The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-09-11
TRACKS IN GOOD SHAPE
THE ROADBEDs OF INDIANA RAIL-
WAYS AT A HIGH STANDARD.
Report of President Ashley OF the Wa
bash-OhiO River Association
strengthening Its Lines.

Thomas Morris, assistant chief engineer
of the Big Four lines, says: I'm my many
years of service in building railways and
keeping them in repair, am satisfied there
was never a time in the history of Indiana
and Illinois roads that the roadbeds were
in as good condition for heavy traffic as at
present. Roads which were not solvent and
able to make renewals to keep pace with
the railroad world have gone into the hands
of receivers, as in the case with the Monon,
the Toledo, ST. Louis & Kansas City and
the Louisville, Evansville & st. Louis, and
the receivers have been furnished through
the courts with ample funds to bring such
roads up to the present high standard, and
row but few miles, comparatively speaking,
are inferior roadbeds. The Big -Four, the
Pennsylvania, the Nickel-plate, the Lake
Shore, much of the Lake Erie & Western
system, the Cincinnati, Hamilton & Day
ton and the Wabash are up to the best
standard. Indiana has 6,279 miles of main
track, and SO per cent. of it is
laid with steel rail. Seventy-fve per
cent. of the roads have in the last
three years replaced wooden bridges
with iron structures resting on stone abut-
ments instead of on piling, and about the
crly thing Indiana roads are derelict in is
their depots at way stations. Improve
ments in that direction have been very
slow; some Of the roads are, however,
building more modern depots, but still there
must seemingly be created pride on the
part OF agents to have the depots kept
cleanly and the grounds surrounding them
rade attractive with grass plots flower
beds, etc. These things will come in time"
When the traveller rides over the Pennsyl-
wanna road east of Pittsburg and notices to
what an extent this making stations ap-
pear inviting and clearly is carried he will
appreciate this criticism.
"A gratifying feature" said William Gar
stang, superintendent of motive power Of
the Big Four, lis that the equipment has
Kept pace with the improvement in road
beds, and If anything, has kept a little
ahead. | believe that inspection would
show that, taking the same number Of
miles of road as Indiana possesses and COM
pairing its equipment wi h that on like mile
age in any other part Of the country the
Indiana lines, and more especially the Indi-
annapolis lines would stand much above the
average. No finer locomotives or elegant,
cleanly cars are seen in any part of the
country than those of the Monon, the Gin
cinnau, Hamilton & Dayton, the Vandalia,
the Pennsylvania lines, the Big Four and
the Indiana, Decatur & Western. The Lake
Erie & Western passenger equipment is al
ways clean and we'll cared for, but it's loco
motives were handed down to it by the
Indianapolis, Peru a. Chicago road and
have a more ancient look than those of
other lines, but the engines do the work re-
quired on that road very satisfactorily, so
that, taken as a whole, the roads of In
diana need not take a second place with
those of any other State in the condition of
the roadbeds or their equipment.
Annual Report of the wabash.
President Ashley, of the Wabash, has
made public his annual report for the year
ending June 80. Comparisons made with
the year previous show: Gross earnings,
81, 526, 1877, decrease Of $1,2SO 1855; net earn
ings, $3,547,6 2S, a decrease Of $169O9 oper-
ating expenses $7,979, 159, a decrease of
s, 1853, 445 net surplus after the payment of
all charges. $2s 232. The trainioad was 212.S7
tons, a gain of 1888 tons in the year, and
the largest in the companys history.
The annual report of Wabash for the
year ended June 80 shows that the COM
pany earned during the year all it's abso-
lutely fixed charges and was at the end Of
the year in excellent physical condition.
General Manager Ramsey succeeded in Sc
curing what must be looked upon as rather
a remarkable result for a year of depres-
sion.
The company was able as a result of his
EFFORTS to reduce operating expenses to an
extent quite commensurate with the de-
cline in gross earnings, and this was done
without in any way impairing the COM
panyS condition.
To secure an increase of almost twenty
tons in the trainload in year when there
was a large decrease in the tons carried
can be adequately appreciated only by
railroad men, AS bearing upon this point,
attention may be called to the fact that
best managed roads in the West, the fall
ing off in gross business prevented the
management from increasing the train
load at all.
The policy of Wabash directors, we un-
derstand, calls for liberal expenditures on
%ErAA
out of the increase in earnings that is
confidently expected. The theory is to make
the property first-class road in all re-
spects, so that it can compete on equal
terms with all other roads in that section.
The indications are that there will be con-
siderable growth IN earnings this year. and
beginning can be made with these ex-
penditures.
Business Heavy, but Rates Shaky.
The Chicago, Milwaukee & st. Paul road
is trying to borrow 5000 cars from some
of the Southern roads to allow 1t to handle
all of the traffic that is offered it. Unless
it is able to get the cars it will have to lose
considerable business. At the present time
it is using all the cars available, and is
unable to keep up with the demand for cars
from all points on its line. The situation
IS becoming very serious not only with the
St Paul but with the Northwestern, the
Burlington, the Rock Island, the Atchison
and all of the other Western and North
western roads. They are simply unable to
handle all of the traffic that is offered them.
All of the roads report that not only are
they deluged with the amount of grain
traffic but that west bound merchandise is
offered them in great volume, doing away
with the necessity for the handling Of
empties on the return trip
Notwithstanding the amount of traffic in
sight for the Western roads is the greatest
that they have had in a number of years,
dition far from stable. There is no appar-
ent necessity for the cutting of rates, but
they are being cut. The larger lines say
that it is the work of the smaller roads
which are anxious to get their share of
the business. and are fearful that they will
be barred out of it unless they cut rates.
Not many of the large roads are going
under the agreed tariffs, for they have all
the business they can handle at the higher
prices, but for all that the rate situation is
pronounced by several of the leading traf-
fie officials to be in a shalky condition. 1t is
likely. that q meeting of the Western
Freight Committee will be called in short
time to consider the matter.
Annual Report of the c., c., G. & st. l..
The annual report of the Cleveland Gin
c;nnati, Chicago & St. Louis Railway for
the year ending June 80 shows gross earn
ings $13111111 operating expenses, includ-
ing taxes, 50 S64 664 net earnings, SO, 252, 447;
interest and rentals, s., $50, 1926; balance to
credit Of income, $36S, 521. The freight car
ried shows a decrease of AZ per cent. the
tons CARED one mile, decrease of about
/ per cent. Notwithstanding the duh bust