The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-08-28
RAILROAD PROSPERITY
PRESIDENT INGALLS, TALKS OF THE
PRESENT AND FUTURE,
Opposition to the Brown System of
gines Makes a Fine Record.

DtscfplIne-One of the MOnOn's En-
gines Makes Fine Record.
NJ. E. ingalls,, president of the Big -Four
and the Chesapeake e. Ohio roads, was in
the city last night, and will this morning
leave for st. Louis. He travels in his pri-
vate car, and is accompanied by his SON
Albert ingalls,, J. @. Van Wrinkle, general
superintendent and William Garstang, SUI
perintendent of motive power. Before re-
turning the party will go over the Cairo di-
vision. In speaking of business, Mr.. ingalls,
said Prosperity is right at hand. Our
lines are having all the business they can
handle, and 1 think that other roads are
just as prosperous; at least 1 should judge
so from their earning exhibits. 1 can see no
reason why the present conditions should
not continue for some time to come. Rates
on most classes Of freight were well main
tanned, though on some the tariff is too
lew, but if all lines will maintain the tariff
rates the roads will have more prosperity
than they have had for some years"
Speaking of lengthening the time Of the
Knickerbocker express and the White spe-
cial, Mr.. ingalls, said he should make no
change in the Knickerbocker, but if their
competitors felt too sore he might lengthen
the time of the White special half an hour.
When he put these trains on he notified the
Panhandle the Vandalia, the Monon and
the Cincinnati, Hamilton q Dayton some
weeks in advance that he proposed to put
on such train, the time had come
when the service between Cincinnati and
Chicago and between Cincinnati and st.
Louis and st. Louis and Cleveland should
be faster. Business men demanded it, and
he put the trains on and now he proposed
to keep them on. He hoped the Big F'our's
competitors would be able to meet the
time. So far as the Big Four lines were
concerned their earnings had reached near
the high-tide figures.
A dispatch from Chicago says: "a great
deal Of local sympathy is being manifested
for the Monon in its fight against the Big
-FOUR ana the PennSylNa1lla Tor d length
ing of the passenger train schedule between
Chicago and Cincinnati. Since the with
drawal of the Monon line from the inter-
changeabe mileage ticket agreement it de-
VelopS that the Big -Four and the PennSyI-
yania agreed with the Monon, months ago,
to lengthen the Chicago Cincinnati time on
Sept /, the date the Interchangeable ticket
viii become effective. AS the MonOn Will
be the only Chicago-Cincinnau line that
will be out of the interchangeable ticket
compact it will be forced to do something
in the way of rate reductions to buck
against the strong inducement of inter-
changeable mileage tickets offered by the
other lines.
Laying Dust with Crude Oil.
The Pennsylvania Railroad Company IN
tends to sprinkle crude oil on various parts
of its system so as to prevent the rising
of dust, which has been a source of COM
plant to all managers Of railroads for a
number of years. Early in the season the
company began experimenting with the
splinkling of oil on the roadbed and on
each side of the track on the West Jer-
sey Railroad From the start the plan has
proved success, and it has been found
that on the roadbeds which are composed
of gravel, it will keep down the dust as
well as turn off the water The success
the experiment has met with on the West
Jersey and Seashore Railroad has led the
officers of the Pennsylvania road to try it
last few days the oil tank sprinkling cars
have been doing work on the Delaware
division. This line is very dusty owing to
the sandy soil. The company is now giving
about twenty miles of this road 4 sprink-
ling Of oil and the roadbed from Dover to
a point near Pennington has received it's
first dose 1t is said that the road as far
as it has been laid, is almost entirely de-
void OF dust The company is also having
the roadbed between Baltimore and WASH
ington similarly treated
The Brown System of Discipline.
Railroad employees on roads which have
adopted the Brown system of discipline or
modification of that system are quietly
getting ready to take organized action
against it. This information comes from
four of the Oldest enginemen on one Of the
Western roads which recently adopted the
Brown system of discipline. They say that
the system smacks too much of paternalism
and has too much of the atmosphere of the
schoolrOom around ii to suit employees. The
Brown system of discipline is based on merit
ana demerlt marks, which stand to the
credit or dlScredlt of the employee, and
which are counted for him or against him
in the matter of promotion. The locomo-
tive engineers said that in spite of the
safeguards thrown around the matter of
marking, 1t was possible for a superin-
tendent, master mechanic, master car
builder or section boss to manipulate the
marks so that an efficient employee will
have dement, marks when he should have
merit marks. The question of the Brown
system of discipline, and other systems
similar to it, will be taken up by the traV-
cling engineers when they meet in Chicago,
Sept. IA. One of the subjects for discussion
will be THE Brown System of Discipline"
A Lack of Consistency.
Said an observing passenger official yes
terday: Il see the Monon assigns as a rea-
son for not carrying out it's agreement in
relation to the new mileage book that the
Big -Four refuses to lengthen the time of
certain trains, making common time by all
lines between indianapolis and Chicago.
This, it seems to me, does not consist with
certain statements which have been made
as emanating from MonOn officials, to the
effect that when present improvements to
track are completed the Monon would
shorten the running time between Indian
apoliS and Chicago one-half hour and that
the management is in earnest is shown in
the fact that the company has just pur-
chased two of the most powerful and fast
est engines yet built.
Cut Rates to Chicago.
The Nickel-plate and Fort Wayne roads
are engaged in a lively rate war between
Valparaiso, Ind, and Chicago, which prom
Uses to give Valparaiso people cheap rides
for some time. A dispatch from Valparaiso
last night says: To-day the Fort Wayne
Company had boys parading the streets
with banners advertising a 50-cent rate to
Chicago tomorrow. v H. Wendt. agent
of the Nickel-plate, had the city band pa
rading the streets advertising the same
rate for three days to Chicago and by boat
to Milwaukee for $3.50 for the round trip
from here. The regular fare TO Chicago is
1925. One thousand people are expected to
go to Chicago"
The MonOn's Fast Run.
Engine III, one of the Monons new