The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-12-30

WdDdSH VIII. dILeT TFCFINIIIR
testing the new engines already under con-
tract award contracts for twenty or twen-
ty-five more in the next few months, select
ing from the type of engine and build which
gives the most satisfactory results when
tested
The new depot of the Big Four at Cloves
was opened for business yesterday and the
new one at Augusta will be completed In
a couple of weeks These depots cost re-
spectivey. 1920 and $1,000. and neat,
attractive buildings for stations of their
Importance.
The Lake Shore announced on Tuesday
that it would purchase one thousand new
coal cars for use on it's Ashtabula branch.
IT is stated that the Lake Shore will not
be injured as much in its coal traffic as the
Pennsylvania line through the hhiding of
the Pittsburg, Bessemer & Lake Erie road.
The City Council of Richmond two
months ago passed an ordinance requiring
the Pennsylvania Company 10 place electric
lights at all grade crossings in that city.
The company has given the order no atten-
ton. and the city now threatens to bring
legal proceedings to enforce the ordinance.
Within the last few months many engi-
neers and firemen of roads in the Central
Traffic Association territory have resigned
batch of these men returns, having got all
they want of railroading in that country,
and they are dropping into their old places
as opportunity offers.
attracting attention by its handsome earn
ings. the gross earnings since July l being
$l06S47 in excess of those of the CORE
spending period last year. Railroad men
who have looked into the matter state that
at no time in years has the road been bet
ter managed than now.
The Pullman people state that their out
look for business at their car works is very
promising for next year Within the last
ten days orders for over four thousand
cars have been placed with the company
in addition to the large orders recently re-
ceived from the Baltimore & Ohio and the
Baltimore az Ohio Southwestern.
The Pennsylvania Company has con-
structed series of extensive coal bins at
Bushrod. Ind. in which it is storing inn
mense quantities of coal. so that it need
have no trouble as to fuel should there be
another strike of miners. The Chicago d
Eastern Illinois is taking similar precau-
tons at the mining stations on its lines.
The Big Four has just posted orders along
its line, and at all junction points by which
on and after Jan. l all firemen, rear brake
men, yard foremen and switchmen will be
required to have regulation watches, the
same as the conductors and engineers. Inc
order includes all men In the train service.
Most Of them will be compelled to get new
watches.
The Burlington road is suffering great in
convenience from grain blockade at 81.
Louis. So many of its cars are tied up at
that point that it has sent instructions to
all of its agents not to accept any more
grain consigned to that city until the block
AIDE is raised and it has secured control of
a portion of the eight hundred cars which
it now has locked up there.
On Jan. l the Atlantic Coast line will
add TO its system an important line by Sc
curing the Charleston & Western Carolina
Railroad. Control of this line has just been.
obtained by "A deal made with the owners
General Samuel Thomas and Mr.. Thomas
Il. Ryan, of New York-by which the At
lantic Coast line buys the entire capital
stock of the Charleston az Western Caro-
lima.
railroad and warehouse commissioners of
Illinois for the year show that the revenue
of the roads from earnings amounted to
%63l60A. The net earnings per mile were
$2.262. The operating expenses Of all roads
i'm the State were $50 245,339; the expendi-
fxed charges 20 49, f4 Total earnings and
income of all roads in the State. $Sl 1OS 1913;
total income. less running expenses through
Illinois, 1921 ,231 1876
The effort made by the Western roads to
do away with the homeseekers excursions
has failed. Advices received by Chairman
Caldwell yesterday show that the resolution
offered at the recent meeting in st. Louis
and adopted there subject to the vote of
absent lines has been lost. Immediately on
road gave notice that it would run home
seekers excursions. two each month. in
January, February, March and April. Other
roads will follow its example.
The figures compiled by the Railroad Ga
zette show that the new railroad built in
the United States in the year 1897 amounted
to about 1888 miles. These figures are part
ly estimated and are subject to small correc-
ton The new railroad built in the year 1896
was l. 1897 miles, and in the year 1895 1922.
California built more miles of railroad than
any other State in the Union in the year
lust closed, namely, 1SS miles. and the lar
gest amount built by any one railroad was
269.5 by the Kansas City, PittsburS ~ 'iulf-
Official circulars received yesterday an
nounce that the Central Traffic Association
has decided that it will not be necessary
for purchasers of interchangeable 1C00-mle
books to sign them III the presence of an
agent; instead they may be signed in any
place convenient to the purchaser Thus
business man can send his clerk for a book
and sign it in his office. AS changes are
now being made the travelling statesmen will
soon have no ground on which to base OPP
position to the interchangeable mileage
ticket.
on Tuesday the Panhandle's second track
was opened for business between Skellys
and Miller and the road now has an UNI
broken double track from Pittsburg to
point eleven miles west of Denison-104
miles. The new track is laid with rail
weighing eighty-five, pounds to the yard
ready to carry the heaviest traffic In build
ing the track between Skelly's and Miller
three long tunnels had to be widened, stone
arches built over number of streams and
many rock cuts widened to make room for
the second track.
Within a few days one of the greatest
legal battles which has ever been brought
to trial in Cleveland will commence be be
fore the Court of Common Pleas there. The
case is that of the city of. Cleveland against
the Lake Shore. the Big Four. the Penn
sylvania and the Cleveland & Pittsburg
Railroad companies and involves the title
to millions of dollars worth of property
on the lake front. The railroad tracks orig
inally ran along close to the waters edge.
but for years the companies have been hil-
ing in the lake until large tracts of land
have been created This ground is now
claimed by the city
The agreement of the Eastern roads to
maintain freight rates from Chicago to the
Atlantic seaboard after the first of the
year will be observed by few of the lines.
There are contracts now in existence that
call for the transportation of freight at
rates lower than those that the roads have
agreed to maintain and so many OF the
roads are fearful that their competitors will
not keep to the agreement that II is alto
gether likely that none of them will
observe it. There have been instances late
ly. where the, Western roads have maze ase
offers to the Eastern roads to handle freight
to be delivered in Chicago on condition that
they will carry 1t at rates under those
called for bv the agreement of the Joint
Traffic Association.
Frank Reed, general passenger agent of
the Monon lines, was in the city yesterday
looking up the new ticket-office question,
as the Monon and the Cincinnati. Hamilton
81 Dayton must in a few months vacate
their present rooms. At present there seems
but one opportunity to secure room for
years ON either of the squares between Ill-
nois and Pennsylvania streets on Washing
ton that would be desirable for their Of
fees and that is the room now occupied
by the American Tailoring Company in the
companies now have an option. Mr.. Reed
states that their passenger business has
been very satisfactory of late every week,
with but one exception since July |, show
ing an increase over corresponding weeks
of 1896 this too, when the sale of mileage
fr tan oh cd in