The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1896-10-02

last year 70 new switches. 1f7 new frogs
and us new switehstands were put in. This
includes those put in at Indianapolis and
LAFAYETTE. New turn tables were put in at
Monon and Switz City.
There is much speculation among freight
officials as TO what course the Joint Traf-
fc Association Will take concerning the re-
fusaI of the Lake Shore to participate with
connections West in the corn rate based
on Is cents. Chicago to New York. Some
take the ground that under the Joint Traf-
fc Association eme the Lake Shore
will be compelled TO be a party to the re-
duced rate.
The six months that the Louisville, New
Albany & Chicago has been doing business
at Indianapolis in its own depot and on It's
own tracks has demonstrated the wisdom
of the company securing independent ter
minal facilities. The saving in rentals for
merly paid, it is stated, has exceeded the
cost of operating the yards and doing It's
work at the city freight depot and the IN
terest on the cost of the Improvement
C. F. DAILY. general passenger agent of
the Lake Erie & Western, expresses the
opinion that the roads running to Canton
VIII in the last three weeks of this month
have all the business they can handle. He
bases this statement on the inquiries as to
be furnished. Arrangements have already
been made for twenty trains of ten coaches
each TO carry an Illinois delegation to Can
ton Oct. Fl, and other excursions, equally
large, are now being arrange for.
Oct. l brought. several of the passenger
men connected with the Southern lines IN
TO the feld LOOKING Tor traVel SOutn the
coming fall and winter months. One of
the number stated yesterday that they ex-
pected a good deal of business in the way
OF colonies moving to southern points. Wo
of the important Southern systems Will To-
cate representatives at Indianapolis for the
fall and winter. The Georgia q Alabama
company has, in the last eighteen months,
expended $500, 600 in Strengthening curves
and improving its track.
The presidents of the Western roads do
not seem to be making any progress in
their plans OF providing for a successor TO
the Western Freight Association. "A ma
1ority of the presidents are at present In
favor of reviVing the old Union League
agreement, which provided for a physical
pool. To this some of the others object on
roads has ever been found to work in a
satisfactory manner. Every attempt TO
form a pool has resulted in the further
generalization of the rates it was desired
to protect, and the instances in which one
road has turned over to another any OF
its traffic are very scarce. However, the
pooling arrangement seems to be upper
most with the presidents at the present
time.
The C~hicago-St. Paul lines and the 500
are not making very good progress in their
conference relative to the rates east and
west-bound from ST. Paul, and the chances
are now that the meeting at Chicago will
result in nothing The point of difference
lies in what may be considered a fair per-
centage." This is what the West-Chicago
roads said they were willing to allow the
500, but the Soo's ideas of what consti-
tutes a fair percentage" are radically diff
ferent from those entertained by the other
parties to the controversy. The difference
is SO wide that there is a very small chance
of its being bridged over. The 500 also
asked that it be allowed a differential of
$3.50 from St. Paul to New York and all
New England points, and on this the Chi
cago-St. Paul lines have also baked. They
are very much opposed to having any more
differentials in their territory. and will
make a hard fight before they allow this
one.
In the first eight months of this year "a
per cent. of the export business from the
West was forwarded via New York, against
46 per cent. in the corresponding period of
1895: 10 per cent. via Boston. against IS per
cent. last year; { per cent. via Phtladel-
phia, against 8 per cent last year; 20 per
cent. via Baltimore. against II per cent.
last year; Is per cent. via Newport News,
against 8 per cent. last year. and 16 per
cent. via New Orleans and other Southern
ports, against9 per cent. last year. In COM
menting on the heavy grain movement at
the present time, the New York Journal of
Commerce says future engagements of
steamer room aggregate 1000, 900 bushels via
New York, covering all room for two
months ahead. 1t is not surprising that
an exhibit OF export business with the
large and free movement OF grain. It now
remains to be seen what portion or th2 ex-
port business would go by the Southern
ports under ordinary conditions.
Train dispatchers on the Pittsburg. Fort
Wayne & Chicago claim to have made the
heavy business of any dispatchers in the
country. During the time the worlds fair
WAS De1fS Teld IN chicago the pIe1lOEl6nd1
record of running twenty sections of one
passenger train west and eleven sections
east without a hitch was made, and on one
occasion ten sections of the limited ex-
press No. 5 were run to Chicago ten min
utes apart on a fast schedule, and all the
trains arrived on time, the first section
having made up enough time to permit the
folowing sections to adhere closely to
schedule requirements. Last week the men
on the eastern division distinguished them
selves again by running eleven sections of
ten cars each from Canton to Pittsburg ten.
minutes apart without the necessity of
blocking one of them between Canton and
Allegheny. This certainly speaks well for
the efficiency of the operators and dis
patchers, and shows hat the transporta-
ton department has a most excellent Or
ganization all along the road. 1t also
speaks well for the engine and train crews.
because without the cooperation of the
engineers and good motive power such a
record could not have been made. The
block system and double tracks of the Fort
Wayne enable express trains to follow
each other at a speed of sixty miles an
hour with perfect safety.