Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1904-06-11
Eurinu aarshatn,u satrda l. 1904

ness men who do not favor the inter-
urban fail, for some reason, to see the
benefits to be derived by an electric
road aitho they should welcome with
delight the opportunity of lifetime to
benefit their town and their business.
A few little incidents, past exper-
fences in interurbans, are very oppor-
tune at this time Many such incidents
same in every place where an inter-
urban has been tested. Coopersville,
Mich. town twelve miles west of
Grand Rapids. and between Grand
Rapids and Benton Harbor. on the
Michigan Central, had, in 1900, a pop
ulation of $50. In 1901 an interurban
railway was built connecting Grand
Rapids with Benton Harbor, via
Coopersville. The school census of
Coopersville, in April of this year,
was 1.Si0, which shows an increase
of almost three times the number of
people in 1890. Conrad has a little less
than 500 people. according to the
last census, and the example shown
is about as near a comparison as could
be made. with towns of a similar class.
Grand Rapids and Benton Harbor are
both larger than Marshalltown and
Grundy Center, between which Con-
rad is located, and Conrad should
benefit even to a greater extent that
Coopersville.
Another good illustration of the
;e, oh
at Abingdon. H. which is located ten
miles south of Galesburg, the county
seat. Abingdon has stood at about q
600 population for fifteen years. Two
years ago efforts were made to bulld
an interurban between Galesburg ana
Abingdon. Abingdon refused to grant
franchise at first, altho on second
attempt franchise was granted to the
center of the town, but not thru it.
Even then some people even went so
far as TIC attempt TO restrain, by force,
the setting of poles. or the laying u
steel Colonel J. NJ. Parker. who for
nle,ly lived at Abingdon, visited his
old home few weeks ago. he says
the people who opposed the interurban
few years ago are now ioudest IN
their praise for it. The population n
the past fifteen months has increased
500. Two three-story business build
ings are being erected, and two OF two
stories each are under construction.
These are the first new store buildings
to be built in ten years. One of the
new buildings is for the use of hard
ware store which travelling men pro-
nounce will be one of the finest in cen
trail Illinois. Trade has increased IN
every line, in the face of eighteen
trains day to the county seat, Gales
burg, a city of 10000 inhabitants.
A recent convert to the interurban
at Grundy Center is in the person of
w. II. Williams, heavy property own
err and real estate man. Mr.. Williams
has recently returned from visit to
Rockford, Belvidere and Freeport, ILL.,,
towns he has known for twenty-five
years. When Mr.. Williams left for
Illinois he was opposed to the interuf-
ban, and had been doing everything in
his power to prevent the MarshalltoWn
line being built into Grundy Center.
Upon his return he announces that
he is an enthusiastic interurban man.
and will support it. He says that these
Illinois towns, which he has known
for years, have been so greatly inn
proved by the interurban railways
that he hardly knows them. Business
in all lines is prospecting, and farms
have increased in value from $40 To
SIS per acre.
The ministers of the city have acted
wisely in not attempting at this time
to petition the city council for an or
dinance prohibiting Sunday base bail
1t is, of course. to be expected, that eV-
ery minister of the gospel is opposed
to Sunday base ball playing and would
make any personal sacrifices necessary
to put a stop to the game. This is
the attitude of every preacher in this
town without a single excep-
ton But SO long as the bah
nlayers are clearly within the
Jaw and the only thing that could
come of opposition by the preachers
would be defeat and discredit to the
preachers themselves, 1t seemed but the
act of wisdom not to fritter away their
influence in a hopeless venture.
Especially was any attempt to secure
co-operation from the city council IN
opportune at this time, because OF the
extravagant and uncalled for attack
made upon that body by Rev. Dempster.
Just at present the city council is in
no frame of mind to listen kindly to
requests from the preacher or preach
ers until they forget in part the abuse
recently administered from a local pull
Dit or realize that the better Judgment
of our local ministers did not approve
of that attack. Preachers who nave
any sense or any knowledge OF human
nature believe in using some tact II
they would secure results among their
fellow men. Men are sometimes like
horses led to water, in that they refuse
to drink.