The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1886-09-17
A Growth Not Even Dreamed Of

the total stock capital
A Growth Not Even Dreamed Of.
One does not have to go back many years to
reach what seems to be old times in railroading.
The Boston Advertiser makes mention of having
received a railway guide of 1860, eighteen pages
Ix5 inches in size A very modest exposition
of how to 60 West, in comparison with the
Haunting folders and picture books Of the pres
emit day. This pamphlet sets forth the merits of
the "Great Western 81 Michigan Central railway
line, Z. K. Randall, agent, and John Z. Wynaan,
receiver" Two Chicago express trains left the
Worcester depot In Boston. one at 9 A. n. and
one at P: NJ, and were due IN Chicago respect
lively at A. NJ. and 8 A. M. The o'clock ex-
press thus went through in forty hours
and the 3 o'clock in forty one hours.
The dimensions of the suspension bridge,
one OF the attractions of the route are given,
with the information that passengers having
through tickets are conveyed across the bridge
free Of charge" The Chicago, Burlington &
Quincy road was then represented by its name.
1t ran to Burlington, 210 miles, and to Quincy,
269 miles. The Burlington & Missouri railroad
then ran to Ottumwa which was said to be forty
miles further west than any other railroad in Iowa.
The Hannibal Sc st. Joseph railroad, however,
had been completed to st. Joseph, which was
celebrated a great depot for fitting out
emigrants crossing the plains for the Califor-
MIA gold Mines The Chicago g. Northwest
ern railroad ran to Oshkosh; the Chicago q
Rock Island to Rock Island, with q branch to
Peoria; the Chicago & Milwaukee to Milwau-
kee; the Milwaukee & Minnesota to La Crosse,
connecting with a packet line to ST. Paul, and
the Milwaukee & Mississippi to Prairie du
CHEN. The most northern points touched by
rail were Green Bay and La Crosse in Wiscon-
sin. The most western point reached in Iowa
was Ottumwa, the DesMoines river, and in
Missouri ST Joseph. which latter was the Ul-
TINA Thule of railroad extension west, the Pa
,1~v Gnwr
Upton, Mo-
Council Bluffs and Omaha had no railroad
connection whatever, and Kansas City was
equally unknown to fame as a railroad center.
The great transcontinental railroads were but a
dream, and the great system of railroads which
has since gridironed AL the States West well
as East, and which has done so much toward the
developments and prosperity Of the country, was
not even dreamed OF.
Prosperity Follows the Mafntainance of
Rates,
From the time the suicidal war on freight
rates began, in 1880, the Journal has taken the
position that as long as the rate wars were in
vogue just so long would the business Of the
country be under cloud, or, in other words,
when the roads maintained rates they were
prosperous, and in turn business was invariably
good. The truthfulness of this position is aptly
illustrated at the present time. The Financial
Chronicle says "There is but one feature to
the reports of railroad earnings now, and that is
their uniformly favoraoly character. It is q
feature too that is growing more conspicuous
each succeeding month. We had occasion to
call attention to this fact in reviewing the fig
ures for June and July, and now in Analysing
the statement for August, meet the same Ell
dence in still stronger form. Both in the amount
of increase and in the small number Of roads
that form an exception to the rule of increase,
the August exhibit is by far the best of the year
liz June the aggregate gain on the roads report
ing was So, 058, 900; in July it was So, 235 $50
while now for August it is $3,749,-
245." In commenting IN this statement
the Now York Times. of Monday, speaks of the
improvement in business generally as a result
of the prosperity of the railroads as follows
strikingly illustrating the position taken by the
journal The Times says: "There is almost a
marvel in the growth of railroad earnings
Phenomenal gains are reported, not by one road
only, but practically by every line of conse-
quence In the country. Seventy three compa-
MES have filed their statements for August show
ing an aggregate gain in earnings Of So, 749, PAS
1t Is hard to grasp the full significance of those
figures. They stand the indicator of general
business Manufacturers pressed by orders
The railroads are ali building new freight cars
the Pennsylvania Company at the rate of
sixty day; no line has equipment enough to
meet existing demands, and orders already
booked by works cannot be all filed before
next spring; one leading firm of locomotive
builders has enough orders now to keep it's
shops running constantly till next May, turning
out an average of fifteen locomotives a week
Lake freightS have risen under the press of com
peting shippers. Iron ore, provisions, grain,
lumber and other freights awaiting trans
portation, for the one reason that the carrying
facilities of the country's railroads are not fully
able to meet the eXigencies Of the season."