The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1886-09-14
A Veteran Railroader.

Col. George L. Perkins, of Norwich, Conn.,.
who began his ninety ninth year in August has
been treasurer Of the Norwich e. Worcester Rail-
road Company from the beginning, and is not
as might be inferred from his great age-merely
fgure-head, but is the active manager of its
finances to-day, and is the source of knowledge
to which the stockholders refer for information
concerning the property from the time of its
charter to the present He walks half-mile to
his Office every weekday morning, opens all his
letters, and dictates writes replies, remains
there till noon. devoting all the time to bust
ness. when he takes carriage to his
home. and spends the rest of the cay in
reading and attending to matters OF home life.
He relies upon general obedience to the laws OF
health to keep him in working order. paying par
Ncular attention to those In regard to diet, exer-
else and rest. He is a devoted family man.
having wife OF ninety years, one daughter and
son. He knows nearly every hoy and girl he
meets and calls them by name. and is great ia
vorite on account of his genial manners. He is
acknowledged to be the best accountant In Nor
witch and REQ uires that his clerks carry to the
letter his different forms in bookkeeping, which
no one pretends to say are not excellent. and the
monthly statement required of his assistants is
scrutinized with an inquisitiveness that keeps
them always on the alert to have everything as
it should be. He is doubtless the most remark
able case of ell-preserved age in existeuce-re-
=
unimpaired condition r.
Reaching IDto the B. & o. Territory.
In two months more the Baltimore &c Ohio
will begin to feel competition in territory that
has heretofore been exclusively its own. It is
confidently reported that by Nov. l trains will
be running over the Cumberland Is Piedmont
railroad, connecting with the Pennsylvania, and
affording short line to New York for Cumber-
land coal. The line is only twenty-three miles
long, running from Cumberland, the end of the
Bedford division of the Pennsylvania railroad,
to Piedmont on the main line of the Baltimore.
Nearly all the grading has been done,
the masonry is finished, most of the bridges
erected, and good deal of track has beer
laid The engineers hope to turn the line
over to the operating department on Nov l. AL
though it mas been called single road, it is in
reality only link in line from the rich coal
fields Of West Virginia to New York. The
mines now working, sending their product
to market over the Baltimore 81 Ohio, but as
soon as the Cumberland & Piedmont road is
completed the tonnage will be diverted to that
road, which is fifty miles shorter to New York
than the Baltimore & Ohio.
But it is not alone in this tonnage that the
Baltimore 81 Ohio will suffer. 1t is proposed to
run a number of branch lines into the surround
ing country, which will not only create new
traffic. but draw away some belonging to
the old road. For years the Baltimore 81 Ohio
has been alone in this field Now line friendly
to the Pennsylvania will compete with it, and it
is not believed that the Pennsylvania will be
very considerable Of its rival