The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1885-01-24
AFFAIRS OF THE RAILWAYS.
Personal and Local.

railroad travel in many month. The severe
weather has told unfavorably on local as well as
through business.
The roads in the indianapolis east-bound pool,
which for day or two during the early pool
troubles did not report their tonnage, have re-
sumed making their daily report, and have also
reported on the days which they failed so to do
If the pools are in dying condition, they die
hard
The Decline people PROPOSE the present year
70 introduce railroad signals on their lines at
railroad crossings, much more extensively. The
subject of railroad signaling is every day be-
coming Of greater importance and few realize
the safety now attainable by the various block
and interlocking systems in use.
Officials of the Wabash road state that the
Wabash hasn't enjoyed as large a business at
this season Of the year, as now obtains, for a
long time. The company, Notwithstanding over
80 per cent of its machinery Is in actual service
Is put to great straits for power to move the
business now coming over the main line.
An ex- general railroad manager yesterday re
marked that it was thousand 'pities' that the
roads Of this country had brought on such gen.
eral decentralization of both freight and passen-
ger rates. There had never been time when
railroad companies needed handsome revenue
from their business more than they now do.
Railroad men express themselves as strongly
IN favor of bill introduced in the Indiana Legis
lature, making it misdemeanor on the part of
railway company to employ or keep in employ,
any engineer, conductor fireman who is in the
habit of using intoxicating liquors as beverage
The violation OF this act is made punishable by
fine of not more than 500 nor less than $40.
Officials of the Woodruff Sleeping-car Comp
pany were in the city yesterday. travelling on
aew combined drawing groom car and sleeping
coach which is certainly built on more common
sense plan than any coach designed for such pur-
poses that has ever been exhibited in Indian
apolis. The coach is complete, convenient, ele-
CANT. yet not in any respect extravagant In its
construction.
The passenger officials of Southern lines be-
came ashamed of their petty squabbing and
cutting rate business aud yesterday forenoon
met ard restored rates to full tariff and agreed
to maintain them strictly 1t is hardly probable
they will be led into another rate war through the
scheming of some scalper who loses money on
few tickets that he may create the impression
that rates in certain direction demoraliZed.
The past year Superintendent Evan. of the
Indianapolis division of the Bee-line system has
required trainmen, through whose neglect
train ran through switch, to pay the damage
done and also fire for their carelessness. Al
though the company has adopted the spring
switch, and the running through one does not
derail train it often causes some damage, and
prior TO the issuing of the above order it cost $50
TO $75 per month to keep switches in repair.
Row that the negligent trainman must pay such
damages it costs but $15 to $40 per month to
repair the spring switches which are run
through.
A. j. Smith, general passenger agent of the
Beeline system. has o business-Iike system OF
keeping accounts OF passes issued which enables
him to trace any abuse of passes Take. for in
stance, newspaper men. An account is kept
with most of the editors on the line with regard
20 passes. On the credit side appears the amount
of advertising at the regular card rates. Books
of trip passes-thirtv-six passes in a book-are
issued, and these are charged to the editor
When an editor oyerdraws, and finds fault be-
cause he cannot get all he demands and declares
that he is justly entitled to more courtesies, Mr.
Smith is able to settle the matter in cool figures
j. T. Hosford, who represents the Georgia
Traffic Association in the Northwest, so far as
its passenger business is concerned, and Thomas
McGilf, who represents the freight department..
are in the city on official business. The organi
cation of the Georgia Associated Traffic Fast
freight and Passenger Lines covers 2, 545 miles
of Southern railways. The objects of this asso
citation are to secure, by concert of action, the
operation of fast-freight and passenger schedules
the prevention of delays at junction points, the
establishment of through car lines, satisfactory
terminal deliveries, and the adoption Of such
other measures necessary to rapid transit and
comfort of passengers
The unusual amount of snow which Indiana
roads now have to contend with is delaying
freight traffic and causes blockades at terminals
Yesterday morning the c., l., st. L. 81 e. had
standing on their tracks at Kankakee 100 loaded
cars turned over to them by the Illinois Central
road and at Seneca 300 cars delivered to them by
the Chicago & Rock Island road, and the latter
had some 600 additional loaded cars to turn over
to them. The c., l., st. l.. & c. endeavored to
lease some of the c. & r.. /. engines to help them
through the snow blockade, but the latter had
use for all they could command. Two or three
days of mild weather will enable the c., l., St
L. & O., however, to straighten matters out with
their own power.
The Passenger Men Leave a Loop-HoIe.
The general passenger agents of the roads which
are members of the Chicago and Ohio River
pool, met yesterday, at Commissioner Richard
SONS Office, to ratify an agreement prepared by
committee appointed for that purpose
This agreement establishes rates for
all classes of passenger service, in
GLIDING theatrical troupes, baseball men,
ministers and commercial travellers. The agree
ment was adopted, and all promised to live
strictly to tariff rates. A loophole, however, as
usual, is left A resolution to the effect that
each road in the pool should call in all tickets
issued bearing date previous to Jan, l, 1885,
failed to pass. One agent admitted that there
was large number of these tickets
out. He had offered tariff rates for them
and the scalper would not let him have them
OF course these will now be thrown onto the
market to again demoraize rates. At the meet
ing the c., l., St l.. & e. was represented by
John Egan; the l., B. & w by H. M Bronson;
the Chicago e. Eastern Illinois by William Hill;
the c., St L. e. z. by G. Van Deusen; the j.. M
u by II. Il. Dering; the L., N. A. & G. by
William Baldwin.
Covers a Good Deal of Territory.
The cut in immigration rates made by the
Pennsylvania road covers large territory, and
aptly illustrates the extent of the lines they con
troll The rates are fixed at 81 not only to Chi
eago and St Louis, but to every point inter
mediate between Chicago and the State lines of
Indiana and Illinois and the cities Of New York
and Philadelphia which can be reached by the