Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1912-03-05
Looker-On In Iowa

Roland, Marcn S.-Concerninc condi-
tons OF passenger and freight service
On the Story CITY branch they are 50
DAD one universal complain: is head
al along the lin. The crew start
promptly every morning at Story City
st o'clock. and do fairly well. But
the return trip cheduled to leave at
y z. m. is wore trouble commences.
This way freight is from two t. five
hours late every day. Tna resul. 8
or the next trip back to Marsha ltowr
they arrive anywhere from two II three
hours late. SO that the train that takes
people home gets thru there at midi
very bad. A merchant here has had
dry goods on the road somew here,
shipped ten days ago from Chicago.
Some parties say during the coal fam
ire. they received car loads Of tile aud
lumber and yet had car loads of coal
held up in the yards for days in Mar
shalltown. The officials of this road
may know Of these things and may rot
The people in these eleven towns on
ttrty-nine miles Of railroa !, that pays
10 the company as many dollars as any
thi-ty-nine miles ot tie NJ & st. L.
railroad system, wan. something done
about it, 1t is useless 10 expec- nr
ask one crew f rall.ohi men t. handle
all the supplies shipped into these
towns, and take out all Of the farm
produce There is really no passenger
service. One train is a, stock train and
the other a way freight. Again the
sanitary condition Of the passenger
cars needs attention every day. These
cars arrive and leave SO that The
cleaners can not attend to them. Even
the water tanks are not filed. Children
were CRYING for q drink Of water on the
train one day last week, and travelling
men swearing mai as they tasted the
blood warm water heated by the nearby
stove The raiiread men are over
worked, and agents threatening - quit
because thew have 20 stay up Il. way
in the night for the train due - leave
II, rshalltown at 5 T. m. Anil all this
because the NJ. & st L. railroad does
rot see At to run trains enough on
this branch TO accommodate their pat
r ms Business len in every towI' say
they have reti,io1 ed to the railroad
commissions AMI hight as well pray fp"
rain when needed.
The wonder is Marshalltown bust
ness men and the Commercial Club In
particular do not wake up" and do
something. Mason City Commercial
Club stirred up things and the Chi
cago Great Western put on a motor
car that brings people 10 town and
takes them home in good season and
makes regular trips. Waterloo looks
out for its interests in this line. From
personal conversation with many. the
writer knows of case after case where
people do not go to town, for they
are not anxious to stay over night and
pay hotel bills During snow block
AIDES the people expect trouble in 60
ing and coming, but they do not ex-
pect to wait around the MarShaLtown
depot three or four hours every time
| they 20 to town" The Commercial
| Club Of Marshalltown ought to know
| the business men of that town have
| lost thousands Of dollars worth OF
trade this winter all because the NJ. &.
S. l.. railroad will not put trains
! enough on this branch to accommodate
| the public.
And the residents in these clever
| towns ought to know this kind of serv-
| ice actually depreciates the value OF
| their residence and business proper
ties. During the past week two bust
ness men told the writer they were
going to get off the branch because
they were always losing sales Of goods
that failed to arrive. One retired farm
er that pays big taxes lis not going te
live on the branch another year" One
banker has moved to Marshalltown
Farmers mention their desire ito sci
tout and get on main line" And al
this because the NJ. & s. L. railroad
will not run trains on this branch t
accommodate their patrons.
There's another thing connected will
this whole business, and that is thes,
people haven't a particle Of faith IL
our railroad commission as it work!
today. During snow blockade the!
hear Of main lines being opened ant
trains running. while they wait To-
days for mail, provisions and coal. Ap
peals to the commission amount t.
nothing. They demand trains to TAX
them home before midnight, the com
mission write the railroad compan.
and that ends 1t, till they petition ono
more, and the commissioners write tn