Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1911-12-01
ROCK ISLAND EXTENSION IN
SOUTHERN IOWA MOST Ex-
PENSlVE IN STATE.
LINE TRAvERsEs VERY
ROUGH SECTION OF STATE
Company Building Straight Line and
Not Dodsins Hills-Very Few Grade
Crossings For Hishways-Minneapo'
lis & ST. Louis Preparing For Extern
sion of Business in Iowa.
ia, 10 Ti,nes-R Republican.

Specia, 10 Times Republican.
Des Noines, Dec 1.-THE new line of
the Rock Island railroad being built
into southern Iowa from Des Moines
aill be the mos, expensive bit OF rail
reading ever made in Iowa for its dis
lance
The cost 70 the company will be
from $4,000 to $4,000 a mile: but it
will be as good as railroad can be
made and VIII be in perfect condition
before il is used.
Work has been continued right up 70
the present time and some work will
go on all winter. The company let the
contract for grading in long sections
and the general contractor let sub
contracts. s. that the work has been
rushed. The contracts for the iron
and for the ties and for completing the
work will be let separately.
The chief reason for the high cost
is the fact that the line runs thru
very rough country. especially in Mar
ion and Lucas counties and the COM
pany is building il where IL Is wanted
and not lodging the hills The ROCK
Island Company owns immense fields
Of coal in southern Marion county and
will develop coal mines for It's own
use. A good many spurs will be run
out for this coal business. The main
lire from Des Moines to Allsrton Wl!l
De made perfect so as to accommodate
the thru business from the Twin cities
to Kansas City and the southwest
Another thing that is being done
along this line. according 10 W. z.
Brady. the right Of way agent, who has
had general charge OF the work. is to
make very few grade crossings for
highways. nearly all being overhead or
under crossings A party OF officials
met the farmers Of q township in War
rem county and consulted about
crossing. The farmers said they would
Ike a crossing at certain place but
a grade crossing would satisfy them. as
they didn't want 10 he unreasonable
The officials ordered IN overhead
crossing. "Oh" said the farmers. I'VE
didn't expect anything but a grade
crossing But We intend 10 make
this line right while We are at it, said
an official. and il is to our interests
as we'll as yours to have all these cross
ings safe
Il is expected that some time the
middle Of next summer the new Aller-
ton short line will lie opened and 1he5i
the Mason CITY and Des Moines road
will become part Of the Rock Island
system proper.
Minneapolis & St. Louis Active.
The Minneapolis & St. Louis rail-
road expects TO begin al once the work
Of orga nizing for larger freight bust
ness thru 'owa in various directions
The extension TO connect Up the Iowa
Central with the Minneapolis al Dss
lfo:nes will be done the coming Eea-.
by the building Of new line from
Oskaloosa 70 Peiia and 10 q connection
with the WABASH al Cordova- But in
order 10 gel business started thru this
way an arra- seiuent has already been
effected 5y which the Minnea polls and
Iowa Central will have the right 10 use
tha Rock Island tracks from Oskaloosa
10 Des Moines. distance Of sixcy-eight
miles. THIS will pc q short time lease
with the intention Of having freight
trains only run over the same until
such time as the other connection IS
completed.
By reason Of this arrangement the
Hawlev evstern will be able 70 handle
freight not only from Peoria but from
Chicago and eastern points thru Iowa
and 70 connection With the iinnsapo-
lis and 81 Louis lines in the northwest
via Des AToincs; and = viii De Of i'm
rr2ensa ADVANTAGE when The work Of
rehabilitat the Iowa Central IS IN
der way the next two years.