Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1906-03-24
REPORT OF TRIP
SENATOR LEW v. ULREY WRITES
COMMERCIAL ASSOCIATION
OF VISIT TO DIES MONIES
Matter OF Entering That City Was
Very Favorable to the Proposed
Connection Of ottumwa With the.
capital-The Letter In Detail.

very favorable conditions were met
with by Richard Townsend and Sem
ator Lew v. Ulrey upon their visit to
Des Moines recently with regard to the
proposed interurban entering that
city and completing connections with
Ottumwa. Mr.. Ulrey has written the
following explanatory letter to George
F. Heindel, secretary OF the Ottumwa
Com mercial association with reference
to the outcome Of their visit to the
capital city: u
aDear SIR:
After concluding our conferences
with the committee representing the
commercial bodies and business inter-
ests of your city on last Friday morn
! ing, Mr.. Townsend and the writer went
to the city of Des Moines, to look over
the situation there, and to investigate
the prospects of making an entrance
into the city. We also paid, visit
to IndiaIola, and while there got in
touch with the leading business inter-
ests of that place. We found condi-
tons favorable to us all along the line.
! While at Des Moines, we held two con-
ferences with the people who are do
ing the; principal part, of the electric
railway building now under way in the
state of Iowa. and they inform us that
| it is costing them $4,000 per mile to
construct and equip the roads they
are building. The road from Des
Moines to Perry cost $4,000 per mile
to construct and equip, in addition to
| the power house. All of this indicates
| that we were correct in our estimates
and judgment of the probable cost of
our line; but Notwithstanding the high
cost of our construction, am fully
persuaded that road can be made to
| pay, which traverses the rich country
and highly populated localities between
your city and the state capital.
However, the exceedingly low max
imum allowed by law in the mat
ter of bond issues, and the
very high cost of construction. makes
it imperative that we secure the help
we are asking in the way Of subsidies
and stock subscriptions from the
| towns, and communities that we bro.
pose to serve with our internrban rail.
way.
"On our way home, Mr.. Townsend
and the writer came through Chicago
and reported to Mr.. Walsh, coming
from there to this city, to confer with
| MI. SOLlu, ellC plCSiuSuC Ol OUT SyQQl
cate. We have laid before him in the
fullest possible manner, the exact sit
uation as we see 1t, and he is enthu
siastic over the outlook, and an
able to, assure you, most positively
that there is but one thing STANDING
in the way of the construction Of this
road, and that is, the matter Of the
help and encouragement that we gel
along the route of our projected en-
terprise, and / consider that there is
little doubt but that such help will be
/ forthcoming.
We are now considering the ques
tons involved in the organization and
capitalization of the company to con
4 struct the road, We are also consid
ering and arranging matters with ref
erence to our construction company
II have felt that it was due the PEG
pie of your city who showed us sc
much courtesy and kindness and en-
couragement during our recent trip
that you should know what our inten
lions are.
Yours most sincerely,
I Lew. v. Ulrey."