Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1913-05-27
Looker-On In Iona


rains for the past two weeks have
tremendously hindered the work of
double tracking the c.. NJ. & St. P. thru
central Iowa. Unless one travels over
this line he has little idea of the
money being spent and the work be-
ing done While the Milwaukee Rail
road Company built this line some
years ago-to be the shortest mileage
between Chicago and Council Bluffs,
IN fact it was TO be an air hne-so
srra gtlt il had TO be. they would not
turn a little and come into Marshall
town but built the road, say fifteen
miles south, this too even when money
was offered to come into the city. Now
when il is to be made double track
system. they are virtually building a
new railroad Money seems to be nc
object. and to get rid of high grades
and short curves, new line is built
anywhere from twenty feet TO half
mile from the old air line" Big
bridges are left on the old line and new
ones. say quarter of mile away, are
put up. In some towns new depot
Will be put up a quarter of mile
g way For instance. at Manning the
new line is changed so that right Of
way has been purchased right thru the
residence part OF town All of which
goes 10 prove that an air line is not
always an air line.
That there is no hard and fast plan
for road building in Iowa is shown in
the town OF Britt. Last week the main
street of this thriving town was almost
impossible on account OF mud and mud
holes. vet this town so the writer is
told. has spent thousa nds of dollars n
putting gravel or that street. Today
there is nothing TO show q dollar has
ever been spent on Main street II IS
as bare as when it was a prairie road
FORTY wears ago. And # this street
had been paved twenty years ago the
tax PAYERS would De money in pocket
Now for another statement. Running
out Of this town parallel with the Mil
1yaukea railroad is a graveled road
tina even with the unprecedented rains
Of last two weeks, Is high and dry for
several miles The writer saw the
farmers going home on this road the
horses trotting along al AZ eight Ini'e
an hour gait, the same team that could
hardly drag an empty wagon OF Main
street.
George Johnson. Of this rlal-. msn-
lions another kind OF road work. Tie
roed passing one ~ his farms Was
mixed up a. az expense q 1851" Bat
after big rains the water renair ed for
weeks and in the spring = Was almost
tnpe ssable The scEpol cAiidren are
~EuleG into town round BIffaio CEN
ter and on n1any days il was q DIG
lol, for Inc teams Ia get thru tiEs OK
Of bad road Then Mr.. IJlnson made
a proposition IN the authorities. He was
going 10 do 2 lot az filing on his farm.
II the authorities would pay him the
actua, cost Of tile and labor he w9n'd
cross This strip OF read ave ti1Tss Sl;n
his tiled bitches. Agreed TO. Ii G. 81
ina taxpavers say s35. and now TINS
road is as good as any dirt -oad ara
car be used by loaded teams or loadea
school wagons anytime dacin& the
yea~. Mr. Johnson says il 1t mad seen
-i;eG arst the expense Of $3.50 -cr turn
r7jfinc j, would nave been aahcces-
sary.
u his part Of the state they had
during The past two weeks seven GAYS
Of rain. 1t wasn't 2 dr!zzle but seven
DAYS. one after the other, wien u
roured and an occasional! thun1t!
shower thrown in The ground Is sat
,,-a-ed and water standing in pona
holes that have been dry fer years, III
zorne towns store cellars ard IN the
-es;6en. part OF town cellars neNe.
,ret before now have foot or '*o %
-a-e- In the town of Wesi" sarcen
=,o.e never overfowed before wsre
covered with foot Of water las y eek
IT,. nrospec, for corn crop On these
FAT farms is doubtful. The trouble IS
ne big drainage bitches we're hFei 70
ora-aowing and the tile on me farms
hid not carry off the water tlii the
w-ae- lowered in the big olttnes.
y there was only some waT s'Tne
,,aan ouick way of distributing the
s.-ni,7s food products. In many TOW S
ND this way potatoes are sehlhs GU
~ -ha stores at 40 cents per pusiie'.
I ard the merchants are not oa!lhs
.r- nrice. Farmers with small lois OF
,,n,a+oes say 50 10 100 bushels Of me
/ -o.a+oAr are unable TO sell them at
{ nv p-ice. And perhaps hty iniies
.,..v X & large town uners .'o'f-loel
40 selling at retail from % cents ~
a. :. nrsheI. and several hundred mics
away potatoes are being re'alieo AZ
/ s,oai, Ir,s 10 poor people at cents
,o,,a or az a bushel. One OF these
80 -n.-e'li he some socialistic, chaf
.I.t7a or religious organization 10
| handle "spuds.'
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