The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-12-13
AN INCREASE in TONNAGE
LOADED-CAR MOVEMENT LAST
WEEK EXCEEDED $1,000 CARS.
The Belt Road Doing the Largest Bus
mess i'm It's History-GeneraI and
Personal Railway News.

The train records show that in the week
ending Dec. ii a total of 1880 cars were
received and forwarded at Indianapolis, 81
80 being loaded. an increase over the week
ending Dec. 4 of 551 loaded cars; over the
corresponding week of 1896 an increase of o.
69l, and over the corresponding week Of 1895
Of 1913 loaded cars. The Big Four lines
proper, the Pennsylvania and the Vandalia
are all doing an unusually heavy business,
east-bound especially, the east-bound II owe
ment of loaded cars now being fully 80 per
cent. heavier than the west-bound tonnage.
Eastward shipments of grain have again set
in heavily, the shipments of flour have in
creased somewhat, and with this about an
average volume of shipments of live stock,
dressed meats, hides and lumber is going
forward. One of the striking conditions is
the heavy east-bound business the Vandalia
and the st. Louis division of the Big Four
are doing the bulk of the business is grain,
cotton and transcontinental line freights,
with quite sprinkling of tobacco. Freight
men incline to the belief that the present
routing of transcontinental line freight over
the midland lines, which was the outcome
of quarantine on some of the Southern
transportation lines, has come to stay,
it has been demonstrated that much letter
West-bound business while heavier than at
the corresponding period last year, is not
proportionally heavy with that Of the east
bound traffic. The tendency to higher
prices of sugars, molasses and lsyrups
has made the tonnage of these arti-
cles heavier than usual at this season
of the year. More anthracite coal and
coke is being handled than in the fall of
1896, and double the quantity of Ohio and
Virginia coal is being transported by the
roads of Indiana than there was at the COR
responding period last year. North-and-
south roads continue to do a heavy bust
ness. Shipments of grain and provisions to
the Southern States are large, and in all d
rectons there is good deal of iron struc-
tural work, bridge and machinery being de-
1yered. and the quantity of railway sup
plies the large number of new cars and
locomotives which weekly pass over the
Belt road exciteS comment 1t seeming more
like the good times of the early ninetieS,
when business with steel mills, car and loo
omotive works was at its best. Another inn
portant item of traffic is the unprecedented
large shipments of furniture. Iranspor-
tation officials say it is impossible to fill
the calls for furniture cars, and this demand
is not confined to Indianapolis or Indiana,
but extends to points in Michigan and Ohio
touched by Indianapolis lines. A visit to the
city freight depots any afternoon viii read
lily convince the visitor that local business
is very active, and that indianapolis mer-
chants and manufacturers are reaching the
most prosperous times in their business ca
reer More men are employed than at any
former period at the city freight depots,
Notwithstanding the improved facilities for
handling freight, and the business on the
bulk loading and unloading tracks is at
maximum. Below is given the car move
ment for The week ending Dec. IL and for
the corresponding periods of 1895 and 1896: