Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1904-04-27
KNONLD)N Talks
ON NIERURBANS
Indiana Man Tells of Benefits
to Cities and Towns Result
ing From Electric Roads
BIG INCREASES IN POPULATE ON
Villages of 500 and 600 Develop into
Towns of 1900 and 1000 = Benefits
to All Classes = Obstacles to be
Overcome in Building Cost Per
Mile of Road Ready for Operation.

Mile of Road Ready for Operation.
Mr.. Charles f. Knowlton, of Muncie,
Ind, who came to the city Monday in
the interest of c. B. Holmes of Chicago,
promoter of the proposed Waterloo
Marshalltown-D es Moines line of inter-
urban railway, talks Interestingly in re-
ference to the electric lines of his state.
Mr.. Knowlton has gained vast exper-
fence in interurban building during his
eight years experience in Indiana, and
gives in an interview some of his eX-
perience in the difficult work of pro-
curing franchises in Indiana, where the
country merchant would say thsst the
interurban would kill his town and
trade Mr.. knowlton also tells of facts
concerning the benefits to all classes
resulting from interurbans and gives an
estimate of the cost, per mile, to get a
line in shape for operation.
In speaking of he talk of mere hants
of the smaller towns for fear that the
interurbans would drive trade into the
county seats. Mr.. Knowlton said: This
same talk was heard in the county seat
towns, where it was claimed that If the
thru lines were bu!lt to Indian apolis
that there business would be hurt by
reason of the trade going to the capi-
tai.
about eight years ago these lines
We're started to be built, and they have
proved a benefit to every town and
hamlet thru which they pass. simply
from the fact that it gave them con-
slant communication with the farming
districts and brought people I'D their
towns and cities who had never been
there before. These lines have adopt
ed the plan of running large express
cars in which the groceries of the
wholesale houses and all classes of
merchandise are taken out daily from
Indianapolis, Muncie. Anderson and
Marion, and other towns where whole
sale houses are in business. These cars
carry express matter, the same as other
roads. also mail and papers and they
have enabled the farmers IN the ham
lets to procure their mall and papers at
J
has proved great benefit to them
Towns of 500 or 500 people have grown
to be towns Of 4 SEQ or 2,0O0s 1883
ION some lines they run car which
is used constantly for the hauling OF
milk to the dairy. and in the tomato
season, tomatoes to canning factories,
often a distance. of forty or fifty miles,
charging very low freight rate, which
enables the farmers to produce toma-
toes at a profit which they have never
been able to do before. The rates of
fare on these electric Inns are based
upon about IL cents per mile. They
find they can make more money on a
low fare, with hourly service, than on
a higher rate. The people go more of
ten. Regarding the passenger fare on.
the line, IL built from Waterloo, to Des
Moines, the rate from Marshalltown to
Des Moihes will be about SIS cents. The
freight rate and express matter will
the regular rates are on the steam
roads. 1t has been found In the towns
of Ohio and Indiana, where these lines
haved proved to be wonderful paying
business propositions, that to get the
business 1t Is necessary to occupy the
main streets OF the towns. passing the
hotels and postoffices and public plac-
es. They,have also developed many
parks near the larger towns and cities
at which chautauquas are held, and
many people attend them. They give
them an outing at a very low price. II
you pick UP an Indianapolis paper you
will notice that the real estare men of
that city are advertising farms for sale
and almost invariably state the dis
tance from the electric railway station.
and lands within mile ard a half
of either side OF said railway on these
roads have increased. in value from Is
to 25 dollars per acre. In the early
construction of these roads it was
thought that they could be built crook
ed and make heavy grades, but after
some experience in building. 1t Is found
that the merl who furnish money to
build these lines will consider nothing
but straight lines. and constantly less
than ! per cent grade. Almost all
lines that are well equipped with a
good roadbed and eighty pound steel
rails, make the time of thirty-five
miles an hour. stopping at all stations
along the line.
1T is found profitable to the COM
pany to put IN platforms at which the
people can get on and off in communi-
ties where there are several people
living about a mile apart. At these
stations local trains will take on and
off passengers and freight and express.
In these states almost invariably they
parallel railways. and at first there was
constant war between them. but these
great trunk lines have been the last
few years seeking more thru travel and
paying less attention to the local trade
and And that i'm their gross receipts
they have lost no money. by the build
ing of these electric lines. AS an ex-
ample as to how the electric lines viii
sap the local business from Muncie
to Indianapol distance of fifty
seven miles, the Big Four railway put
on sixteen trains day. charging the
rate of SITE the round trip. The year
previous to- the building of electric
lines between these two points the Big
Four sold los tickets per day at Mum