Jasper County Democrat, Volume 10, Number 38, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 21 December 1907 — LAKE VILLAGE GETS A.DEPOT [ARTICLE]

LAKE VILLAGE GETS A.DEPOT

Rival Town of Conrad Loses Out Before State Railroad Commission. The fight between the rival towns of Lake Village and Conrad in northern Newton county over the efforts'of the former to secure a depot and proper shipping facilities on the C. &I. S. Ry., the new railroad passing through those towns, was decided Tuesday in favor of the former. The trouble grew out of Mrs. Jennie Conrad, who owns a big ranch two miles south of Lake Village, establishing a new town there which was named Conrad. It is alleged that with the assistance of the railroad peo pie Conrad was to be made “the” town, while Lake Village was to be discriminated against to such an extent that it would finally cease to exist. In order to secure a depot and other facilities to which Lake Village people thought they were entitled, an appeal was made to the State Railroad Commission to force the road to act. A meet ing of the board was held at Lake Village some months ago at which the big guns of the road were also present, and evidence beard in the case, but it was not until this week that a decision was made, and it is a complete victory for Lake Village It is now up the up to the railroad company to provide proper passen ger and freight facilities by erect a depot, stock pens, etc., wilho ninety days. An act of 1901 provides tha railroad companies operating linethrough towns of 100 popul»> tion or more ehall provide sun able passenger facilities. The rail road Company contented that tin applied only to incorporated town?Commissioner Hunt holds tha. the basis in-providing railroad fa< ilities is population and not meth ods of municipal government Railroads get business from different towns, it is contended, not because of the form the of govern ment, but rather the business icommensurate vith the population of the towns