Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1904-03-17
oTTUMWANs SHOULD WORK FOR
lNTER-URBAN,

-, VIC past yedi several prOpO-
sitlens Tor an inter-urban line running
from OttumWa have been discussed by
Lhe people of this city but as vet no
definite action has been taken. There
are doubtless few citizens of Ottumwa
VINO do not recognize that such line
put into operation would mean much
70 the business interests of the CITY.
Ihey favor such propositions in gener-
al, but are negligent about giving sub
stantiaF support that would make pos
slble the completion of such an enter
prise.
Ottumwa is located in the center
OF one OF the best farming and mining
section of the state. 1t is an import.
ant Industrial and jobbing center. Not
only would its business be increased
by the operation of an inter-urban line
but the people throughout the country
surrounding Ottumwa would be great
ly benefited. The inter-urban line
proposition is nothing new. 1t has
been tried and experience shows that
1t is a good thing for all parties con-
cerned. indianapolis is one of the
most important inter-urban centers in
the country and from it's experience
can be gotten much of benefit to the
people of Ottumwa. Recently one of
the papers in that city contained an
article on this question which we
would commend to the careful consid-
Grafton of every citizen of Ottumwa.
indianapolis Is now city of one
million inhabitants.
This is not to say that if census
taker were to go through the streets
OF indianapolis and carefully count ev-
cry man, woman and child he would
find one million inhabitants.
ION the contrary it is to say more.
III is to say that Indianapolis is the
center, the shopping headquarters for
one million buyers, and by buyers one
naturally means men and women with
money in their possession and fully
enough matured to be responsible pur-
chasers.
sof course there are not one million
souls housed in Indianapolis domiciles
mo enc would innate such a thing
But the point is nevertheless of equal
Importance.
1T means that this city draws upon
territory in which one million men and
women reside who; naturally look to
indianapolis merchants to supply them
with all their needs and necessities
their food, their, clothing, their hats,
their shoes, their dresses and, incident
ally, their am1sem ent.
"In competition with this latter man.
ayers of local theatres admit that 20
per cent of their patronage at every
performance is made up of residents of
the vast field penetrated by the inter-
Urban roads that center in Indianapo-
Ills.
these figures are not in any sense
speculative. They are hard facts-facts
that cannot. be denied. facts that must
be admitted.
"They were compiled by experts for
the use of vast financial interests who
contemplate risking their millions on
such facts as these.
Therefore they are facts.
They were gathered by agents of
the Arnold Electric Power Station
company of Chicago, and, in turn,
after additional investigation, were
printed as absolutely authentic in the
columns of the Engineering and Rail-
way Review, publication known far
and wide as the most dependable and
authoritative publication of the kind in
the country.
"This magazine says:
cit will be noticed that the inter
urban lines are centered thickest about
indianapolis, there being eight in OPP
GRAFTON at present, covering a total
length of 524 miles of road. The num-
Der of daily passenger trains entering
the city over these lines is 1853, and
there are the same number of trains
leaving the city. Some of these roads
are operating cars sixty feet in length,
and sleeping and buffec cars have been
introduced into the service.
""The freight business of Indianap-