The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-05-10
PRESIDENT MAsoN,s REPORT.
Review of the History of the Com
pany md Its L~itigation.

Along with his resignation MIR. Mason
submitted an annual report in which he re-
views the history of the company under his
management, and the litigation in which
it has been engaged. He says:
LAS the writer is about to retire from the
presidency and board of directors of the
Citizens Street-railroad Company, q brief
outline of the events of the past four years
in the affairs of the company is herewith
submitted:
in the ownership of the stock of this COM
pany, and on that day a new board of di-
rectors was chosen, consisting of II. Sellers
Mckee and M: A. Werner, of P~1ttsburg;- X.
w. Clay, of Philadelphia, and w. l.. Elder,
Henry Jameson, w. j. Holiday and A. l..
Mason, of Indianapolis. The board organ
lied by electing the writer as president.
A that time the company had but four
of it's lines operated by electricity; the re-
mainder, and by far the larger part OF the
property. was operated by mule power, the
mpa having more than one thousand
mules. No electric car had at that time
ever been seen on the south side or the city,
nor on the west side, embracing tWo-th1rds
Of the population. Crown Hill Cemetery,
the fair grounds and Irvington were
reached by electric cars, but the insane
Hospital and stock yards, H~auShYllle and
Brightwood, Garfield Park and West In
dianapolis, were all reached only with small
mule cars, containing fare boXes, aVlng
no conductors and travelling slowly over IN
ferior track.
work of giving Indianapolis first-class cleo
trio street-railroad service. A new power
station was built en- the banks Of White
river. supplied with powerful condenSlnS
engines; single track roads were rebuilt in
large part into first-class double-track lines.
Important extensions were made on Pros
pect, Shelby, Union, South, MERIDIAN, East
and West Washington and Blake streets
and Columbia and Clifford avenues. Wlthln
two and one-half years the, entire system
was electrified and supplied with modern
vestibuIe motor cars. The old and unSatlS-
factory electrical car equipment, previously
owned by the company, was ~ndo ano
replaced with new and powerful motors,
and the service throughout the city bFouSht
to a point of efficiency which, While not
claimed to be perfect; nevertneaaeTSgs ay Go fn-
ciIities of any city the size of indianapolis.
DETAILS OF MANAGEMENT.
"Another important change was made In
the transfer system. Previously passengers
had been permitted to transfer between
many of the lines without charge by pass
ing into a small transfer car located In
the middle of Washington street. This
transfer car was abolished and instead
there was adopted a free transfer ticket,
which permitted transfers between all lines
at every junction point in the city without
extra charge. AS this increased the trans
fer points from one 10 nearly thirty, there
was, of course, a corresponding increase In
the number of free transfers. Besides this
the transfer privilege was enlarged so as TO
include even the suburban lines, with the
exception only of the fair ground ana falr-
view Park lines on Sundays.
1T is not too much TO say that during
this period of construction an enormous
work was developed upon the management
of the company. The laying out OF every
new line, the planning OF every piece OF
special work, the designing of cars, location
OF power station, construction of feeder
lines. strengthening bridges, in short, the
whole work of reconstruction received the
constant and unremitting attention IN all
it's details, not only of the writer, but large
w of the executive committee from the
Board of directors. At the same time econ
omy of operation has by no means been lost
ecutive committee, for years received a
copy of the pay roll each week and per-
sonaIly checked off the names and suggest
ed constantly most important economies.
The writer failed not to consider the most
minute details of the expense account.
successful superintendency OF Mr.. Miller
Elliott, there have been introduced many
improvements and economies. Such mat
ters as substituting pressed steel Tor bronze
pinions. cut-steel gears IN the place of NAL
leable and cast-iron gears, malleable gear
axles in the place of steel. the Aest system
and materials for car painting ana NarnlSh-
ing, the best and cheapest engine oils and
motor greaSes, economy In boiler repairs,
the Improvement of track joints and q
thousand similar things have been carefully
upon after thorough investigation by the
president.
Under Mr.. Elliott's superintendency OF
the last year there has been a continued
Improvement in the character and efficiency
| n loyalty of the men in the company