Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1904-04-26
HELP FOR The
N1ERURBAN
Veteran Electric Railway Build
er Sends Representative
to Marshalltowl
LINE WATERLOO TO DIES MONIES
Says He Has No Proposition to Make
But Wants to Work With Local Pro-
motors and Is Ordered to Correct
Impressions That He Can Build
Without Local Aid.

Hopes for the interurban enterprise
have taken an upward turn with the
visit to town yesterday and today o.
Mr.. Charles L. Knowlton of Muncie
Ind. Mr.. Knowlton is the personal rep
resentative of c. B. Holmes, of Chicago
a veteran builder of electric lines, and
/ is engaged in the organization of a
company to- build an electric line from
Waterloo 10 Des Moines via Grundy
Center and Marshalltown. He has in
terested $4,000 of Waterloo capital in
his enterprise and assures Marshall-
! town people that the monied people
back of Mr.. Holmes have $4,000, 900
| ready with which to build the proposed
road as soon as Mr.. Holmes says the
concessions and assistance obtained
make the proposition a good one.
Mr.. knowlton came to MarShalltown
las the result of visit of MIR. Ferrin to
Chicago to see Mr. Holmes. Waterloo
| business men had interested Holmes in
a railway scheme and Mr.. knowlton
matters. Mir. Holmes. however, knew
| nothing of the Marshalitown venture
at that time. Later letters from Mar.
shalltown people TO Mr.. Knowlton
and F'errin's trip to see Holmes brought
to his attention the status OF the Mar
Mr.. Holmes wrote to Mr.. knowaton
Iinsrtiicting him to go to Marshalltown,
saying:
IF the information is given out that
the line will be built without help from
the people along the line it will very
difficult thereafter to go to these sans
people and say to them that we must
have their cooperation to build this
line and II. is hardly to be expected
that the line could be built without
their assistance. Now something mus,
be done at once and / would suggest
that you Immediately get into commu-
nication with the various interests and
arrange a basis for our consideration
under which all interests will be har-
moniZed and all work together. Even
then it will be difficult to construct the
road
Upon reaching this city Mr.. Knowlton
went direct to Col. Parker of the inter-
urban company and spent the day con-
derring with members of the interurban
company and in the evening met a par
ty of business men whom Mr. DAILY and
Mr.. Bradford had invited TO their law
office for that purpose. Because of the
fac. that Mr.. DAILY and 7dr. Bradford
have been opposing tho Marshalltown
interurban scheme fro m9ts inception
1t seemed for a time that there was
some sinister purpose in Mr.. Knowlton's
coming. He, however, explains that
Mr.. Boies. son OF Ex-Governor Boies,
the lawyer doing his business in Wat
erloo sent him to his democratic ac-
quaintance. Mr.. Bradford. He insists
that he came under Holmes instruc-
tons to arrange tremendously with the
interurban people and !
when asked the direct question by the |
said. I'VE are not |
ready to make any proposition at |
ALL
He explained further that 1t was his |
wish that the Marshalltown people get I
their tax and build their road TO +
Grumpy Center for he could then join
with them for the extension OF the line
10 Waterloo ana to Des Moines where
ment with J. s. Polk, for entrance into
nat city.
Mr.. Knpupiton says that IL the Mar
'halltown people get their tax they can
ind the money to build the road with
ut any doubt. whatever. but that his
people will mot accept the Marshalltown
ranchiss for the reason that 1t provid-
s for locating the shops. power house,
headquarters and all In this city, He
iays he Is not sure these parts of the
Dad would not be located here event
tally should his company build the
.ntire line, but that he would not and
ould not accept franchise containing ,
hose requirements for the reason that
e must deal with Waterloo and Des
foines people who would want the i,
anne concessions. AT Anderson, In :
lana, sa50.000 power house in the /,
enter of an extensive interurban sys- ,
I'M. operates lines for 100 miles in each !
ERECTION. !.
II believe that without any question ,
'hatever,' said Mr.. Knowlton, the !,
BAD will he built IL this tax carries. :
am not here to oppose 1t, but want
to go thru. | can see how failure :
t this time can easily prevent the :
,ad ever being built at ALL couldn't
ccept your tax on your franchise, !
18th the strings you have tied to it, !,
ut it will unquestionably give your :
aople an advantage should the Whole !,
ne be built" He showed figures and !,
APPS to prove, in his judgment =
ne from Waterloo to Des Moines was Ia
good business proposition. He gave =
lie First National bank of Chicago as :,
to prove his assurance that l.
least $s,000,000 was back of NJ. !
dimes for interurban building in Iowa. ;,
n. Holmes was the builder and was n
lie president for eighteen years of the
hicago CSity Railway and the West j,
de street railway, also the builder of \
lie Davenport street railway, five :,
rect lines in st. Louis, the street =
always iii Memphis Houston anil !,
ldianapolis. and the interurban 100 !,
lies long between Dallas and Fort =
'orth, Texas. The stockholders and :,
of the Marshalltown
lterprise welcome his coming fori
cir only desire is to get the road
Tilt Mr. Ferrin is under contract lc
find outside capital sufficient to fl
lid to Grundy Center If the tax is O.
ted. Mr.. KnoWlton says Ferrin can n
this without fail and If he does the lte
road will have every adj %