Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1909-06-30

built this railroad and also the first
bridge across the Mississippi river at
Rock Island and Davenport This man
was George F. Kirby.
Then Iowa Central Came.
The Iowa Central was built here
from the north, and reached Marshall
town in January, 1870. To aid the
building of this, Albion, with popu-
lation of about 500, paid $4,000, and
| Marshalltown, with population of
about 1000, aided to : about
100000 Some of this was raised
by taxation, under law which had
been recently passed by the legislature.
| I will omit history of the c. G. w.
railway. which was built later
During the period of which I have
been writing the Illinois Central rail-
road was built from Chicago to the
southern part of the state, about $50
miles. To this farmers along the line
subscribed literally, to be paid when
the road was built. 1t was hard times
when their sums fell due. So the COM
pany offered to furnish lumber for
cribs and take corn at 20 cents per
bushel in payment of their subscrip-
tions. 1t was said that their sixteen
foot cribs standing side by side would
make a row 1872 miles long. and which
ten feet high would hold 40000,000
bushels of corn.
Do you ask how / have learned so
much about building railroads? 1 might
answer. I was there when 1t was done,
and have read some about 1t. I am
not the oldest man in our city. I fire.
quently meet active men on our streets
who are twenty years older than I am.
Yet was two years old when the first
ground for Chicago was laid out in
town lots. and I was six years old
when it was organized as a town and
boosted of 1000 inhabitants. I was big
| enough to drive an OK team and haul
| white oak logs to the saw-mill in Ohio
to make ties for the Cleveland and
/ Pittsburg railroad. When came west
in the fall of 1856, I rode over four new
railroads. just finished from Salem. o..
to Chicago and three from Chicago to
| Iowa City, all of which did in three
days and three nights. Such was the
speed of railroad travel Had come
on horseback 1t would taken near a
month At that time going from New
| York to Buffalo. passengers would go
| iiOIIl NEW iol N " AiDdlS oNeI OUc
road. and stay all night then over an
other road to Syracuse and stay all
night. then a day over another road to
reach Buffalo, which was then really
satisfactory.
| Now all Is changed. con1panies con-
solidated and lines extended into new
| unsettled countries. making their set
| tlement easy and rapid. Sleeping and
parlor and dining cars will carry us
| almost across the continent without
change.
Local Necessity of interurbans.
Some of us have seen cities grow on
trees and stumps and marshes and
| prairie sod, made possible by the Local
| ton of railroads Some of these towns
are pushing ahead, some are falling be-
| hind. I have got to the critical point
which I aimed to reach sooner Where
are we of iMarshalltown now and what
| can we see ahead?
The interurban roads are now nee
essity for the continuous growth of
4 such cities as ours. How can we get
them? That is the important aues-
ton. The answer is simple We must
build them ourselves.
Marshalltown today is larger and
weather. than Cleveland and Chicago
were when they commenced building
railroads.
Marshalltown commenced when a
small village. and succeeded. The
Northwestern, the Iowa Central. and
the Great Western are here. Most of
those who built them have left us. but
there are many more here now with
energy, money and brains, which
turned in this direction will soon make
us the roads and we he the richer for
1t when done.
Grundy Center is about six miles
east and twenty miles north of here
The parties can be found who would
contract to build and equip this line
with moderate grades and eighty
pound rails for 100000
LeGrand is seven miles. A line there
at same rate will cost $4,000 TIC
Laurel is about twelve miles, costins
at same rate, $4,000.
n 1t is easy to trace on the map direct
; and available lines to Conrad, Bea.
. man, Grundy Center and Parkersburg
to LeGrand, Garwin, Crystal, Trael
and LaPorte: to Ferguson, Laurel ant
Kellogg; to Bangor, New Providence
| WlllFdllS duu ClaflOQ, all Center1ng tC
} Marshalltown.
All this territory needs these. rail.
roads and they will pay good dividends
after the first year of operation. We
! will tax ourselves, and the territory t.
, be benefited will vote taxes to aid il
building the lines. Suppose for in.
: stance we commence on line t.
| Grundy Center. Tax ourselves and the
townships to be benefited to Che sun
of-say $4,000. put a strong com.
pany with business and brains behind
J 1t and go to work building the roae
, and per cent obligations will do thu
: rest. Pursue the other lines the same
. way and in three years from now w.
J can have all the lines have named
: or perhaps others, in active operation
and the population and business of on,
, city more than doubled.
, Will we do it? If we undertake i
ourselves 1t may be readily and profit.
ably done. If we continue, to wait TO,
3 some outside schemer to sell mortgag,
bonds when we have nothing. to mort
, gage, fear we will wait too long