The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1886-02-24
AFFAIRS OF THE RAILWAYS.
Personal and Local.

Personal and Local.
NJ. r. Spelman, of New Orleans, superintend-
ent of the She'll Beach road, is in the city for
conference with j. r. Elder president of the
road
z. w. McKenna, late superintendent of the
g., NJ & l., has accepted clerkship in the Office
of General Manager McCrea of the Pennsylvania
lines west of Pittsburg
J. 7. Harahan, general manager of the Louis
vile & Nashville road. passed through the city
yesterday, accompanied by his family. Mr..
Haraban had been on to Boston to bury brother.
The passenger department of the Wabash is
still lavish in its advertising despite the fact that
the road is in the hands of receiver. It is
stated that no road in the country expends as
much in this direction as does the Wabash.
Expense accounts rendered by travelling en-
ployes of railway companies sometimes startle
the auditors but persons in position to know
affirm that the expense account never makes the
employe whole on his actual and necessary out
lay.
The Omaha Railway News says A conserva-
tive railway company reports the mileage or Its
passes for 1885 equaling Is per cent. of its
earnings from passenger fares, averaging the
rate per mile of the former by comparison with
tho gross passenger receipts. 1t is not strange
that cry should go up for reform On the pass
question.
Chief Engineer Morris, of the c., l., st L. &
O.. has been instructed to put in second track
from Pine street. in the eastern part of the city.
far east as Pleasant run. The Big Four will
then be double track from the Union Depot for
fully five miles, and double track for ten miles
out Of Cincinnati.
Engine No Gil, on the j., M. & I. road is said
TO be the fastest runner in the country. Rail-
road men who know her qualities say she will
run from Indianapolis to Jeffersonviile, ITO
miles, in ITO minutes. hauling three On
one occasion this engine hauled special train
eighteen miles at an average speed of a mile In
fifty two seconds
The purchase of the Bloomfield & Bedford
road by the L. N. A. & c. Railroad Company,
puts check upon President 1ngals's scheme,-if
be ever really had intention of extending the
Columbus, Ind, branch to st. Louis. The b.
b B., with the indiana g. Illinois Southern,
were to form links of the line if the reported
programme was carried out
Fl. B. Hammond. president of the Boston Air
line road, doubtless feels mvch elated that the
Supreme Court of Connecticut has decided that
the lease of the Airline to the N. Y. N. n. &
II. Railroad Company was legal. The question
OF the legality of the lease has been in the courts
several years, and the opponents of making the
lease have left no stone unturned to upset it.
The Toledo. Peoria & Western road, under
the able management of E. F. Leonard. trustee
of the bondholders, and E. n. Armstrong, super
intendent seems to have taken a new lease of
life. The earnings are footing up handsomely,
Ihe track and equipments are being put i'll good
condition. depots painted, and general air OF
improvement is said to be noticeable all along
the line.
One of the first moves of the L., N. A. e. G.
people, now that they have purchased the Bed
ford & Bloomfield road. will be to convert it
from narrow to standard gauge and when a
similar change is made on the IT,, G. & St l..
Indiana will be cleared of narrow-gauge roads,
Rl of which have proved decided failures in this
favorable country for building standard gauge
railroads
In passenger circles the belief prevails that the
Pacific coast passenger rate war will not last
long, but it may be taken for granted that the
f1rst-class rate from the Missouri river to San
Francisco will never again go above $75. 1t
is extremely unfortunate that this trouble has
occurred None of the California lines af
ford to engage in rate war. None of them are
making money.
Some of the local passenger agents who have
profted handsomely on the commissions paid by
the Southwestern lines in the past. are feeling
very over the action taken by the associa-
tion which cuts commissions down so sharply.
and in retaliation threaten to boycott the Mis-
souri, Pacific, alleging that FL. c. Townsend, gen
eral passenger agent of the M. p, was leader
in the movement
ID. w. Janowitz. travelling passenger agent of
the Northern Pacific railroad, headquarters at
Indianapolis, yesterday removed his Office to the
(Wabash) people fitted up SO handsomely, there
being ample room for the Representatives of both
lines. By the bye, the Northern Pacific people
announce that they are meeting rates made by
their competitors
A veteran general passenger agent, who pays
as high commissions as does any road the
country, yesterday remarked that he favored
doing away with paying commissions entirely,
and while it now looks like difficult thing to
accomplish, he believed the time was not far
distant when the scheme would be carried out.
Under the commission system it was costing too
much to get business.
General Manager George H. Nettleton, of the
Kansas City. Fort Scott & Gulf, the Kansas
City, Springfield & Memphis, and the Kansas
City. Clinton 81 Springfield roads, announces
that as Mr.. F. E. Nettleton has resigned to
sept the position OF general baggage agent for the
Kansas City Union Depot Company, Mr. S. M.
Hubbard is appointed general agent o. these
lines with Office at KANSAS City.
Mr. Harding, Of New York city, an expert ac
countant. and tie one who unraveled the affairs
OF Grant 81 Ward has for month past been GO
ing through tho books, vouchers, etc, of the
several roads of which c. E. Henderson is gen.
eral manager. Probably, had Mr.. Harding, some
months ago. examined these books, Canada would
now have one less inhabtant. Mr.. Harding re-
turned to New York last evening
Superintendent Mansfield. of the Indianapolis
% fincennes road, is preparing to make consid-
cradle Improvement in this property. Next
week seven miles of new steel rails will be dis
trloutsd and liberal supply of new cross-ties.
Mr. Mansfield has caught on to Manager Nc.
Creas style of honse for section men, and is
building some really comfortable and neat
houses for them out of box-car bodies.
Railway officials don't like the irksome labor
which large correspondence imposes upon
them. For this reason, every railway man
whose position warrants it, employs one or more
stenographers and typewriters, who take the
dictated correspondence and dispose of it. The
official thus saves at least third of his time
fT more important duties. and the correspond
ence is all type written, which adds to the egi-
biiity and general appearance of it. The won
aecful growth of the demand for stenographers
Attests the economy of time by their employ
MnenL