The Indianapolis sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis, Ind.) 1880-1904, 1885-01-23
RAILWAY NEWS.
Bright Prospects for the Wabash and
ALI Of Its Divisions.
Biennial Report OF the Wisconsin State
Railroad Commissioner, IN Which
He Advises People to Invest
Their Money IN Rail-
road Stocks.

Henry, are inspecting the l. and 81. L.. di'
vision. The trip was taken for the purpose
of deciding upon the improvements tnat are
10 be made this year.
The extension of the indianapolis aud
Evansville Straight Line will now perma-
nently terminate at Washington. Ind, aud
will get no further North for years. The
taxpayers of Davies County are in bad
shape financially to say the least, and they
will not be apt to aid any new railroad en-
terprizes until they recover from the fnan-
cial depression that has settled upon them
because of q recent bank failure in their
community.
A small sized railroad.wsr is in progress be-
tween the Evansville Air Line and Peoria,
Decatur and Evansville Roads at Browns
Crossing, Ind. 1t seems that the first named
road has been owing the latter car rent since
last March and that il has. in many ways,
excited the ire OF Its creditor since then.
The z. ID. and L. has given orders to its
ness with the Air Line and to have the in
struments OF the company taken out of its
office
Transporting Explosives' is the head
which appears over an article IN the railroad
department of one of the st. Louis papers,
stating that many inquiries have reached
the Railroad Commissioners OF Indiana re-
garding the new regulations concerning the
transportation OF explosives ETC." This is
certainly news, and the people of this great
State viii no doubt be pleased to learn that
Indiana has Board OF Railroad Commits
sIoners. 1t has never before been even
darkly limited that Railroad Commission
was in existence in Indiana, and it is just
possible that the st. Louis paper has made
'leetle" mistake.
1t is not probable that the efforts to dis.
rupt the Wabash system and prevent the
reorganization of the company will be sue
cessfui, for the evidence becomes stronger
that with The present good management and
the return of better times the various roads
will all pay and earn something more than
fixed charges. The recent report of the Re
ceiver susfalns the assertion as to the value
of the Indianapolis. Peru and Chicago, and
goes to show that this division should be re-
tanned at ell hazards The deficits of all of
the poorer lines. except the Cairo, are so
small that no unfavorable conclusion eau be
drawn from them, but the prospects are that
The receipts will hereafter be larger The
Cairo division il road which never
has paid because il begins and ends no.
where. 1t hauls some cotton and corn, but
little merchandise. The Wabash was un-
fortunate enough to be organized at a time
when the company began to run behind the
debt piled up fast Ii no opposition is made
to the fair plan proposed for the reorganiza-
ton Of the company, it will succeed. and
the system given q chance TO demonstrate
its real worth.
THE WISCONSIN COMMISSIONERS.
The Wisconsin State Railroad Commits
sioner in his biennial report speaks of the
bene6cent results that might be expected if
the people could invest their savings in rail-
way stocks and rely on the honest admins
tration OF railway finances. Under this COZ
dition he believes that much of the outcry
against railways would disappear, and they
would be fostered with intelligent self inter.
est He expresses regret that capitalization
is frequently greatest where earning capac-
ity is smallest, and is commonly in inverse
ratios of solvency.
The total income or all lines in the State
was, in 1884, s2l, 120, 81, an increase OF $685.
6l5.99 over 1883. The total disbursements
In 1854 were $40 az, sol 81. leaving an income
over disbursements OF 81, 343. 169 IS.
The passenger ratings in 1884 were s., $50 =
917l1; freight. S13 1872 e37 81; mail, express
etc, 81, PAS, 500 go; total earnings. S20.414 :
5s3 90. Operating expenses. Sill. S45, 57S IS
Warnings over expenses, s.. 565. 997.7S. Per
vintage OF operating expenses TO earnings
s.. For 1888 this was 81, and fer 1882. 81.
The income other than earnings was $780,
796 IS.
During 1884. 225 81 100 miles we're built,
making q grand total at the beginning of
1885 of 4,245 21-1OO, making one mile of
rosd to every II 40 square miles OF terri
tory. The most important extension during
the year has been to st. Croix and Chippewa
Falls from st Paul, which makes the Wis
consin Central an important competitor for
st. Paul. The Commissioner says that the
Green Bay, Winona and st. Paul property is
gradually depreciatng. The report con-
Guides with a set of condensed tsbulations
showing the results of reports of all roads in
the State.
FELLow-sERvANTs on RAILWAYS.
1t is an established rule of Law in most of
the American States that a master is not
liable for injuries to a servant occasioned
by the negligence of fellow-servant. To
the application Of this doc trine to railroad
companies the Courts of New York have
treated ali the employees Of such corporations
as feilow-servants. For the mere negli-
gence OF one employe the master is not
liable to another engaged in the same gen.
eral service ssys the Court Ot Appeals, and
the same tribunal mas held expressly that
telegraph operator whose blunder caused
collision, sud tie conductor of the
train IL fs0lt. were fellov-servants of
fIensn on the other train, who
lest is life IN consequence OF their negli-
geBce. To constitute common employ
menf, so rs 20 free the master from liability,
- Is ssiu not 10 De necessary that their du-
les snould be alike, but merely that they al
stooir butte to the same purpose the speedy,
efficient and successful Carriage of psssen-
GER ana freight over the rajl9
The Supreme Court of the United States
has recently been called upon tn co asider
this question of what constitutes a common
employment II case OF an engineer who
wos injured BY reason of the negligence OF
the conductor of his own train. On the
trial the Iudye charged the jury that the
conductor and engineer were not fellow ser
wants within the meaning OF the law: and
the Supreme Court, by a msjority OF one,
declares this ruling to have been correct
The negligences of the conductor Was there.
fore held 10 be the negligence OF the railroad
company. sn6 verdict IN favor OF the en-
gineer was sustained.