Cresco plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1913-1945, 1914-01-30
sa ih. q
HARRIS.

Following is tn address. de
slivered at the mass meeting in thu
Armory last Tuesday evening b.
c. w. Hart, president of +ht
Charles City Western railway. i
contains fund Of informant N thai
every one interested in this projec,
should know and 1t hoped that II
win be read carefully with the
view that the question may be un.
derstood and discussed intelligently
as the campaign proceeds.
TO the People Of Elma, Cresco and
Howard County: s
/ wish to state at the outset that
the Charles City Western Railway is
not one OF the usual promotion en-
terprises, which generally possess
much hot air many promotion
fees, engineering commissions, con-
structing gratis, financing rake-offs
and foot ball career.
q It IS a simple. straightforward,
honest attempt on the part OF home
people to build a railroad for their
accommodation, use and profit. ]
can say that that every dollar rails.
ed for the construction OF this line
has gone into its actual building.
No promoter or officer Of 4 e COM
pany has ever directly or indirectly
received a dollar OF profit from
same, not even in the way of salary
for long continued services and.
heavy responsible .ty.
Organized in 3sthe spring of 1910
a ten-day campaign in Floyd county
raised nearly 100000 paid in cash
on common stock. With this and
borrowed money, the Charles City
Western railway was built at q
cost Of q little over 100000, and
has been operated to this date.
Starting with inexperience, we have
gained our knowledge of railroad.
ing both ais to construction and op--.
GRAFTON, have our line In substantial
durable form with a splenlid organ
ization for economical operation.
and are slendidlv prepared for the
building OF new lines. &
The railway management have
thought little, however, Of Extend
ing at this time, as those backing
this road are interested heavily in
other lines OF business. The adverse
conditions made it seem unadvisa-
BILE to start new undertakings. The
officers Of the Charles City Com
mercial club and our active mama
ger brought the matter to our at
tention. We were at first much
loathe to proceed, and knowing that
the times would not permit Of out
side help. we laid before the direct
Eors Of our Commercial club the ol-
" move by which electrifi cation
and extension Of our line could be
accomplished, the same to be done
by home support.
A q first condition, It was pro-
posed, that, by a Graded petition,
moderate donations by people OF
the county most greatly benefited.
be asked. Secondly, a tax under the
old law was to be voted in Charles
City. Thirdly, that enough OF our
6 per cent cumulative preferred
stock be sold to carry the road to-
a point where we could avail our
selves Of the tax, the railway COM
pany to then procure The balance
OF the funds necessary to electrify
the old line and construct an ex-
tension to the northeast. In pre-
senting this full program, 1t was
thought that our Commercial club
would hesitate to enter upon came,
and in their then state OF mind,
the railway officials would have
been quite content had they 80 hes
itated. Not much. They took up
the cry of On to the Great West
ern. On to Elma.' 81 I'll
After q few days of vigorous
work it seemed that not enou h
names could be raised by petition
through the country. About this
time, the new law, providing for a
district for railway taxing was dis
covered and seemed to exactly fit
our case Of Identification and ex-
tension. and provided perfectly the
first two steps Of tn program.
Our Commercial club proceeded
with a will in getting signers to-
the petition for calling the election
and soon secured plenty. At the
election the question carried with
356 majority, and the tax becomes
available In 1915, giving about