Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1909-07-30
Board771a71 Djscouerer
Story of Mr.. Wasson's Efforts to Induce Inter-
urban Men to Consider Marsha1]town.

CHdil!c bodful1dH, LOT reasons best
known to himself, has used the fact
that Mr.. 7. l. Wasson's name has been
published in the railway guides of the
country as an officer of the Iowa Con-
s'truction Company, for the basis for a
scare head charge that the editor of
the T.-R. is supporting a proposed
interurban enterprise for Marshalltown
solely because of personal interest in
MI Wasson'S investments. If it can be
made to appear that the editor of the
T.-R. is personally interested the
members of the city council who do
not like his newspaper policy can be
prejudiced and the people who have
taken offense at the T.-R. on the sa-
loon issue can be induced to vote
against a franchise. Thus the interur-
ban men who have refused to treat
with the mayor over the details of a
franchise in the privacy of Charlie
Boardmans office are to be punished.
The public is entitled to a statement
lof facts. Two years ago Mr.. Andrew
Stevenson. young man of railway
experience, began the promotion of an
interurban from Waterloo to Eldora
and thence to Des Moines by way of
Boone and Story City. He was the SON
in-law of Mr.. J. F. Hardin, owner Of
the Citizens Savings Bank at Eldora.
Very naturally Mr.. Hardin became in
terested. They then wanted represen-
tative citizens along the line. This
drew in John Rath, of the Rath Pack
ing Company at Waterloo, Roger
Leavitt, the banker of Cedar Falls, and
f. e. Hughes, the banker of Boone.
Mr. Hardin and Mr. WATSON had been
I lifelong friends since the days when
they had worked together as young
men. Mr.. WATSON as general auditor of
the Iowa Central, had become we'll
known in railway circles. He was
asked by Hardin to join him and his
son-in-lay and did SO to the extent OF
500. Later on it became necessary to
invest thousands to pay for surveys
right d-Way expense, etc, and Mr.
WATSON was unable to invest more but
his name was retained and advertised
just the same because of his goo6
standing at home and in the railway
world.
All this time the enterprise was al
interurban from Waterloo to De
Moines via Eldora with no thought o
Marshalltown. Mr.. WATSON used ever,
opportunity to boost for his home cit,
and to urge that this dnterurban b.
headed this way. After he had pre-
pared volumes of statistics and argue
for months hitch came in the plan
to make Eldora headquarters for tn
interurban and the promoters listene
to Mr.. Wasson's invitation to come t
Marshalltown. They came. Learne
of the Hamilton Browne scheme to us
the local street railway as a nucleu
which scheme had then fallen fla
owing to Mr.. Brownies inability t
raise money enough and they took u
? negotiations with Jones and Hovey
, When it was found desirable to tr
to take over the local plant an entir
l new company was planned. New cap
, tai was interested Including some (
the men who were in the other CON
panies but Mr.. WATSON did not joi
J. them. His 500 was invested in tt
Iowa Construction Company and
does not expect to invest in the pul
{ chise of the local utilities. Altho
has a general interest Il; seeing h
!. friends succeed. He thinks that he hi
done a good job of boosting when
has brought these people here and
. would be so recognized by everyboc
We're he not SO unfortunate as to lla'
> become the father-in-law of the t..
editor. The editor himself is not IL
terested by the investment of a penn
i and does not expect to be. Since
recent purchase at Council Bluffs
a could not go in with these interurbs
people IL he would.
Now as to motives. Mr.. Boardms
= errs when he says that the T.-R. r
fused to aid Hamilton Browne becau
of his interest in Mr.. Wtasson's 800 i
vestment Brownies deal came and we
months before Mr.. WATSON joined t
s Iowa Construction Company. T
T.-R. supported Mr.. Brownies franchi
and tax was voted with this new
papers aid. The only objection rails
to Brownies deal, and 1t was not pu
Hshed, was that Browne was unwilli
TO grant 81 gas or any material r
duction in electric light rates. Ho,
ever, he proposed an interurban a;
the objector laid down."
. Schott's deal was bluff, so co
- sidered by everybody. especially by \
Boardman and the T.-R- editor W
frankly admitted to one another u