Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1907-05-18
Steam Road Officials and Corpo-
rations Investigating the
New Rail Locomotion
TO BE USED ON BRANCH LINES
Company Incorporated for Building the
Cars and Promoting Idea Of Concrete
Tracks-Line Now Building in South
McAiester, okla.-Hope to Have sys-
tenn Operating in Every County in
Iowa.
Special to Times Republican.

Special to Times Republican.
Des Moines. May 1S.-It was small
thing for the Thirtieth general assem-
bly, to enact into law a bill that au-
thorized the building and operation OF
.'automobile railroads" Many people
smiled and wanted to know what an
.automobile railroad" was. The leg
islature has been adjourned but little
more thanta month and the building OF
sone such line is assured and score or
more OF other lines are being ar
ranged for. The claim was made 20
the legislature that the need of today
is for quick, cheap transportation ana
this claim has been vindicated by the
interest that has been shown and the
inquiries that are reaching the au-
tnors of the idea in this city.
The first line to be built will be put
! in operation in South McAlester, Okla.
Several other localities in Oklahoma
are interested and have written for In
Formation. number Of them say that
1.-The need of the state is for cheap
| transportation and they are ready to
put in the system on its being demon
strated to them that it Will be sue
lcessful In addition there are several
localities in Iowa that have become in
terested. One d these is at Oelwein.
Furthermore big steam road sent
representative to Des Moines few
days ago to negotiate with the COM
pany for building the cars and putting
them in operation on its branch lines.
The cars are to be driven by gasoline,
The Union Pacific has now for two
years been using gasoline cars on It's
branch lines with great success
HI. G. Cue, the inventor of the idea,
following the session of the legisla-
ture associated with him business men
and has incorporated company for
starting the lines. 1t is expected that
five mile line will be built some time
during the summer in this state, det1n-
lite ARRANGEMENTS for such line being
now all but completed. The inquiries
have been coming in so fast and the
practicability Of the system is becom-
ing so evident that it is probable the
capital stock of the company will
shortly be increased.
It is proposed to put the system In
to operation in every county of the
state of Iowa In the course of rev
years. The cost Of construction is SO
low and the expense of operating so
Ilow that small cities everywhere can
readily be connected by this system.
The track is built Of concrete and the
cars are built on the automobile plan
with no expensive power plant such as
an interurban must have and it will 40
all the work of the interurban. lnf1u-
entail men in each county are now pe-
coming interested in the system with
the indications that a number OF lines
will be built in Iowa before a year
transpires.
The most elaborate lottery scheme
ever conducted in the state of Iowa
! has been brought to sudden end by
1.-THE indictment OF John A. (Peg)
wheatley and George F. Witch OF
Keokuk by the federal grand jury IN
/ session here yesterday on charges OF
using the lIldllS " -pAotAhblO sAASN~
scheme. Wheatley and Witch operat-
ed under the firm names of the Iowa
Jewelry company and the Goodyear
Macintosch company. jerry Harrlng-
ton of Keokuk was also commonly sup
posed to have been associated with
Weatley and Witch, but the grand
jury could not bring enough evidence
to bring an indictment.
The Iowa Jewelry company and the
Goodyear Macintosh company nave
made a fortune for their promoters dur
ing the year or so in which they have
been in operation. A palatial saloon
and gambling hall stands on, one Of
the principal streets of Keokuk as a
monument to the ingenuity of the pro-
moters. Their profits have mounted
into the thousands of dollars, for until
recently they ran their game unmoiest-
ed. A short time ago two companies
were investigated. Authorities were
unable to gather sufficient evidence
on which to base indictments. Since
that time Wheatley and Witch have
been under the closest surveillance
and complete report Of their opera
tions was presented to the jury.
The two companies were operated
=
separately, diamonds being given as
prizes by the Iowa Jewelry company
and macintosh by the Goodyear COM
pany.
The efforts at Cedar Rapids to pre-
went the state froms transferring
Louis Busse from Anamosa toi Fort
Madison prison. may seriously handl-
cap the new reformatOry and indeter-
inmate system which will go into effect
July /.
II the theory Of Busse's attorneys
Lis right, that state legislature cannot
I pass law affecting the decree of the
courts, as to the place OF confinement
of convict, it will strip the parole
board of the power to administer the
new system except as to convicts here
after sentenced and to those under