Missouri Valley times. [volume] (Missouri Valley, Iowa) 1874-1931, 1907-10-03
Missouri Valley. Iowa.

its boom, for which N. w. Road.
is responsible. The writer is a
son of Mr.. and Mrs. Jos. Smith
of the Valley, and is an able
preacher of the M. e. Church,
and after visiting his parents
here, wrote the following letter
to the Star Clipper:
Mo. Valley, Iowa., August 80.
| have visited Missoury VAIL
ey several times in the last fiji
teen years, but have never been
50 interested as during my pres
ent visit. This interest is arous-
ed by what seems to be quite a
healthy little boom which origi-
mated along in the early part of
this year and is now being car
ried out in actual material inn
p~rovements. This little city of
4,O00is only 25 miles from Coun-
Gil Bluffs and Omaha and it was
quite a problem as to whether
it could ever expect to gain any
recognition or distinction from
any source. However, the grand
old Western railroad has
furnished one hope. Would the
day ever come when this great
system would give them some
tangible evidence of its faith?
After years of standing still
and waiting, the long looked for
Improvements were started so
that now new a one story pow
er house 52x72 is almost COM
pleted, in which will be INSTALL
cd 3 boilers of $50 horse power
each, also a splendid engine
house of 20 stalls, a sand house
24x72, also a standard coal chute
where the cars will be drawn
up by a so horse power gasoline
engine. La addition this a new
yard 1910 feet long has been
graded, requiring about 10000
yards of filing. There will al
so be grading and filling to the
amount of 10000 yards, making
a total Of 100000. A brother of
the writer, Charles Smith, has
this contract and has it more
than half completed. All the
construction work has been let
to Contractor Geo. A. johnson,
of Chicago. Among other things
that are on the blue prints to
come in the future are a large
store house, a modern depot and
an extensive park, and rumor
has it that in no great distant
future, the North-W Western will
be extended west from here to
the coast, having already reach
ed Lander, Wyoming, and the
next step will be to reach the
Yellowstone park, which Presi-
dent Roosevelt declares to he
"the play ground of America"
When this is done it will only
be a matter of a little time UNI
til the extension will be made
to the Pacific ocean and youcan
go from Chicago to the coast
on the North-W Western road
This system right now sends
through Missouri Valley SO
passenger trains every "a hours
and has a pay roll of $3.50 a
month in the shops and yards.
In addition to what the railroad
nas dono and will do, this town
has a splendid water system and
an electric light plant that does
the business. Literally miles Of
cement walks and crossings are
laid and being laid, and the Odd
Fellows have bought ground
and are to erect a fine modern
lodge home. All this with 3
large ward school buildings,
churches, and two daily papers,
nothing seems To stand in the
way for having a population OF
10000 in the next five years.
Fortunately there arc only 5
saloons, for there might be
more, but the better class of
citizens look forward to the
more fortunate time when they
will not have any.
Our Development scheme out
here is Of great interest, what
is generally known as county
bitches. Great dredges are at
work on some of them. The
object is to reclaim the great
gumbo flats of the Nilsson river.
These bitches are about thirty
feet wide and from 8 to II feet
deep. The Allen creek ditch is
ISL miles long, the Willow creek
8! and the Boyer 81 miles long;
these finally meeting and emp
tying into the river. On this
uarv land drained hu thncn ditch.