The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1895-04-05
WILL TRY ONCE MORE
WESTERN RAILWAYS TO TAKE up a
HOPELESS TASK AGAIN.
VIII Make Another Effort to Put
Their Passenger Agreement Into
Efect-Rntcs DemoraIixed.

weeks absolutely nothing has beer done
and as rates in some portions of the as
ISOLATION territory are becoming demor-
allied * is necessity to have the ASSOC
citation In working order. lit is possible
that If the Western lines do not get to-
gether in a short time the transcontinental
lines may call meeting to consider the
ACCESSIBILITY of forming an association OF
their own, which shall be entirely inde-
pendent of the Western lines. No steps to-
ward organizing such association has been
taken or are any likely to be taken in
the immediate future. But the disposition
of the transcontinental lines to form an
association will prod the Western lines
into action The main obstacle confronting
the Western lines at present is the squab-
BILE between the Alton and the Wabash
roads over the East st. Louis rate 1t is
likely that a meeting of the Western lines
no action is taken then the transcontinen.
tai lines may try their hands at forming an
dissatisfaction expressed over the condi-
tfon OF the passenger rates between Chi
cago and the Missouri river Much de-
moralizatlon IS said to exist at Kansas City
and there is bitter feeling all around among
the lines interested. 1t Is. predicted freely
that II the Western lines do not form their
association and the transcontinental lines
form theirs that an open war in rates be-
tween the Missouri river and Chicago viii
result. The situation is bad now and viii
soon be much worse if the Western as
ISOLATION Is not speedily put upon it's feet.
A Railway for the Florida Keys.
The Cuban complications have increased
the interest of the engineering department
of the United States navy in the plan to
extend the Jacksonville, ST. Augustine &
Indian railway along the Florida Keys to
Key West. 1t is pointed out that this will
bring Havana within fifteen hours by sea
from the end Of the railroad instead Of thir-
ty hours, as at present, and will vastly in
crease the Importance of the island both
for naval and military purposes The rail-
road is now not far from the beginning of
the chain of islets that stretch from the
southeast corner Of the peninsula two hum
dred miles in southwesterly direction.
These islets are from one to four or five
miles Long and are of good breadth. For
the most part the water between them is
SO shallow that man can easily wade from
one to the other. Here and there are deep
and narrow channels, but there is nothing
that presents any. serious engineering diff
hculty AT first 1t is probable that the
railway will be built on trestles, but the
work OF filling in around the latter will
be begun Immediately in order to protect
the piles from the ravages of the teredo
as the enbankment is COMP Completed in any any
place the wash of the sea will heap up sand
against it and that the string of islands
peninsula. There are no heavy waves to
destroy. the work which is screened from
the Atlantic by the Bahama islands. The
gulf stream flows along the southeast of
the islands and throws up sediment on each
side side in its passage s It Is largely due to
existence and it is steadily adding to them.
When this road is completed it will be
entirely by land in a little over two days.
Passengers for Cuba, or who are going
through Nicaraguan canal, when that is
+o1 infr CT Of Kaxy
West, thus saving four days sea voyage
in the North Atlantic and escaping prac-
York and G i At present there is NO
place along the southeast Florida coast
whers large s freb e We Kew g Wes ha
an excellent harbOr. The strategic inn
portance of the islands and the railroad
will become much greater should the Mic
araguan canal be built.
st. Louis Bridge Companies scored.
Senator Campbell, chairman of the Illi-
nois legislative committee to investigate
the charges against the st. Louis bridge
and terminal companies, was interviewed
at Springfield yesterday regarding the
scope of the proposed inquiry. He said:
1.-The whole question of the combination to
extort money from Illinois shippers will
be gone into. We will also investigate the
assessment of these companies in this
State. We understand the trust is paying
on an assessment of less than one-twen-
tieth of the value of its property The
Senator further declared that the extor-
lions levied on St. Louis have done more
than any one thing to injure the business
of southern Illinois. st. Louis. is the
natural source for the business of southern
n ana ever fa mach tas on southern
Illinois. AT the same time 1t is injuring
Ct. Louis There = much che. complaint i the
pers who are compelled to pay 80 cents per
ton for carrying the. product across the
nato yer e worse
than the Whisky Trust Every time an
attempt has been made to regulate 1t it's at,
torneyS and lobbyists have come here and
declared we had no right to do anything.
They claim to be operating under the inter-
give them right to do business in viola
ton of the laws of Illinois. Neither does
1t give them the right to operate a trust
tween them and the tax collector. The
have considerable property in
business in a legal manner on the Illinois
half OF the bridge. When we do this 1t is
safe TO say the people of Missouri viii see
the same thing done in their state"
The Trouble I'm Rate Matters.
H. c. Parker, traffic manager of the
Lake Erie & Western, says the demoraliza-
ton in freight rates is due to Congress
falling to pass the bill to legalize pooling.
He says railway managers nau Deen ce-
pending on such law to straighten out
rate matters and help them bridge over
the hard times; now they have become
respondent, and each of the lines is grab
bling for all freight in sight and fixing the
rate after the freight has been secured.
The Lake Erie & Western had been more
than many of the lines. for
past had good business from it's
local stations, and the earnings per ton
per mile freight had been carried at show
that the company had received paying
rates for the business carried. He chal-
lenges any other road Mn this territory to
show as large earnings per mile per ton
as can the l.. f. az w.
PanhandIe's Annual Report.
The directors of the Pittsburg, Cincin-
natl, Chicago & st. Louis Railway Com
pany, better known as the Panhandle. met
IN Philadelphia yesterday and approved the
annual report. The report shows: Gross
earnings, S14 247, $50, decrease of 81, 502 952;
gross expenses, SO, 76S $50 decrease of ST.
49, iii met earnings. -. AS, 1856, decrease of
S233 SAL The annual meeting of the stock
holders will be held next Tuesday.
A Railway Agents Club.
Pittsburg Is about to have one of the
largest and most influential social organi-
cations composed of railroad men of any
sai Iuav center I'm me country. both pas