The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1904-06-17
Benefits of Interurban TroIIeys.


stAczs@ao not seem to appreciate the
benefits to be derived from them. Or
1t an events, that they do not cooperate
% rs to secure electric railways, as in
ether states, and so the roads are not
built
As a rule these are short local lines,
with little capital, but plenty of push
and enterprise. lines that can be secured
when all to be benefited cooperate, and
IN ne other way. Iowa has no greater
sdvantages for this sort of thing than
las southern Minnesota, yet her farmers
.re,seaping benefits given by these cleo
tric country lines, and is far outstripping
x In the rapid development of the
sountry.I
Mason City, with two thirds the popu-
lxtion of Mankato, has sixteen mile
line that is doing great deal for that
eountry, and is now on paying basis.
Marshalltown, with only 1000 more peo-
pie IN 1900 than Mankato, has had a
city Hne@ for some time, and now has a
twenty five mile interurban under con-
tract But in order to do this the COM
pany has received over 100000 in local
aid, and letter we have just seen shows
the farmers to be doing their part, for
1t says: "We have obtained right of
way fifty feet in width at no cost at all,
since in each case the right of way was
donated by the farmers"
Ii goes without saying that they show
the greatest kind of business foresight in
donating right of way, as experience
proves that the roads cannot be secured
without every such sort of local assist
snce; for they are Immediately benefited
far beyond the amount of their donation.
But an object lesson from Iowa will be
more convincing than anything The Free
Press can say. However, this can be
said, that electric railways, both city and
suburban, are proving an important fac
tor in the upbuilding and developing of
the countryside as well as the towns with
which the lines are connected. Recently
q well known correspondent of The Chi
cago Record Herald visited Iowa, and
after investigating the electric railways
he became impressed with their impor-
lance, and in letter to his paper he
stated that no movement in Iowa today
Is of more significance to the farmer than
the electric railway movement. It has
entered the state from the east and is
hardly more than ten years old. Its
growth q has been spectacular. There
s at the present time in Iowa about
1000 miles of these small railways
already built or under construction.
When one understands that hardly any
of these average more than thirty miles
IN length one sees how large are the
interests involved.
The development of electric traction
power and its transmission have not
reached point when it is profitable
20 operate large systems. So at the
present time the field of the electric
railway is limited. Perhaps the use
they are most largely put to is in con-
meeting the small pleasure parks in
the country with city. Some of the
most valuable railway property in the
state today is but small electric line
doing this service.
One of the most notable examples of
this phase of the work is presented by
the Waterloo and Cedar Falls electric
knc. 1t is situated between two live,
prosperous Iowa cities, in one of
which is located small normal
school, with about 800 students. The
railway people have established be-
tween the two cities a park, the Sans
Souci, summer ball team is maintained,
and other forms of amusement are al
lowed upon the grounds. This little
line of track, about six miles long,
earned last year over $4,000. The aver
age electric road, when the grading is
not more than normal, can be built for
around 81 900 per mile.
But it is. not this class of road which
helps, primarily, the farmer. 1t is the
road which runs within walking distance
of his farm, or one that connects his
shipping point with another line of rail
way. Iowa City is more fortunately sit
uated than any other city in the state
with regard to its railway connections.
At one time there were two lines of
railway entering the city, the old Bur-
hngton and the present Rock Island,
who competed for the trade. Freight
rates were just then and the shippers or
the farmere had no reason to complain
Of the treatment which they received at
Mat time
But with the great merger of three
years ago the old Burlingtan came into
the possession of the Rock Island
Freight rates at Iowa City moved slowly
but surely upward. At the present time
the shippers of johnson county are
forced to pay for the long haul, the
rate now quoted to the Missouri river
points. The farmers have been the first
10 feel the new conditions. The in
creased freight rates have lowered the
prices which have been paid to them for
every one of the products of the farm
which they are forced to ship away to
End market for.
While the conditions have continued,
the farmers of the county have asked for