Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1903-06-12
Many Business Men Anxious
For Rock Island to Open
New Route
moNTEzuMA TO MONROE
This Would Create a Line Into Des
Moines From the Southeastern Part
of the State, Which is Badly Needed
and Would Greatly Facilitate Bust.
ness Interests Generally.

mess men, corporations n nrlns Oh
Des Moines, all of them shippers. have
Joined with the business men of Mus
%icatine. Lone Tree. Kinross, Webster,
~1'hornburg. Montezuma. Searsboro,
Reasnor, Sully, Lynnville and Monroe
i'll an effort to induce tie Rock Island
to open a new route into Des MONIES
from the southeast part of the state.
BY its purchase of The Burlington,
Cedar Rapids e Northern road, the
Rock Island acquired a line extending
from Muscatine thru Lone Tree and
Webster to Montezuma. This line stops
at Montezuma. AS conditions now are
the shippers in Des Mo;nes to reach
points on this line must either a Il
local rate over the Rock Island to Grim
nell, a local over the Iowa Central to
| Montezuma and another Rock Island
local beyond that point. or pay a dis
lance tariff via West Liberty. The one
costs as much as the other. The same
condition applies to shippers from
points on this line to Des Moines.
What is wanted is that the Rock
Island build a road from Montezuma
thru Searsboro and Lynnville to Mon
roe. 1t would necessitate the building
of about twenty-five miles of road thru
a country that 1T is comparatively easy
to build thru and would bring all points
on the Burlington, Cedar Rapids &
Northern division out of Muscatine
from twenty to seventy miles nearer to
Des Moines and give shippers in Des
Moines and along the road the benefit
of a short haul and one billing rate, that
it is believed would result in building
un a splendid business over the line.
The connection would give the Rock
Island a continuous route across the
state from Des Moines via its Valley
division to Monroe and thence thru
MonteZuma and Muscatine to Daven-
port, which would be from sixteen to,
twenty-five miles south of its main line
and fifteen miles shorte: between Des
Moines and Davenport than its present
route.
1t is argued in favor of the proposed
road that it would obviate the necessity
of double tracking the Rock Island be-
tween Des Moines and Iowa City. as
thru freight could be diverted over this
line and relieve the main line of much
of the traffic without losing time or dis
lance in making the haui.
The Rock Island main line is now.
double tracked as far west as Iowa City.
and three and -four mile sidings are be-
ing constructed at intervals along the
road between tina point and Des
.Molnes, with the ultimate intention of
connecting them up and thus providing
a second track.
Business men of Montezuma started
a. T,ha,, .on aoJ;ctal st1ai
cooperation of the business men of
other town along the line. and then APP
pealed to the Jobbers' and Manufacture
ers' Association of this city to join
them. Secretary +. j. Riser took the
matter up and has induced practically
every jobber and shipper of Importance
in the city to take the matter up with
the Rock Island by correspondence.
Yesterday he received notice that the
Rock Island people are giving the prop
osition serious consideration, and that
the officials are DESTROYS of meeting a
committee of business men representing
the towns interested to go over the
proposition with them. The time for
an audience with the officials has not
been set as yet. and the members of the
committee have not been named. but II
it Is expected a strong committee will
be sent to Chicago from Des Moines ane
every effort made to secure the building
CT the line.
Secretary Riser says that Des
jobbers could build up & splen-
did business in the territory south of
the Rock Island main liae If this con-
nection IS secured, as 1t will shorten the
d;stance to all points on the old Bur-
lington, Cedar Rapids G. Northern di-
vision south of West Liberty, and give
!, direct connection into a territory that
is reached nov only by the paying OF
two and three locals.