The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1889-08-04

Railroad Travel That Increases from Year to
Year as Outings Become More Popular.

The excursion business of Indianapolis
increases rapidly with each successive
summer. The c., H. & d. railroad hauled
upwards of 600 people on the trip to Nj
agara Falls last Thursday. OF that num-
Der 800 were from this city and vicinity. A
shorter excursion to Chicago and Milwau-
kee over the c., w. g. NJ, via Benton Har-
Dor. carried nearly double the number of
people who went during the week from
this city to Niagara, and yet the excursion
programme of the railroads centering here
has hardly begun. This week an excursion
will be run by the O.. /. g. w. road, leaving
on the 9th. taking in Niagara Fails, Chau-
tauqua, Toronto and the Thousand Isles.
The harvest excursions also begin this week
on most of the roads leading westward COW
ering most points between this city
and the Sierra Neyadas. Besides these,
there are excursion rates offered to all near
by resorts. and the smaller lakes, such as
Warsaw. Maxinkuckee and others come in
for their usual patronage. To these ex-
cursOns are to be added those gotten up by
hx 1% suDh as tie
the Knights of Pythias at the smaller lakes.
the excursions of art classes and profess
siOnal bodies, the camp-meeting assemblies
and the thousand and one combination
lines which extend from Sitka to Mexico,
and across the continent.
Il attribute the steady growth of the ex-
curslon business" said George Butler, who
has been engaged in it ever since the war
ended, Ito the growing custom which now
obtains in nearly every occupation of
giving employees a summer vacation.
Formerly it used to be that only people of
means and leisure INDUCED in summer out
ings. Now nearly every employe. as we'll as
M hQr el1m
vacation, and, as a rule, they get it. 1t is
this that makes the business. as now car
RED on, possible and profitable. Take the
Niagara trip. for instance. which has al
ways been favOrite one here. 1t would be
manifestly impossible to haul a few people
from this city to the falls at the rates now
fixed upon, but when the number reaches
eighty carloads, which have been carried
it for the roads over which they run. as we'll
as a great saving to those who patroniZe us,
and do not see but that those who go with
us are Just as comfortably cared for as
those who go on higher priced tickets.
Most of the roads on which are run excur-
sions furnish an ample supply of sleeping
and chair cars, BEND competent people to
look after the comfort of passengers and
secure for their patrons all the advantages
that are to be had in the way of side trips.
hotel rates, carriages and other conven-
fences. The tickets issued usually run
long enough to enable their purchasers to
spend what time they desire at points visit
ed, and return on any train they wish,
stopping on the way back where they see
fit, and il an extension of the ticket Is de-
sired there is no trouble, as rule, in OBJ
tanning it,"
In what direction is the bulk of excur-
sion travel from this State, and what class
makes up the greater portion of it?"
harvest excursions to the far
West. which used to be SO popular. natu-
rally grow smaller as that section of the
country fills up. A considerable class of
those who formerly went on them had
looking for fresh fields and pastures On
which to locate Now the greater portion
of those who go West simply 60 TO visit
friends and relatives, and to look at the
country, just as they go East for temporary
change of scene and surroundings. There
are few farmers nowadays who do not
give themselves and their families an out
ing when their harvest work is finished"
How about the local excursion bust
nessp
lit is increasing, but more slowly than
the other. There are comparatively few
nearby summer resorts, and the summer
travel to such points as West Baden, Lake
Maxinkuckee and the other lakes liz the
northern part of the State within three OF
four hours ride from this city, is largely
confined to the Weather classes and to
cottagers and their families. With the de-
velOpment of points nearer home, believe
there will come a much larger local excur-
sion business. i notice that even at such
points as Martinsville, where they have
only begun to get ready to entertain people,
there is n very considerable increase in the
number who go there to spend day or two
during the warm weather"