Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1906-12-18

trafhc is the same f0r ten miles as
for one hundred, or five hundred, and
inasmuch as the interest on the invest
ment is the same, and the operating
expenses nearly the same whether the
haul be long or short, the steam rail
road insists on the low long haul and
a relatively high short haul. All the
difference to it between the short haul
and the long haul is the additional coal
and Oil consumed negligible Quanti-
ty. Hence the effect Of the steam rail
road is to center the traffic in. few
great centers, to build up great cities
where vice and misrule and political
corruption run rampant, until these
great cities have become the plague
spots of our civilization. The steam
railroads have converted the states OF
Iowa, Kansas and Nebraska from wild
prairies TO highly cultivated fields, but
which after all are only back pastures
of the men who manage these roads.
Were it not for the modifying influence
of our Iowa railroad law, which is on
mileage basis, the state Of Iowa
would be a state of farms with only
to or three considerable cities. That
we have such large number of cities
of the second class is due to the mile
age principle in the Iowa railroad law,
modifying to some extent the effects
of the low long haul.
The effect of the interurban Is d.
rectly the opposite. These lines be-
| ing short, with low fares and frequent
service, they tend to build up manu-
featuring interests in cities that have
the raw material. We can illustrate
what we mean better by giving a
brief history Of the development Of
Des Moines:
Twenty years ago we had a number
of short, narrow gauge railways en-
tering the city. They brought in cat
houses and mills located in the city,
raw material to other factories, and
these prospered. No sooner had these
roads been absorbed by longer lines
maids Of standard gauge than the en-
lterprises which were built by up by
these short lines largely disappeared.
Why? Because it was not to the in
terest of the railroads to carry mater
4 ial for manufacturing to Des Moines
4 and leave it there. The same effects
were noticed in all other inland cities
where there were packing houses and
large factories. By the development
Of the interurban Des Moines and
cities similarly situated in the United
States will get back all that they have
lost by the absorption of these branch
lines into the main lines of steam
railroads.
, Other consequences also will follow
, While the interurban will build UP the
, manufacturing and business interests
of city it will scatter that city ovel
the adjoining country. Take Des
: Moines for an example. The man who
eight O'Clock in the morning can buy
: on an interurban line several miles
: out, from one to five acres for the
/ price of town lot. He can have
5 fresh air for his family, and work fo1
: his boys to do. Consequently he moves
t out on the acreage tract instead o
5 building in the town proper.
1t is needless to speak of the bene
fits to the farmer along an interurbal
: line He can get to town any hour o
:, the day. He can ship anything from
a train load of cattle to can of cream
. . or case of eggs. He can get repair
: for his machinery on an hours notice
! !, He has station every mile instea,
= of every five or six miles, This explain
:. the wonderful advance in the price O
J, land along all the interurban lines.
e The interurban will have still ar
e other marked effect. namely, reducing
o the rate Of transportation whether O
freight or passengers. The regula
It rate of passenger fare on an Iowa raj
r road is three cents. The rate on tn
5, interurban is but two; and books G
h five hundred miles, good for three pei
n sons and good until used, are sold fo
l. $685. The service is frequent, fror
Ell half an hour to an hour and ha