The Oskaloosa herald., 1904-05-19
BUILD AN INTERURBAN
Such Should be the Watch Word OF
Greater Oskaloosa.

While every address at the Com
mercial Club banquet was fraugnt
with good suggestions and helpful
advice for Greater Oskaloosa, none OF
them has caused our people to do as
| much hard thinking as the one by
| Harry O'Neill An interurban line
to Beacon, Bussey and Buxton lies
near to-the hearts of every man, wom-
an and child in Oskaloosa, and the
destiny of the city depends on some
such enterprise. In order to again
bring the facts stated by Mr.. O'Neill
before our people, the Herald takes
pleasure in reproducing the main
points of his address. Keep them in
mind, study them closely, ana when
the proper time comes let us act
unitedly and intelligently.
"The average fare per mile receiy-
ed by the steam roads of America for
the year 1900 was 2 .003 cents. The
average fare Of the interurban roads
was only 1.3 per mile, while in sew
eral districts where population and
local conditions are favorable, a rate
of less than one cent per mile pre-
! walls"
"The average cost of operation of
the steam roads Of this country in
1900 is reported by the Interstate
Commerce Commission to have been
| 64.6 per cent of their gross earnings,
while the average cost Of operation of
interurban lines was only 81 per cent
of their gross earnings. The Union
Traction Company of Indiana is OPP
Grated for 51,9 per cent Of its gross
earnings, while the Big Four, which
it parallels, takes 500 per cent Of its
gross earnings. The Southwestern
Missouri Electric Railway is operated
for 5S.2 per cent, while the Missouri
Pacific just alongside requires 69.9
| per cent. The Lorraine G. Cleveland
was operated last year for As per
cent of its gross receipts, while the
Nickle Plate and Lake Shore, which
| parallel it, are operated for rs per
cent and 64.6 per cent respectively
With such a showing in favor the in
terurban lines under their present
crude ana Indifferent management,
what must We expect when their OPP
Grafton has been reduced by study
and comparison to the scientific and
economical basis on which steam
roads are now operated?"
''The average earnings of steam
/ in AYoon rio
traffic for the year 1900 amounted to
$1,674, while the average earnings of
the interurban electric roads were
nearly two and one-half times that,
amount, being approximately $3,SQ2
per mile. The earnings ~Spf m4&
roads, however, run very much hfgI II
er, as the Southwest Missouri EledA
trio Railway, which earns s4,735 pe5R
mile, the Union Traction of Indiank
with earnings of $4,9S4 per mile, anhl
the Northern Ohio Traction with S.
$40 per mile.
THE Detroit & Port Huron Electric
Railway, running from Detroit, Mich
igan, to Port Huron, distance of
70 miles, is capitalized at only 1884,
480 per mile, while the Grand Trunk
Railroad, with which it completes, is
capitalized at $93,714 per mile. The
Toledo, Fremont &c Norwalk Railway,
an electric line 81 miles long running
from Norwalk, Ohio, to Toledo, is
capitalized at $4,000 per mile, while
the Lake Shore and Michigan South
ern, which it parallels, is capitalized
at $4,000 per mile. The Southwest
Missouri Electric Railway running
| from Carthage through Joplin to Ga.
lena, Kansas, distance of Al miles.
is capitalized at $31,700 per mile.
while the st. Louis and San Francis
co Railway, with which it completes.
was capitalized at $56,100 per mile.
and is now a part of the Rock Island
system at an increased capitalization.
The average capitalization of steam
roads in the United States, according
to the report Of the Interstate Com
merce Commission for the year 1900
was $61,f90 per mile while the aver.
age capitalization of electric inter.
urban railways will not average over
9oo,UVO per mile.
Beyond the Alps lies Italy was
the encouraging cry of Napoleon's sol
d1ers as they battled with the SHOWS
OF the st. Gothard and continued the
effort that enabled them to fall upon
the enemy's rear and win the victory
OF Marengo that established, tempo
rarily, the peace of the world. Be.
You'd the Des Moines river lie Bux-
ton, Abba, the rich coal fields of
Southern Iowa and thousands of well
paid laborers. Supply them the
transportation facilities afforded by
the modern interurban and they will
NIL your stores and places of business
and amusement, and literally force
upon you a wealth of trade that win
insure the growth and stability of