The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1915-10-20

"chief keokuk" and the Rock Island.
To the Editor of The Gate City:
was interested in the interview
Of Hiram Barney in The Gate CITY
concerning the Rock Island railway
or better known as the old keoKuh
and Des Moines Valley railway. rms
was once prosperous road before IL
fell into the hands of the "wreckins
crew. of the Rock Island, since when
time no intermediate town along the
line has prospered in thirty years.
This was fine piece OF road from
keokuk on the Mississippi river, 70
Des Moines. reaching into the very
heart of Iowa, with fine fields OF
grain, stock, minerals and prosperous
towns. After the lease OF the ROAD,
the business from the Keokuk emu
was practically abandoned and para
Iyzed and all traffic drawn to Des
Moines, where the main line travels
west, and at Eldon the Kansas CITY
line to Chicago. AZ
This road would be better or IL inc
old, out-of-date. wornout equipment
could be dumped into guliey ATOMS
the road and be either electrlhed OF
motorized, like the modern motors IN
use on so many lines In the country;
This would prove a blessing lot an
the towns along the whole l65 miles.
But until the Rock Island mas an
outlet at Keokuk, or the road Is run
as an Independent road, 1t Will never
amount to anything. AS a local roau
it would benefit everybody; as oper-
ated today, and for thirty years, u
has been a detriment to the towns.
II is astonishing why these people
ever leased the road, and then COM
menced the destruction of the towns,
and the prosperity along the line. 1t
has the i'll will Of all the merchants.
farmers and travelling public. read
the other day an interview with G. w.
Jones and here it is:
C. w. Jones, general manager
of the Rock Island railroad, has a
plan to make the people partners
in the national business.
This new board OF directors
elected Thursday by the Rock Is
land stockholders. | think, Will
make some changes. The people
had gotten the idea that the old
board was rotten, whether 1t was,
or not They were accused OF
Juggling the property and OF
grating in many ways. The new
board will give change. How
ever. the Rock Island has never
been in as good physical condition
as it is right now. We have all
new steel coaches, the locomo-
tives are in good shape and we
are in a position to make money,
although the property Is In tne
hands Of receivers
Mr.. Jones is right, the people nave
a correct idea as to the rottenness OF
the MANAGEMENT of the road, and his
word rotten expresses 1t in full
without writing book.
IF the Rock Island lets go, here Il
a niece Of road for the Santa Fe to
enter into Keokuk. if not held out by
the Burlington and its Keokuk friends
to the detriment of Keokuk. Here IS
a road which the Wabash railway or
the T. P. & w. railway might lease
and enter the very heart of Iowa.
Here is road for 165 miles with
terminals and siding which might
make any promoter rich. An old es-
tablished line, with towns and cities,
farming lands, mines, fine quarries,
and everything which if re-developed
would make one of the finest roads in
the west But the present manage
ment has paralyzed all these and 9TH
er industries If the new directors
will only meet the people half way.
they will have a prosperous line OF
road, but the trains should accommo-
date the public for local business. In
si-- r,c-t-.s here would be great
r --s,.ai in business along this line.
us hope IL this road is segre-
gated from the Rock Island tand let