Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1910-07-14

ally from Gary owing to the numer.
Gus railroad crossings and the precau-
tons taken against accidents But the
interurban cars were crowded be-
tween Gary, with it's smoking steel
furnace chimneys and broad paved
streets almost obliterated by deep
waves OF sand, to Pullman, formerly
the mbdel city, and still retaining
much of it's neatness, in spite of the
change in it's civic administration
One is struck, however, with the
change Of scenery from the smiling
fields and beautiful rural atmosphere,
which makes interurban riding to
Michigan City constant delight, to
the smoky, busy, bustling activity OF
Gary, Hammond, and the numerous
large manufacturing and railroad
towns which increase in number us
one nears Chicago The trainmen on
the line to Pullman, said that the III
terurban would be running into Chi
cago from Pullman within GO days, the
extension having already been pro-
jected.
One might travel over this electric
system all the way from Buffalo, New
York, and with but a few miles on
steam road all the way from New
York City, to Chicago and then almost
all the way to East St Louis. A few
minutes reflection will serve to show
the wonderful development Of electric
railway locomotion, since the time
when the first electric car, almost
the first operated within the United
States, ran up Brady street hill, the
event which most Davenport people,
still quite young, can remember.
More rapid strides have been made
in the last ten years, and in five years
the interurban and electric milage
has more than doubled. Electric rail
way managers with whom have
talked during the past few days are or
the opinion that the next five years Will
see things accomplished in electric
railway development, now undreamed
Of by most people.
Coming from Indianapolis and in
fact on nearly every electric line out
of that city. one is seldom out OF sight
of steam railroads, and the steam
roads were there first. ItYs the inter
urbans which are the interlopers
They apparently have no fear of COM
petition and their sphere OF useful
ness in the Indiana territory is becom-
ing more widely divergent from that
of the steam roads, each year. The
electric interurbans for the short and
quick hauls and the steam roads for
the long hauls and heavy traffic
seems to be the natural development
in traffic How long the interurbans
will satisfy themselves with only the
short hauls remains to be seen.
Electric railway men claim that the
natural development o. their lines
means eventually further invasion
into the steam traffic business and
! the carrying Of passengers over long
Instances by means of fast expfess
trains and of heavier freight over
longer distances.
Interurban men in Indiana are not
ignorant of the situation in Iowa ana
predict through electric lines across
that state to the Missouri river within
short time The population OF Iowa
cities and towns, they say warrants
that prediction, though beyond Omaha
they; fear the population is too sparce
to allow an electric line to be pay
| ing proposition for q number Of
years.
Interurban traffic, they tell me, FOL
lows the line of the most thickly set
tied country. This would naturally
! lead to the tri-cities and from there
westward through the state to Des
Mones The immediate returns OF
new interurban lines into Dayen,
| port and the tri-cities will be in the
form Of increased retail trade and the
attendant prosperity which would
| necessarily follow to other classes OF
business. Eventually, one can see the
value of property which would be on
through interurban route connecting
the east with the Missouri valley.