The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1885-10-21

4
| tered into with each other establishing and
| maintaining rates that will pay fixed charges
| operating expenses and leave a surplus for
maintenance of road-b and equipments.
A Veteran Railroader Laid Away.
The funeral services of Charles NJ Gray
late assistant general freight agent of the Lake
Shore & Michigan Southern railway were held
| in Chicago at ii A. NJ, yesterday, and were at
tended by by railway men from all parts of the
country. That the deceased was highly esteemed
| by the management of the road is evident from
| the following notice issued from the Presidents
| office:
The officers of this company, who can do consist
emily with their duties requested to attend the
funeral services of the late Charles NJ Gray at Chi
cago, on Tuesday, Oct. 20. at IL o'clock A: NJ.
| JOHN NEWELL Prest and Genl Manager
The circular-in memoriam-says5i" Charles NJ.
| Gray was born in Chenango county, N. Y, was
| educated in the common schools in Ontario
| county and at the age of nineteen went to
| Philadelphia where he engaged in the building
| business. In 1882 he married Miss Mary A.
| Haines, of Philadelphia and returned to his
native State. In June 1888, Mr.. Gray went to
| Chicago, which was then small village. and has
resided there since that time For several years
| he was a building contractor, afterwards became
| street commissioner, and held other public
ofhces. In l04O he was manufacturing grain
cradles, and in lS47 was partner with Z. II.
| Mccormick in the reaper business Two years
later he engaged in business with A. T. Spencer,
! as agent for Reeds line of steamers, plying be-
| tween the ports of Buffalo and Chicago, but in
1852 he retired from that business and
sold his interest to Mr.. Spencer. In
| 1853 Mr.. Gray elected mayor of
| Chicago. which had grown to be city
| of 60, 900 nha btants For the past thirty
| years Mr.. Gray has been prominently before the
public as a railroad officer. He entered the
| railway service in 1854 and was appointed
| freight agent at Chicago for the Michigan South
| ern d Northern Indiana railroad. In 1860, Mr..
| Gray was appointed contracting agent; after
| ward he was promoted to the position of COM
| merciai freight agent and continued in that
| Office until the consolidation with the Lake Shore
| road in 1869 when he was appointed assistant
| general freight agent tor the Lake Shore q
| Michigan Southern railway. AS railroad Off
Ger, his marked ability and influence in his pro-
| fesslon can best be measured by the respect and
esteem universally accorded to him by railroad
| men and the public AS man, it is fitting
| and proper to record here that those who have
| been privileged to know this good man person
| ally have felt that the name of Charles NJ Gray
| was synonymous with uprightness, integrity and
| onor. Always firm in the path of duty his
| heart was full of charity and sympathy for his
| fellow men,"
Probability that Both Rail Mills Will Be
Started Up.
Prospects now are that two important industries
which will give employment to several hundred
men, will be started up here within few weeks
One is the ee-rail mill which is, at cost of
$4,000 or thereabouts, to be converted into a
mandatory of heavy iron and steel structural
work. The furnaces and much of the machin
cry which is in the mill now can be utilized to
| good advantage in the manufacture of heavy
structural work. such Orders for buildings
| and structural work for roofs and also
/ hrIdU hn 9th Ivrhr1 ctru &c
| the starting up of the old iron rail rolling
mill for the manufacture of rails by the Chaplin
| process. For some weeks, under the direc
ton of VIM. c. De Paw, expert
strength and durability of iron made by
| by this process, and experts have become fully
| convinced that rails made by this process will be
more durable and much less liable to break
than the best steel rail in use. To fit the two
| mills up to manufacture heavy structural work
and this class of rail, some additional buildings
| need be put up, as we'll as additional furnaces
| and additional machinery. 1t is estimated that
$500, 600 will be needed TO carry out the plan.
The rolling mill company is practically out of
] debt, and owns property outside of the rolling
Mills is"that of the Bloomfield e Bedford
railroad. In this the company holds every
dollar of the stock, and there is no
| debt resting upon it, and it is
proposed to bond the road which is now doing
good business, and one that is steadily increasing,
| for So, 900 per mile which bonds, If sold at par,
| the company would realize thereform 1886 1000.
| This sum would be expended in carrying out the
enterprises above set forth and place the company
on an excellent footing to push business. Presi-
| dent Thomas. of the rolling-mill company. is
now in Boston for the purpose of disposing of
these railroad bonds, and the prospects good.
| it is stated that. his mission will be
success President Thomas and other
directors of the rolling mill company have been
| censured more or less that they have allowed
their mills to remain idle, but the directory, as
| we'll as President Thomas have been cautious
| in their movements, and now, for the first time
| since the depression in business came over the
| country. feel the present to be an opportune
| time to move to start up the two mills. No news
could be housekeeping to the citizens of Indian
| apolis than the above, and without dissenting
| voice all will wish that efforts of the manage
ments of the mills to put them in full operation
| will be successful.
The Brighter Outlook.