The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1889-08-06

pay full fare for the long distances COW
cred. There are many of these who have
relatives in the far-off regions of Dakota,
Washington etc, and who take advantage
of the half-fare rates to visit them. On the
other hand. many claim that hundreds of
people who have business in the far West,
or who contemplate pleasure trips in that
territory, defer their journeys to take adj
vantage of the harvest excursion rates,
and that during the season covered by
these excursions ordinary travel to distant
points drops almost out OF sight.
The Forth bridge. when finished, will
have absorbed over $1,000 tons Of the finest
steel that could be procured. 1t was begun
in 1888, and will have taken about seven
years 10 complete. The bridge proper Is
just over a mile in length but there are
vladucts on each end connecting 1t with
the high ground. and these together add
The Tay bridge is about two miles long,
but it has not the height nor the vast pro-
portions of this at Queensferry; This one
had to give height, so that the largest yes
sells could pass under. and the space below
the span for this purpose is $50 feet. To at
tain this height. and yet to have the neces-
sary strength, the cantaleyers tower high
above. There are two wide spans and two
half spans. The large spans are each ], 40
feet wide. The cantalevers are now all but
finished They stand and seem to be
stretching out their arms on both sides, as
if wishing TO shake hands with each other.
and the $50 feet of space which is yet left
between seems very small. The Orders
for this are being prepared In the work
shops and it is expected that they will be
very rapidly added to the work. and that
the whole bridge will be finished by OctO-
Der.
Grain shippers are not all agreed as to
the advantages afforded producers by the
operations of the interstate-commerce law
One of the leading motives for the passage
of that law was held to be the benefiting of
the farmer through the restrictions placed
upon the railroads In the provisions of the
heaviest dealers in this city said yesterday,
III conversation with the reporter,
that the law had exactly the
opposite effect to what was claimed for it
in the debates in Congress. and illustrated
his point by citing an incident in his bust
ness of recent occurrence. He had pur-
chased from a country shipper 10000 BUSH
els of corn, at 80 cents, the freight on which
TO the sea-bOard was % cents. Just before
the interstate-c commerce law went into eff
feet he had had similar dealings with the
same individual, but then, by reason of
free competition among the east,and-west
nos s' exceed Sf r0Af t tas frs #ars ba
same rates prevailing now, he
claimed he could have made equal
profit on his latest shipment and at the
same time have paid 80 cents for his corn,
instead of 35 cents. His claim is that the re-
strictions imposed upon the roads by the
law lnure to their benefit instead of to the
producer, as they are compelled to keep
through rates at figures which compel the
shipper to secure his grain at prices which
yield no profit to the producer.
The Pennsylvania, the Philadelphia g.
Reading and the Baltimore d. Ohio have
published their statements of earnings and
expenditures for the month of June, by
which comparison may be made of the rela-
tive losses sustained by the several lines
by the recent flood. The Pennsylvania
decrease In the gross earnings of 81, las, 49,.
decrease in expenses of 1914, 40 and a de-
crease In net earnings of $50, 662. The
Philadelphia 81 Reading railroad state
ment shows decrease of gross earnings OF
S195. 005.65. an increase in expenses of S2S1, :
499.6S and decrease in net earnings of
SAT-, 1888. The Baltimore 81 Ohio railroad
statement shows an increase i'll gross earn
lngs of S0,S42, an increase in expenses OF
| $685. and an increase In net earnings OF
| Sal ,042 The decrease in expenses shown
| by the statement of the Pennsylv anja,
| shows that the cost of repairs was not
| charged to operating expenses, and it is
understood the surplus fund will be drawn
upon for that purpose The principal
losses of the Reading were, through
| the destruction of bridges on
| the upper SusQuehanna, and the
| damage done to terminals at Williamsport.
| All it's repairs of track, etc., were charged
| to operating expenses, which explains the
| increase in that department.. The b. Il o.,
| it will be seen, suffered but slightly, and as
| its tracks were soonest repaired, it gained
largely in receipts through traffic diverted
I from the Pennsylvania. From its state
ment for the month it really seems to have
profited through the flood.