Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1911-05-04

1
from this city was Grant Myers,
driving his car, with F. A. MINI
ocks, 6. B. Baker and e. w. Phil
| Iippe az passengers. In the official
car was President Joe Long, Of the
road, Malcolm Mackinnon OF Des
Moines, Charles A. Wellman, and
Driver Steele. A. c. Pabst Of
Abba, piIoted the car from Abba to
| OttumWa. remnants Of all towns
| passed through on the trip thus
I far were flying from the official
car.
The Blue Grass road, from river to
river, touching some sof the best
towns in the state, the shortest route
across Iowa and the one that will be
kept in condition that will almost
demand patronage of tourists, is the
one that President Joe l.. Long and
his associates told fifty live good
roads boosters in the rooms of the Of
tumwa Commercial association last
night. The speakers said it was not a
question of getting the Blue Grass
road, but the chief concern was felt
on chow good will we make It," All
were agreed that the Blue Grass road
is certainty, and it was not long un-
| til the fifty Ottumwans and Fred
Jones, that enthusiastic good roads
farmer of near Blakesburg, We're
mentally planning their first trip
across the state over it. Among the
speakers at the meeting were Joe L.
Long of Osceola, president of the Blue
Grass road, Malcolm McKinnon of
Des Moines, representing the Iowa
Publishing Co., on the trip. ALI Tim
Minis, business man Of Abba, Horace
Barnes editor of the Abba Repub-
lican, and Fred Jones of Blakesburg.
Remarks were also made by Henry
Phillips, Martin Hutehison, Major T.
P. Spilman, T. H. Picker, G. M. Agee
and Senator J. F. Weber. President
Long and party came to Ottumwa on
Burlington No. and returned to AL
bia on No. /. Accompanying him and
Mr.. McKinnon were T. F. Lemley of
Russell and ALI. Timmins, Rex Thomp-
son, Charles Porter, Don McGuffin,
John Griffin, Daniel Williams, Ralph
B. Taylor and Horace Barnes of AL
bia.
Nimoeks Makes Remarks.
F. A. Nimocks, chairman of the
good roads committee of the CONNER.
cial association, briefly reviewed the
work of the Wapello county highway
boosters during the past year and one
half and then asked the assembled
boosters to appoint a chairman. T. H.
Picker was the choice.
Mr.. Nimocks brought out the fact
that the Blue Grass road, from Abba
to Ottumwa by way of Blakesburg was
going to be one of the best highways
in the state He referred to the great
spirit of enthusiasm displayed by the
boosters near Blakesburg, who raised
81, 400 for better roadways, and whom,
he said were not afraid to get out and
drag the roads. The fruits of meet
ing at Batavia the other night we're
shown to be a promise from the
trustees between Ottumwa and Fair
field to drag every mile of the road.
He referred to other roads leading out
of Ottumwa in practically all direc-
tons as being average roads. He
called attention to the fact that the
good roads committee of the associa-
ton would soon have to solicit for
more funds with which to prosecute
the work, and cited to the business
men some unmistakable arguments
favorable to increased business
through the medium of passable high
ways. In closing, he remarked that
joe Long was young man, but old
enough to talk good roads.
Mr.. Long Magnetic.
It was not long after the introduc-
ton of President Long by Chairman
Picker that the fifty assembled
boosters became intensely interested
in the earnestness and magnetic man
ner of speech of the young editor
good-roads- builder of Osceola. His
opening remarks were dedicated to
the mud of yesterday, through which
the Blue Grass roads party worked it's
way from Charlton to Abba under
difficulty From Charlton to Russell,
where the roads had been dragged, the
car carrying the party proceeded al
most as fast as the passenger trains, |
but from Russell east, no such speed
was possible due to the bad roads
caused by the injudicious use of the
drag or no use at all. He referred to
France as the best good roads country !
in the world, and Napoleon Bonaparte /
was pointed out as the best good roads |!
builder the world ever knew. With !
particular reference to the Blue Grass |
road, President Long said: 1--WE will
have shorter road, much better j
road than the river to river road, and |
a highway that will attract the
tourists who are now kept from visit ,
ing our section of the state because
they are under the impression that
our highways are gumbo."
Mr.. Long reviewed the work that !
had been done thus far in the western !
end of the Blue Grass road, highly |
plimenting the boosters of the |
highway for the excellent results Sc
cured. He cited the individual en-
deavors of certain boosters near Glen !,
wood one in particular having en-
ployed three men and a team to do a