The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1894-04-16
BIG PLAY BY INGALLS,
The Ride Given Depew Surprise
to the New Yorker.
Decrease i'm Tonnage Last Week Graf
flying in That Ii Was Mostly
East-BOund Business.

One Of the shrewdest moves NJ z. In
gals, president Of the Big -Four. ever made
was the taking of Chauncey VI. Depew and
Cornelius Vanderbilt over the Big Four
system both being large holders OF stock
and practically controlling the property
Mr.. Depew says the trip was a series Of
surprises. Neither Of these large owners
OF the property had ever seen much Of
the system: they knew II only by what
was shown on the map or items which
have appeared in the papers from time TO
time. His first surprise was to ride from
Cincinnati TO Kankakee over a track laid
with rail weighing eighty pounds TO the
yard at a speed Of seventy-five miles
hour. The new shops on Dillon street
and the forty-four-stall roundhouse and the
new shops at Bellefontaine and Lindale
were highly spoken Of, but in the way Of
buildings the two new freight depots at
Indianapolis were a genuine surprise. as
was the completeness of their arrange
ment. But the greatest surprise was the
Michigan division. which runs through the
gas belt region. Here they spent half
day visiting manufactures. and Mr.. De-
pew and Mr.. Vanderbilt expressed them
selves as being satisfied that the Boosting
OF great future for this portion of the
Big Four system was no idle tale. SO far
as this immediate territory is concerned,
fore had they rode over il or realized it's
Importance to indianapolis. The whole
Big Four system and of the great future
for It. Mr.. Depew, who is president of
the New York Central. says that notwith-
standing the so-called depressed times with
railways the Central will 90 along spending
money In improving its roadbed and equip
ment. He thinks the highest limit OF speed
are being laid, more care taken In the
construction of equipment, and every move
Hr.ONx ~a-rN tfF
speed for passenger trains. The New York
Central will do a good deal this year in
the way of permanent improvements. The
company now has five miles laid with steel
rails weighing one hundred pounds TO the
yard, and between Spuyten. Duyvil and
weight Is being laid. which will be eX-
tended TO Albany. The Central's passenger
tracks are laid with rail weighing eighty
tracks between Albany and Buffalo will
soon be laid with a rail OF that weight
about half the distance.
Freight Exhibit still Unsatisfa Glory.
The train records show that 5G5 fewer
loaded cars were received and forwarded at
Indianapolis in the week ending April IA
than in the week preceding, and LIE fewer
than in the corresponding week of 1893.
There Is one gratifying feature in this un-
favorable exhibit: the decrease is largely
In east-bound through business. 1t is no
tlcedDle tnat the shipments SaSt-DOund or
live stock, provisions and produce are up
10 the usual spring volume and the ship
ments Of -four and cerealne products COM
pare favorably with the corresponding per-
iod last year. but the shipments of grain
fall considerably below those of the corre-
spending period in 1893 This is readily ac-
counted for. During the period of democrat
lied eaSt-bound rates elevators and store
houses on Western lines which ship via
Indianapolis were cleared OF their surplus,
kets. lessening the demand. In addition to
this, the opening of navigation three weeks
earlier than usual has indirectly affected
the all-raN lines. The west-bound tonnage
on the higher class freights is well up with
that of last year; in fact, the shipments
through here for the West are in excess of
those OF the corresponding period in 1898
In the lower class freights the volume con-
tinueS disappointing. A Belt road official
states that there Is not one carload of iron
structural work. railway supplies, etc,
now passing over the Belt where there are
usually ten carloads; in years past seldom a
week elapsed that there were not a half
dozen new locomotives for Western lines
hauled over the Belt; now they will not
average one a week. Local business has
improved but is still 20 TO % per cent. be-
low that OF April, 1888. This decrease is
largely in shipments in and out OF Indian
apOliS OF building material and articles
used In street improvements. Below is
given the number of cars received and for
warded at this point for the week ending
April IL. as compared with the correspond
ing week OF two preceding years: