The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1891-07-10
HAD ENOUGH OF THE FIGHT
Western Roads Extremely Anxious to
Drop the Boycott Against theAlton.
West. Bound Lake and Rail Rates Ordered Re-
stOred-Seyenty-Fiye Per Cent. ofRailway
Accidents Due 10 Carelessness.

There seems TO be little doubt that the
conference of Western managers at Chi
cago next Saturday will result in a settle
ment of the dispute between the Chicago
IL Alton road and Chairman Finley of the
Western Passenger Association. The Alton
will not recede from its position. but 1t IS
expected that the other roads will recede
from theirs in order to prevent a dlsrup-
tion of the agreement. They will prob
ably 90 even further. and take sides with
the Alton in its fight with the Eastern
lines. They rave all grown very tired of
the present state of affairs, and are begin
ming to ask themselves why they should
encourage a boycott that is doing them
mole harm han the company boycotted.
The agreement with the board of rulings TO
maintain a neutral position. and refrain
from paying commissions In Eastern terri
tory, was conditional on their being pro-
tected IN that position. 1t Is now argued
that they have not received the promised
protection, and that the board OF rulings
Is powerless TO carry out It's part OF the
agreement. Furthermore, they contend
that the trunk lines have acted unfairly
In singing out the Chicago ~ Alton road
as the only one to be punished. when they
have Just as much reason to boycott the
New England roads. which refused to join
them In their crusade against commission
paying. Should the Western roads decide
To resume the aymen of commissions, and
it is generally believed that they Will, the
Eastern lines will be left without the
shadow OF an excuse for continuing the
boycott against the Alton. unless they ex-
tend it To all their Western connections.
CareIessness OF Trainmen.
Said an old-tlme superintendent yester-
day: For the last two years i have
given a good deal of attention to the
Causes of train wrecks and their fire.
quency on some of what are considered
our best roads, and the result of my investi-
cation goes to show that 20 per cent. of the
accidents to trains is on account of the
carelessness or heedlessness of some train
employe, as in the recent accident on the
the N. Y, p. 81 o. division of the Erie. If
the trainmen would strictly adhere to the
rules governing the movement of trains ac-
cidents would be few. A few years ago
more accidents seemed to result from mis-
takes of neutrality-suspicious. thar any other
cause. bat now it is seldom the train-dis-
patcher rs in fault so systematized has his
work become. This. however, 10, In part.
due to the fact that they are not now on
duty as many hours as formerly. On all
frst-elass roads traIn-dispatchers are on
duty but eight out of the twenty four
uOuI6. All lhNColikhAAOh "OuAa
show that in many cases the wrecking of
trains comes from men being Overw Orked
and becoming dull and Indifferent. The
fact that when. by the dIsobeying OF a
train order, an accident of serious charsc-
Ter results. such as running into the rear OF
q passenger train, weeks will elapse before
an accident of q similar character will oc-
cur, the train crews being more careful
the correctness of my remark to
the effect that If train rules were
lived up TO there would be practically no
Academia The New York Times, in it's
very aptly. The Time says: Now all the
rear brakemen in the country will read
about the Ohio accident and when their
trains ZONE to q halt on the main track not
indicated on the SCHEDULE they VIII, for a
period, face the discomforts of the deluge
and wet clothing, or of the m-id-summer
sun or the winter winds, az the case may
be. and go back along the track the neces-
sary distance to give ample warning to any
following train. The chances are lat Tor
a good while this particular form of acct
dent will not bo repeated. hen after the
present warning has been forgotten u brake
man here aud there will begin to exercise
his w Judgment instead OF obeylng the
regulations"
west-Bound Rates to BE Restored.
The executive committee of the Trunk
line Association met at New York ycster-
day and discussed the question of restora-
tion of freight rates from points In the
New England States to ST. Paul and points
West. by rail and lake. The question has
proved. for some time past. TO be a very
hard one to solve. the New England roads
cutting and slashing rates right and left.
The committee decided tn restore the rates
on and after July ~, on a basis of "A cents
on first. class freight. by rail- and lake. from
New York TO Boston. At the Trunk-line
Office IL was said that the decision was q
unanimous one; also. that none of the New
England roads was represented directly,
their several interests being looked after
by the Trunk-line representatives.. with
whom the Eastern roads connected. From
another source IL was learned that the pres
ident of the Fitchburg road was present,
and that be most vigorously protested
against the proposed restoration.
Ocean Shipments via Newport News.
The Chesapeake & Ohio railroad has
closed fve-yesr contracts with Z. Furness.
one of the largest steamship-owners in Eng
land. for three regular lines of steamers from
Newport News. Va. to Liverpool. London
and Glasgow, and also for occasional
steamers TO Havre and Antwerp. These
will be the first regular European steamer
lines from any ports south OF Baltimore.
Heavy engagement of grain, provisions,
flour. tobacco. lumber and live stock are
being made ~ the w est Tor export by these
steamers, one order for q 5000 bags of flour
having lust been booked in 81. Louis, and
another for 81. 90 bags direct for Hayre, said
to he the largest single shtpment of Hour
ever made from this country to that port.
The steamers are from 5000 To 5000 tons ca
pacity. and each line will send ont q steam
er every ten days. making about nine or
ten steamers q month on tine three regular
lines.
Personal, Local and General Notes.
The Peoria & Eastern road earned in
June sl1S, 934.45; increase over June, 1890.
S7,s17.67.
John +. Vallery. a representative of the
Chicago. Burlington N Quincy, Is in the
city on official Business.
The Big Four will, on Monday next, put
parlor cars on its day trains running be-
tween Cincinnati and Lafayette, Nos. 2
and 8.
job VI. Allen. who has for years repre-
sented the Chicago X Rock Island at
Peoria, is so i'll that no hopes are enter
tanned of his recovery.
The June earnings OF the Chesapeake 4
Ohio road are another surprise to the own
ers OF the property, they reaching $685.
COLTS; increase over June, 1890. S63.5 CO
j. III. Young. who recently resigned as
general manager of the Utah Central road,
has accepted the position of su%perintend-
ent of the Utah division of the Union Pa
ellie.
H.. 81. Bronson. general passenger agent
OF the Peoria ~ Eastern road. Is IN Peoria
to-day IOr tho DlrDOsa of estabiIshiuu a