Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1910-07-12
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A SCtuSc VI thC SlCSlhlS lSuNS W.
+ a factor in business building,
+ j. G. Carmichael has obtained
X valuable information for the
! Iowans who would know what
+ the interurbans do for a com
+ munity in making values OF
l. property. The letter published 4
4 below contains information
i CLEANED from those who have =
i made the interurban a success =
j. as we'll as from the small or \
i. country town merchant whose 4
+ business has, been aided in +
< stead Of injured by the advent 4
l. of the interurban line. The i
4 third letter by Mr.. Carmichael
4 of the Davenport Times, fol i
i lows:
;. i #*****-* + + ** 4
indianapolis has popula-
ton of about 100000, within the
city limits. but for purposes of re-
tail trade it has about 100000.
From figures furnished us by re.
tail merchants, ! should say tina.
about half the retail trade of the
city is with customers living out
side of the city, the greater part
of whom come in over interur,
bans."-Joseph A. MCGOWAN, sec.
rotary and treasurer of the Terre
Haute, indianapolis G. Eastern
Traction Company.
BY JOE CARMICHAEL
Indianapolis, July 9.--From these
figures verified by local retailers
whom | have interviewed during the
past few days it would appear that.
the interlrbans centering in Indian
apolis are responsible for about one
half of the retail business of Indian
apolis. The indirect effect on other
classes OF business can readily be
imagined. It's effect on the values OF
real estate within the city. upon the
hotel and restaurant business, the
iobbing and wholesale trade, and the
manufacturing, can be figured out.
IF an Iowa city's retail trade were
suddenly doubled, or increased by
one-half even one can see without
much trouble where practically every
person having any kind of business
interest in the city would prof1t.
"Do interurbans pay their stock
holders?" was question put to j. A.
MCGOWAN Of the T. H., ]. and q. ~
one Of the principal interurban com
panies, which has a trunk line run
ming clear across Indiana.
"They do, if properly built ana
based on a solid financial founcfa-
ton said Mr.. MCGOWAN. There
have been instances where they nave
not but this was because the terri.
tory through which the lines passed
was not sufficiently populated to war wa!
rant an interurban line. or because
the territory was already served by
interurbans.
~ may state as an instance Of the
value of our property and it's solid
financial standing that recent issue
of bonds of the Terre Haute. Indian
apo]is and Eastern Traction company
amounting to $5,500,000, was sold to
Drexel & Co., of New York, Esta-
brook g. Co., of Boston and Lee Hig-
ginson & Co. of Boston, bond houses
which have the reputation of taking
nothing but gilt edged paper
"Most of the roads in Indiana arc
on good solid financial basis and are
paying on their investments"
Mr. MCGOWAN is busy office man,
and his desk as I sat opposite him
was piled high with papers, waiting
his signatures, while office boys and
stenographers, were at his elbow al
most constantly for instructions and
with messages.
However, he told me to fire away
with my questions. and when once
started needed no prompting to talk OF
interurbans.
"Interurbans have revolutionized
modern business in this state, SAID
he. almost one might try to get
along without the telephone as with
out electric railway lines. The day
Of the cussing travelling man Is past.
When he runs down the street to the
depot lust in time to see his train
pulling out of the station block
ahead of him, he no longer finds oc-
casion to make the air blue with his
profanity. He merely lights his cigar
and goes over to the interurban sta
tion, catches train for the same
place and ten chances to one catches
up with his train before he has gone
many miles.
"Why there are travelling auditors
and representatives VI Slee]Lh Aoauo
who habitually use our interurban
lines to go back and forth between
towns on their own lines. because
they can travel with less loss of time.
When their business is completed,
they do not have to wait half day
to get back home again.
ITO travelling men the advantages Of
the interurban cannot be estimated.
It simply means that they can cover
twice or three times as much territory
as they could formerly. They do not
have to stay half a day in town to
transact business which would take
them but an hour. They can leave
for the next town at any hour. 1t
cuts down the livery expense, as well
as the time Where formerly they
had to hire drivers and teams to go
from one town to another, now the
interurban takes them more quickly
and vastly cheaper.
Farmers and people in small towns
no longer need refrain from sending
their younger children to the ad
vanced city schools, and business col.
leges because of the evil influences OF
the city. The boys and girls can
- - 4 l. asA -.