The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1884-12-03
AFFAIRS OF THE RAILWAYS.


H C. Diehl, general freight agent of the l.,
B. & W., has gone East
Conductor Francisco Of the Louisville, New
Albany G Chicago road, is lying quite i'll at La
fayette.
One hundred and fifty refrigerator cars are
being built at the Lafayette car works for the
Lackawanna line.
The Pennsylvania company has dispensed with
its outside city agent and curbstone solicitor.
If all indianapolis lines would do likewise rates
would be less demoralized
Economics in railway management are bring
ing the net increase in earnings nearer to the
necessary sum to meet the fixed charges and leave
something for the shareholders.
The Palmerton Wrecking Frog Company have
leased for an office room in the Board of Trade
building Sixteen roads have ordered these
frogs" which are doing satisfactory service
So far as the officials of the Erie road or Erie
fast freight lines are concerned, those that have
been dropped, or are are likely to be, by Presl-
dent King are, fortunately, well heeled hnanclal-
Iy, as the expression goes.
Local rates as we'll as through passenger rates
are now being cut shamefully. Cuts Of 81 to So
to such points as Logansport, Cincinnati, LOUIS
vile, Terre Haute and st. Louis are made with
ont hesitation by local passenger men.
The statement of the monthly earnings of
the Pennsylvania lines shows that this company
mas done better. IMAM any Otller III reducing Gle
cost of operating, for the falling off in the net
income is proportionately less than the loss in
tho gross.
Norman Beckley, general manager of the Gin
cinnati, Wabash & Michigan road, Is IN the city
on official business He says competitors are
making it pretty warm for them in northern
Michigan, but they getting about their usual
volume of traffic.
Paymaster Lewis, of the t., N. A. G. c., will
pay on the Indianapolis division to-day for o.
&sher service. The delay in making his month
ly rounds was not for the want of funds but
owing to the removal of tho general offices from
Louisville to Chicago.
1t behooves President King to move cautiously
in his changes West The business the Erie
fast freight lines have done has been secured
through hard work and kindly feeling toward the
representatives of these lines. He can i'll af-
ford to make mistake, with neither of the
trunk lines is there so much at stake in this re-
Epect as with the Erie
IN an effort at retrenchment President King,
OF the Erie. has abolished the office of assistant
to the president, and the new treasurer receives
a very much smaller salary than was paid the
retiring officer 1t is thought that the same
policy of retrenchment can be carried through
every department of the company, and will re-
suit in saving many thousands month
Manager Malott of the Union tracks and Belt
road instruets Officer Wilde to continue his good
work of arresting boys who board moving
trims. He says the practice must be broken up
claim damages they think hard of the Union
Railway Company should they not pay the
funeral expenses Therefore, it is better to pre-
yeat, if possible their jumping onto trains
Train dispatehers and Office on the Wa
bash are feeling little sore over reduction in
salaries Dispatchers receive $40 per month
less, and men in superintendent offices So to
S. less per month. 1t is questionable whether
it be wise to reduce the pay of train dispatch
ers as this is really the most important branch
of railway service. A careless train dispatcher,
by one mistake, may cost road thousands of
dollars.
There is an increased demand for cars, and
with this comes the old complaint that lumber
men, coal dealers, and other shippers are dill
,atory in unloading cars. Should the Union
Railway Company do all the switching on their
private tracks, this matter could be easily
handled, as they would collect demurrage. AS it
now is, if one road charges demurrage a shipper
turns his business over to q competing line.
Under the new method all roads will be on
par in this matter
Mccullough Regrets the Necessity of Reduc-
ing the Number of Employees.
In commenting upon the proposed reduction
of employees on the Pennsylvania lines, Vice
president ]. N. Mccullough is quoted as saying
lit is true, this reduction must be made, and
am sorry for it, because everything else is dull
too and the poor fellows will find it hard work
to get other employment I cannot tell you
thew sweeping will be the reduction, but the sup
erintendents will dispense with all men they can
get along without. 1t will not affect the train
men so much, because they are paid by the trip
fbut where statioumen trackmen, clerks and la
Hborers are more plentiful than work, there the
AK will fall Since September this reduction
Ihas been going on to some extent, and it was felt
THAT it would come to this. Yes, it will affect
ithe shopmen too. We are not building new
tcars or new machinery and, of course
there is not work for all the men.
Hhe wages will not be reduced. Once the
Scompany endeavored to keep the men it did not
need and reduce wages. Everybod remembers
the result, In all my experience in railroading
u never knew it to be as dull as What is
1.-The cause2 Overproduction; too much capital
Invested in railroads and manufactures. We
must just put it right down and wait until the
country grows up to it. The outlook is blue. 1t
bis measure impending necessarily, and for
(which am exceedingly sorry; but railroading is
Hike any other business. it doesn't want any
more machinery than is required to operate it
successfully" Another official of the road SAYS
'"The reduction will embrace from l, 500 to 1000
nlen There will be fewer clerks, not so many
telegraph operators, less trackmen, stationmen
and aborers. Winter is on there is no more track
ITO be laid, and wherever dollar can be saved it
has been allowed to. The pay-rolls have been
gone over Systematically. 1t will effect a saving
of nearly $500, 900, item you see, but the fact
is there was nothing for these men to do"
Perfection of the Electric Headlight.
The American Electric Headlight Company
claims that it now has a perfect dynamo, and
proposes to have the light on twenty roads
within the next sixty days The light which
ran &c, 900 miles on the c., St L. & P. road was
improved upon, and the improved light has been
doing good service for some weeks on the New
York Pennsylvania g. Ohio road. Now the
latter has been improved upon and the latest
constructed has been examined by Lieutenant
Fisk the government electrician, who pro-
nounces it perfect. The president of the com
pany yesterday made arrangements with the c.,
st. L. q P. people to place the improved light
at once one oe its engines, and another
will he -laGnG in Con.