The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-08-23

The Pennsylvania on Its Metal.

The Pennsylvania on Its Metal.
The encroachments which the Pittsburg
& Lake Erie and the Big Four made on
the Panhandle lines in Pittsburg territory
to secure the Young Peoples Christian
Union business have put the Pennsylvania
Company on it's mettle. and it will doubtless
allow the Panhandle to shorten it's time be-
tween Pittsburg and Indianapolis and take
other steps to protect its business. The
Pittsburg Post says: Although still re-
naming in a reticent mood, the officials of
the Pennsylvania and Pennsylvania lines
are gradually beginning to realize that they
have in the little Pittsburg & Lake Erie
branch of the Vanderbilt system a COM
pet1tor worthy of their steel. 1t was all
right for the Lake Erie to take the big
gest bite of the Cleveland business at one
fell swoop and at the same time scoop
in the best part of the Mahoning and
ShenanSo valley traffic but when they
began to beat the Panhandle out of the
legitimate traffic between this city ana
Indianapolis the question assumed a diff
ferent phase, and now IL is rumored that
the Pennsylvania people are about to in
augurate series OF changes and inn
provements which will be hard to match
by any indirect competing line. The
Panhandle ought to have a dead cinch on
Indianapolis, St Louis, Cincinnati and
els much will admit, because it is the one
direct route leading in almost a bee line
TO the southwest territory and it mas an
established reputation for reliability and
safety which ought 10 give 1t an inytnci-
bic prestige. But the trouble is that the
Panhandle management is so extremely
conservative that they ignore competl-
ton, greatly at their own expense, and
persist in running ten or twelve cars on
orders TO prevent speed, and the Lake Erie
and Big Four people have been cutting
down their trains and placing heavy, fast
engines on their respective lines, and al
though hanpered by additional mileage and
many annoying connections they have ac-
tually surprised the world by beating the
territory. But the results of this kind of
competition will only stir up the Pennsyl
vania people and henceforth they will be
right in the lead in everything pertaining
to advanced railroading.
Big Business at the Union Station.
Seldom is there a Sunday when so many
trains enter and leave the Union Station
as yesterday. Every train was crowded.
In addition to the regular service, which on
Sunday is eighty-four through trains, yes
terday forenoon eleven specials came in
on one-dollar-round-trip excursions, hauling
eighty-tive loaded coaches and four Sun
day excursions were sent out, hauling TWEEN
ty-nine coaches The Big -Four ran a one
dolar-round-trip excursion to Cincinnati
from here, carrying, as shown by the Official
statement 1909 eXCursiOnists, and late in
the afternoon the Grand Army OF the Re-
public trains from the West began to come
arriving at 4:30 over the Big Four. Up to
9 p. m four G. A. r. trains had arrived
| from the West EN- route to Buffalo.
BELT Road Traffic.
There were transferred over the Belt
road in the week ending Aug. q a total
of 17,13S cars, an increase over the week
ending Aug. IA Of 1.37S cars. Belt road en-
gnes handled at the stock yards 1,106 car
loads of live stock, forty-one more than in
/ fla.,r inc 4 Yapr
died for private industries on its line 667
loaded cars, thirty-nine more than in the
preceding week.
Personal, Local and General Notes.
Joseph Wood. fourth vice president of
| the Pennsylvania Company, has gone east
for a few days
Frederic Oakley has been appointed ticket
and freight agent of the Big Four at Fair
mount vice j. NJ. Grippe, resigned.
w. II, McDoel vice president and general
manager of the Chicago, Indianapolis 81
Louisville, has returned from New York.
On Friday the Panhandle had on its
Pittsburg division thirty-five through east
bound trains and twenty-five west-bound
| freights.
1t is stated that never before in the his
tory of the Baltimore q Ohio has its road
bed and equipment been in good con-
dition as at present.
"A. II. Thorpe, assistant general manager
of the Ohio River road, has rendered his
resignation 70 accept the position OF auditor
OF the Long Island road.
DR.. Seward Webb, of the Vanderbilt lines
is quoted as saying there is a strong prOba-
hity that the Fitchburg road viii he con-
solidated with the Delaware * Hudson.
The gross earnings of the Chicago In
dianapolis * Louisville for the second week
OF August were $ll0l5 In excess OF those
of the corresponding week OF 1856.
The gross earnings OF the Santa Fe
lines for July were $250000 ahead of those
of July. 1896, and August, the officials say,
viii show an even more gratifying exhibit.
The Big -Four earned in the second week
of August SZl0l7.I an increase over the
| hrst half OF the month the increase this
| year was $lS,ll5.3l.
Frankfort, Ind, Is becoming an impor-
tant division point on the Toledo ST. Louis