The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1893-05-01
AFFAIRS OF THE RAILWAYS
The Pennsylvania About to Adopt q
New Policy in Making Promotions.
Indianapolis Lines Getting All the Freight
They Can Handle With Dispa'ch-Earn-
ings of Four Linss-Trsffic Notes.

gentleman who is we'll informed as re-
CARDS the affairs of the Pennsylvania COM
pany says that the management Is sbout
20 adopt new policy in the selection and
promotion Of men to be superintendents.
In the past they have been promoted al
most entirely from the position OF engineers
OF maintenance OF way, but the business of
Its various lines has increased so largely
that the company finds men of this kind
are unable TO cope successfully with the
immense increase in business and that it
needs men well up in transportation mat
tiers for such positions. The transfer of c.
III. Walton TO the importsnt Chicago di-
vision is . move in the above direction.
He was formerly chief train dispatcher on
the Pittsburg, Fort WAYNE 81 Chicago
division at Fort Wayne and an unusually
competent dispatcher. An impression ex-
lists that further changes In this direction
are under contempla and that here
after positions will be filled by the pro-
noting of men from their respective de-
partmsnts rather than, as has been the
case In the past, selecting superintendents
from among the engineers OF maintenance
Of way.
Freight Traffic Up To the Average.
The local freight agents say the most
gratifying feature of business is that the
car stringency which was SO important .
factor IN the fall, winter and early spring
months has TO q great extent passed of.
and that unanimous howl which the local
and fast freight line agents heard for
many months owing to the scarcity OF
cars. has ceased, showing that shippers
are now well taken care of, and general
freight agents can now safely visit In
dlanapolis. While this may indicate q de-
crease IN freight traffic as compared with
the great rush between July ], 1892. and
a pril /, 1898. the roads are still handllng
all the freight they can move with dis
patch. and the overworked clerks can
have temporary roller.
The train records shows that there were
eighty more loaded cars received and for
warded last week than in the week ending
April %. but In com parison with the cor
responding weeks of 1882. 1881 and 1880.
there is shown decrease this year of. re-
spectively, 143, GO and 693 loaded cars
East bbund through continues light. and
but little grain IL movinG Export ousi-
ness is light but an improvemont is looked
for this month, unless 1t proves an excep-
tion 20 former years. the shipments of corn
and oats USUALLY largely inoreasingin May.
West bound the tonnage is well mp TO that
or former years, consideraole percentage
of it being lower-class freights. There has
been so much rain in this sec tion the last
few days that a sharp falling off IN local
traffic might be ex pected. but such has not
been the case. About the city freight de-
pots and city yards the greatest activity is
noticeable and any depicting in tonnage
shown is wholly with through business.
Below is given the number OF cars re-
ceived and forwarded at this point for the
week ending April 20. as compared with
the corresponding weeks of tho preceding
two years: