The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1896-10-07
READY FOR THE WINTER
TRACKS IN CONDITION FOR HAULING
AN INCREASED TRAFFIC.
The Future of the Monon--The Time
Between Louisville and Chicago to
Be Still Further Shortened.

bSt"een
BE still Further Shortened.
The chief engineer of one of the largest
system of roads in this section states that
the roads will enter the winter in much
better physical condition than in any form
er year. Notwithstanding the fact that not
much money has been expended in i'm
provements to roadbeds in either tHe
year 1894 and 1895. So much money was
expended on roadbeds in these years by
the AIonon, the Big Four, the Pennsylvania
lines, the Cincinnati, Hamilton & Dayton
and the Lake Erie & Western that the or
binary work on tracks the present year
has gone much further than usual. The
season has been so favorable, and al
though there has been considerable rain it
has been SO distributed over the summer
and the fall months that the beds have not
suffered. In making improvements special
attention has been given to waterways.
The VandaIia track through the American
bottoms, where for years the company
have much trouble from high waters, is
now four feet above the high-water- mark.
The indianapolis & Vincennes, which a few
years ago suffered a good deal whenever
there was heavy rain, will henceforth
De exempt from trouble on tndt. score.
Most of the Indiana, Ohio and Illinois lines
have replaced wooden bridges with sub
stantial iron structures. so that but little
need be done in that way the present year.
Some new steel has been laid but not more
than 50 per cent. much as in either 1894
or 1895. In ballasting with gravel more has
been dore this year than usual, from the
fact that business was light it was.
good opportunity to carry on such work,
and, comparatively speaking, it is not an
expensive part of maintaining roadbeds.
Traffic had not been so heavy the past
spring and summer, and thus far this fall,
in many former years, and the track
has not been pounded by ponderous freight
engines to the extent of some years, con-
sequently the section men have beenf able
to keep the tracks in line.
Prince HiIkoff's visit.
t'There is the only new country in the
world to-day and its trade may be Amer
ica's for. the seeking, said Major j. G.
Pangborn, who reached San Francisco
yesterday to receive Prince Hilkoff Rus
sian Minister of Railways, as he placed his
hand over that portion of the map of Asia,
on which is shown Mongolia, western
Manchuria and eastern Siberia. Major
Pangborn left ST. Petersburg to arrange for
the visit of the Russian minister, who
comes to America to inspect the railway
system, at the express command of his
royal master. Prince Hilkoff calls himself
something of a Yankee and looks it, too.
Unlike the average minister, he has trav-
ersed the entire realm, travelling the 1900
mis- from the present terminus OF the great
tranSSiberian railroad to NiadVostock that
he might know personally just what kind
of a country is eastern Siberia. His tour
of this country will occupy his time to Nov.
4, when he sails for home by the ST. Louis
from New York. Friday, in company with
Vice President Crocker and General Man
ager Kruttschnitt, of the Southern Pacific
road, i'll special train, he will visit Sac
ramento, inspecting the Solano en- route.
The night viii be spent at Sacramento and
the shops visited. The special will then so
to Ogden, where President jeffrey, of the
Denver & Rio Grande. will join the party.
Marshall pass and Colorado Springs. At
Pueblo President Ripley and Traffic Man
ager White, of the Sante Fe, will take the
party, escorting the Prince through the Ar
kansas valley and the Topeka shops. At
train of two private cars and an observa-
ton car will be taken and St. Louis and
Chicago visited.
Personal, Local and General Notes.
It is denied that A. J. Smith, general
passenger agent of the Lake Shore, will re-
sign on Jan. l.
p B; Martin. general passenger agent
of the Big -Four. was in the city yesterday,
going to Chicago in the afternoon.
T.
Cincinnati Hamilton & Dayton, has gone
to New York, to be absent several days.
w. A. Woford, in charge of the Big Four
shops at Bellefontane, formerly at the
shops in Wabash, has resigned on account
of i'll health.
The Wabash fast mail train on Monday
ran from East St. Louis to Decatur, H.,
10 miles in rs minutes, time taken for two
stops to be deducted.
The friendly manner the Lake Erie &
Western and Wabash are working together
is exciting comment For some years the
relations have been somewhat strained.
The general health of Harry Fuller. gen.
eral passenger agent of the Chesapeake q
Ohio, is now better than at any time in
many years, but he is still obliged to use
crutches -
The new train which the Cincinnati,
Hamilton & Dayton is to fit up to run be
to the train recently put on by the Monon,
is to be square vestibuled.
The Wabash for some time past has been
money in rebuilding and. repairing its
bridges, not only on the main line, but on
its less important divisions.
The present understanding is that the
Cincinnati Freight Bureau will, on the first
of the year, pass out of existence. as eff
forts to continue it after that date have
not met with the encouragement antici-
pated.
A. j. oReilly, commercial agent at In
dianapoiis, has been appointed general
ton over all matters pertaining to the
operating department at indianapolis in
addition to his present duties.
An official of one of the Indianapolis sys-
tens was asked yesterday why certain con-
ductors We're recently discharged He an
swered that for that information one must
go to the auditors of the roads as they
were the directing power in that matter.
There has been a wholesale discharge of
conductors on the Houston & Texas Cen
trail in the last ten days. men who had
been in the comDanys service twenty
years or more being dropped. The officials
decline to give the reason for their dis
miSsal.
The question of who is to succeed r. j.
English as trainmaster on the Cincinnati
and Sandusky divisions of the Big Four is
still unsettled. J. c. Carney, general yard
master of the Big Four at Springfield, has
been offered a position by William Gibson,
who left the Big Four 10 go to the Balti-
more & Ohio.
Passenger officials state that the passen-
ger receipts from the county aud State
fairs the past fall have been disappointing.
in but few cases exceeding so per cent of
what they usually amount to, and this has
shown more in the earnings than one who
has not investigated the matter would
think.
]. S. Leahy has been appointed general
Southern agent of the c., H. & D.. with
headquarters at Cincinnati, in charge of
business originating in Cincinnati. south of
the Ohio river and east of tire Mississippi
river: j. r. McGreaor. travelling passenger
agent Perry Griffin, Northwestern passen-
l. - VI