The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1892-09-30

pared with the same month IN 1891. show
an increase In gross earnings of elsO,0Se; an
increase In expenses of S2l9.25l, and q de-
crease In net earnings of S29, lo3.
The report is revived that the Big Four
people are again endeavorin9 TO secure
control of the Toledo a. Ohio Central
road. the directors of which have just
declared q IA per cent. dividend. payable
Big -Four. the latter should control the To-
ledo, Columbus IL Cincinnati.
The Greensboro. Falls of Rough & Green
River road. which is nov in course of con-
struction TO o connection with the Newport
News X Mississippi Valley road. it is un.
of the Huntington system. Eventually
this road will open new and valuable ter
ritory for Evansville business men.
General Manager Ramsey and General
Superintendent Peck. of the Big -Four.
were yesterday in Cleveland. looking after
the matter improvements there, and will
to-day go to Sandusky. The earnings of
the Sandusky division have so increased
that the Big Four is disposed to be liberal
In improving the property. which has been
rather neglected In the past.
In August. 1891. the Lake Erie IL Western
earned 1912. 600. a sum its owners never ex-
pected to see the road reach. and much the
largest in the history of the road. In
August. this year. the road earned S54O,OOO,
and the Brlce people, who own 1T, were
AOuQ III IL pLhib0 III IL
Now September bids fair to equal. if not
exceed, tho earnings of August, 1892.
In taking an inventory of the locomo-
tives of the Big Four lines 1t was found
that over one hundred of the engines the
company has in service were built back in
the sixties. and SO badly used up that IL
will not pay to make general repairs to
them. This is not a surprise. as in the con-
s6lIdation the poor equipment was in
cluded as we'll as the tirst-class power.
The election OF General Manager Mellen
as one of the vioe-presidents of the New
York, New Haven 81 Hartford causes a
good deal OF comment in Western railroad
circles. No one questions his ability to ill
the position and that he will earn his
salary, which is to be $50. 900 a year. 1t is
believed that President Clark will soon re-
tire. and Mr.. Mellen will be his successor.
Official notice has been given that the
Nickel-plate will not meet the IS round
trip rate between Chicago and Buffalo,
made by Its competitors to punish 1t for
making O $3.50 rate for the national con-
plate does not dare to makea lower rate
than 80, and it knows that at that rate it
cannot compete with the Michigan Gen.
tral and Lake Shore.
None Of the railroad corporations In Mas
sacnusetts will comply with the law passed
have on sale mileage books representing
one thousand miles for $50, and inter-
changeable on all railroad lines in the
State. The law goes into effect on Oct. 1,
and as yet no railroad has made prepsra-
tiOns to obey it. 1t is claimed that it is
unconstitutional. The roads will simply
ignore 1t, it ID said, aud let the Commas
sloners take whatever course they see fit.
TO c. M. Bennett. superintendent of the
Chicago division OF the Pennsylvania lines.
1t Is said should be given the credit of orig
mating the idea of building q circular
track on which TO entertain visitors to the
worlds fair with collisions. His idea.
however, was to build q double track, ten
miles in length. aud have the different 10.
comotive-works give tests of the speed and
power of their different makes of engines.
and wind mp with q few collisions. He
says the rails and cross-tIes could be
utilized after the fair in the track of any
road.
George B. Fravel has been appointed as
sistans master mechanic of the po-
lis shops of the Pennsylvania Company.
William Swanson, master mechanic of the
shops. is q veteran in the service and de-
serves an assistant. MIR. Swanson entered
the railway service in 1850 as n mechanic on
the Little Miami road. In 1S76 he reached
the position of master mechanic on the
Jacksonville. Madison ~ indianapolis
road. Since November. 1884, he has been
master mechanic of the shops of the Penn
sylvania Company at Indianapolis, and is
credited with keeping the power of the In
dianapolis division IN as good condition as
that on any division of the great Pennsyl-
wanna system.
Railway construction has proceeded at q
safe and moderate pace this wear, and yet
in almost every State and Territory new
lines have been completed or commenced.
The Railway Age and North western Rail-
roader, in its forthcoming issue, will say:
Our returns show that during the nine
months from Jan. l to Sept. 30 there have
been 2.5l9 miles of main track laid on 200
different lines in the United States, while
a large amount of grading has been done
on which the rails are vet to 60 down.
There are in sight over 1900 miles of road
on which track is expected TO be laid be-
fore the end of the year. SO that we feel
safe in repeating the estimate made three
months ago. that the track-laying of 1892
Will aggregate not fur from 1000 miles,"