Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1910-07-16

/ | !.
| Returning home as far as he could
| by interurban lines from his journey
into Indiana's headquarters for the
electric roads, Joseph Carmichael ct
| the Davenport Times has arrived
safely after an investigation Of the
! eastern interurbans. His story in the
following letter, telling Of what he
found on the return trip shows ILL
nois to be in on the interurban build
ing and alive to it's possibilities. Mr..
Carmichael came to Monmouth by in
terurban roads. The letter follows:
[BY ]. G. CARMICHAEL1
AT HOME, July 14.-One cannot
come into the tri-cities over an In
terurban from the east now, but will
be able to do SO as soon as the Rock
Island and Southern has completed
the Identification Of It's line from
Monmouth to Rock Island. Judging
from the activities at the power house
being erected at the Edwards river
and from the pole gangs all along the
line, the trip from Monmouth may be
accomplished this fall.
finished my interurban trip from
Indiana at Monmouth, going there
from Galesburg over the stretch OF the
Southern's line which has been IN
operation for the past few years. II
the. remainder of the line, from Mon
mouth to Rock Island may be judged
from the IS miles already in operation
between Monmouth and Galesburg,
this will be one of the straightest and
smoothest interurbans in the two
states visited. There is but one curve
in the Monmo uth- Galesburg line, dur
ing the whole course of eighteen
miles. This is about five degree
curve. None on the Rock Island ex-
tension will be sharper There is no
grade more than one-half of one per
cent so the line is practically as level
as can be made.
It is we'll ballasted, equipped with
modern fast cars and Is doing an I'M
mense business. Both Monmouth ana
Galesburg merchants have nothing
but the warmest words of praise FOR
the line, and allege that it has IN
creased their business immensely. The
intercourse between the two cities
has been greater than 1t has ever been
before. The car on which Travelled
was filled with people along the en-
tire distance and the other cars
which I saw enter and leave the Two
towns were likewise well filled. Inls
stretch of line is said be the best
money maker of any other short nne
in Illinois. paying its stockholders
handsome dividends.
The Southern is already In opera
ton by steam and is running two
trains regularly between Monmouth
and Rock Island every day. This
service will be continued until the
power house is completed and the
electric wires strung 1t is hoped that
this will be finished before fall In the
meantime steam shovel gangs are
lowering grades, clearing away hills
and filling up holes Three trains
are carrying ballast from the pit
hack of Milan and distributing 1T along
the new line Here it is beaten pc
meath the ties by other gangs OF work
men.
The work on the Aledo connection IS
progressing rapidly. The grading
gangs are finishing up their work ana
the LAYING of track will start shortly.
The engineers are surveying and lay
ing ont the connection with Alexis.
The importance Of the Southern to
the tri-cities has scarcely been ap-
preciated here Monmouth and Gales
burg are large and prosperous CUES
with important manufacturing ana
commercial institutions. The railroad
connections have been such, however
for wears, that the two cities although
about 80 or 40 miles from the tr1-
cities. have been for all practical pur-
noses further than Chicago. 1t mas
been about four hours ride to either
Of them. The new interurban will cut
this time down ~ one-half, as II
strikes out in direct line from ROCK
island south to Monmouth and thence
to Galesburg.
Perhaps more important even than
this connection will be the opening up
Of the territory in between to the trl-
cities Aledo for instance, across
country is only about 16 miles from
Rock Island. To get there in the alter
noon one leaves Davenport at 2:l5
o'clock and goes to Alpha, arriving
there at 4:3O o'clock. There the pas
senger must wait until 6 o'clock for
the "Dolly" as 1t is affectionately
known. though why it should arouse
any tender sentiment Is hard to con-
ceive. But the Dolly" is recreant
lady, and is just as liable to come IN
at I O'Clock as at 6. One may make
the Gilchrist switch, where the South
ern crosses this line of the Burlington,
all the way from half to three quar-
tiers of an hour later, and will arrive
at Aledo, anywhere between Z and
o'clock. Imagine! You have left
Davenport at y2:15 and Rock Island
ten or fifteen minutes later and here
YOU are at Aledo, between four ana
five hours afterwards
There is no wonder then that Aledo
people have been so anxious to secure
with the Rock Island
Southern. 1t will mean emancipation
for them. They will be in the CONNER
cial world, and only ap hour or two
statement as to his attitude on the
Of national notifies.