time to do thei
trading and return again the sam,
day. There is no complaint to b.
!. made upon the service of the Milwau
/. kee from the north.N
Commercial Club Committee.
; The committee named by the com
mercial association last Wednesda,
: evening consists of Frank Simmons
, T. ID. Foster and Joseph Dain. A meet
ing of the two committees will b.
held soon and plans formulated TO
i. bringing the matter of the desire
! changes before the proper railroad Of
. ficials.
A Man Badly Injured
l. or painfully hurt, burned, bruised O