Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1905-04-01
WILL BECOME EFFECTIVE ON
THE BURLINGTON AND MIL
WAuKEE APRIL 9.
Reduce Time of Southwest Limited
Strenuous Run Made by Burlington
Fast Mail--MiIwaukee Officials on a
Tour of Inspection.

Tour of Inspection.
From Fridays Daily.
New time cards will go into effect
on the Burlington and the Milwaukee
railroads Sunday, April 8. One of the
most important changes will be the re
ducing of the time of the Milwaukee's
Southwest Limited thirty minutea be-
tween Chicago and Kansas City. 1t
is thought that there will be little
change in the time of the Burlington's
| passenger trains in this city.
1t was expected that two local pas
senger trains between Davenport and
Laredo would be established on the
Milwaukee at the time the new card
went into effect but as no official no
| tice has been received in this city local
officials believe that the project is still
under consideration and that no deci-
sion in regard to the matter has yet
been made.
| Burlington Changes.
Since the last time card was issued
by the Burlington there has been con-
siderable change made in the operation
of local freight trains on the Ottumwa
| division. New tonnage ratings have
also been made since the cold weather
and it Is thought that these will be
the only changes affecting the Ottum-
wa division to any extent in the new
card
Officials in City.
H. R. Williams, general manager of
the Milwaukee, w. J. Underwood, as
sistant general manager; ]. B. Moll,
general road master; G. F. Loweth,
superintendent of bridges and building,
passed through the city yesterday on
a special train, on a tour of inspection.
They were accompanied to Kansas
City by E. Lass, of this city, superin-
,, tendent of the Kansas City division.
A Memorable Run.
Monday, April 3, will be the forty.
: fifth anniversary of notable run made
by fast mail train across Missouri on
the Hannibal & st. Joe, to connect
/. with the pony express, an important
government mail contract being the
stake. The following from Macon, Mo.
gives an interesting account of the
! event:
1t is probable that there never was
: an occasion on road west of the Mis-
sissippi that caused greater excitement
than the first run of the fast mail. The
4 track was in a miserable condition
That Is, it was not ballasted as it is
!. today and the bridges were not as safe
i The old style T rails were used ant
5 the wheels clattered over them will
y a noise like gang of workmen pound
= ing boiler rivets. Wood was used il
y the locomotives. The era of coal ha,
not arrived in the west, although in
short time afterward it was discoveret
in Bevier and the engines remodeled t.
use it.
The Pony Express:
\. An important mail contract from tn
d government was the prize for q sue
A cessful run. Russell had just CON
e pleted the arrangements for his 1000
If mile pony express between st. JOSEF
D. and San Francisco, and at every tie
miles along that immense distance
n tough-ibred western pony awaited tn
d little rider with the tissue mail. N
q less care was used in arranging for tn
e fast mail run across the state by tn
d Hannibal & st. Joe officials. The hes
a. engineer and the swiftest engine wer
=. chosen, The single car attached col
IdlASu llle1 ludll tHC OulSlolo VI III
st road Mr.. Davis, who was then trail
n master, had given orders to have a
~ the switches spiked down and to kee
If the tracks clear for several hours b
r fore the train was expected. Flu
al agents were notified to be ready
load the tender like lightning. Or
,g fuel agent took the precaution to bull
v. platform in order that the loadin
,e might be expedited. This was done
n Macon.
Cheering Crowds.
At every town the flying train WE
greeted by wildly cheering crowd
comprising the entire population of tt
" place Engineer Clark labored und'
such an intense nervous strain that
Il. refused to eat at Brookfield, whel
n there was brief stop for dinner
es The run was made all right and IL
al road got the contract. The pony e
,r- press also performed it's more rigid +
he quirements satisfactorily, and for yea
the western mail was transported {
rs little ponies shooting across the plail
rk and mountains nearly as fast as Il
". railroad trains ran.
We Still Exp erimenting.
"a
ar Though the Burlington officials /
is came disguested with the motor c
nd No. /, and ordered it sent to the scr;
,r- pile, they are not through with tn
line of power and have had eXper