The Indianapolis journal., 1896-02-18
WORRY FOR SCALPERS
THE DOING AWAY WITH THE MILE
AGE BOOKS A SERIOUS BLOW.
Light business Out of st. Louis-Busi-
ness Of the Michigan Division OF
the Big Four Surprise.

Nothing has come UP since / have been
in the ticket-scalping business said one of
the fraternity yesterday, which has dis
turbed me more than RMS proposition of
the board of managers OF the Joint Traffic
Association and that OF the Central Traffic
Association committee to stop the sale Of
interchangeable mileage books. fear it is
a stepping-stone to abolishing the mileage
book altogether, which would mean that the
scalpers must go out of business. No law
has yet been passed which has proven
strong enough TO drive the scalper out OF
business, but doing away with the mileage
book would strike the scalper in his most
vital place, as other kinds OF tickets are so
limited that there is room for the scalper
TO operate TO advantage. We might exist
were the interchangeable mileage book done
away with. but IL would require good deal
more capital 10 run our business we
would have TO carry mileage of every road
separately, while now most of the mileage
books cover from twelve 10 thirty roads, and
1t does not take long to use up part or all
of a book. Partly used interchangeable mile
age books are those most handle. This
new departure of the railroad authorities
should convince the most skeptical that the
down TO a legitimate method of doing busi-
ness, and one which the most skilled of the
ticket scalpers cannot overcome"
Ludicrous Vail from Chicago.
Here is a characteristics wall from Chi
cago. a place where freight rates are cut
more frequently and deeper than i'm any
other city in the West. The wall. which
was scattered broadcast by the Associated
Press last night. follows: Traffic of the
roads east-bound from Chicago fell off con-
siderably last week The rate-cutting
which is going on all around Chicago is
diverting great deal Of business from this
gateway. The inelasticity of the joint
traffic agreement is charged with the re-
sponsibility. Roads here are bound hand
and foot and are without means of pro-
tecttng their business until il suits the con-
venience of the board of control TO come to
their relief. Outside roads do just as they
please, and at present are playing the part
OF freebooters on the traffic OF their COM
petitors: Last weeks shipments aggre-
gated tl,O9O tons, compared with S0,OS9 tons
| for the previous week and 49, 73S tons for
the corresponding week lact year. Last
weeks shipments were divided up among
the competing roads. in tons, as follows:
Michigan Central. 6.501: Wabash 5,36s; Lake
Shore, 1883; Fort Wayne. S.0l6; Panhandle,
| .,oS4; Baltimore & Ohio. I, ,s65; Nickle- plate,
| 6lSs; Erie IL. AS: Big Four. 2022. Through
shipments of grain, flour and provisions
| from Chicago and functional points TO the
seaboard amounted to 6s.s57 tons, against
| S2,SS9 tons for the previous week and ~, 500
| tons for the corresponding week last year.
| The percentage of this through traffic car
| ried by each of the competing roads was as
| follows: Baltimore & Ohio, 93; Big Four,
| rs; Erie, 49,: Grand Trunk, 102: Lake
| Shore, I3; Michigan Central. 12.7; Nickel
| Plate, 105; Panhandle, g.; Fort Wayne, S.4;
| Wabash, e.
The Big Four's North and south Line.
Railroad men are predicting that the Big
| Four line from Louisville to Benton Harbor
| will eventually become that company's most
| profitable line The business of the road,
| under the present unfavorable circum-
| stances. is doing at Louisville is a surprise
| to the officials OF the company and to its
] competitors. the Pennsylvania feeling the
| inroads on its business more than does the
/ Monon. Benton Harbor, eight months OF
| the year. is an important shipping point.
lumber and grain being shipped south in
| large quantities over the Michigan division
| At all the important points on. the line in
| northern Indiana business is increasing as
/ the manufacturing interests revive and ev-
| erything points to a heavy spring. summer
/ and fall traffic in freight. As a passenger
| line between Benton Harbor and Anderson
| IL now stands among the best on the system
/ OF the Big Four. while between Anderson
/ and Louisville its business is steadily i'm
/ proving. Taken as whole. say railroad
| men, President ingalls, made one OF his best
| moves when he secured control OF the Gin
| cinnati, Wabash & Michigan.