The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-01-03
THE RAILWAYS IN 1897
LINES SHOW A HANDSOME INCREASE
IN BUSINESS OVER 1896.
Both Freight and Passengers Traffic
Make Favorable Exhibits-A Bad
Year for Ticket Scalpers.

The following exhibits, which are gath
cred from the official train records Of the
fifteen lines centering at indianapolis, show
that in the year 1897 there were received
and forwarded at this point total of 1,279,-
019 cars. ], 007, 120 haing loaded. This was an
increase in the total movement over 1896
of S0973 cars, and an increase in loaded car
movement of $685. cars. The lodded car
movement the first six months of .he year
was GA, 1854 cars, the last half of the year
664 055 cars, showing that the business in
the last half Of the year was 50,O91 cars in
excess of the movement the first six months.
1t will be noticed, by referring to the gen.
eral statement that in but one year has the
loaded car movement at Indianapolis been
exceeded, that in 1892; but it is questioned
If in that year the tonnage was as heavy
as in 1897, as fully % per cent. of the cars
now in service are $4,000 pounds capacity,
and in the last year, on number of roads,
a new system of loading cars has been in
practice by which each car carries on an
average a per cent, larger tonnage The
heaviest months business in 1897 was Sep
tember December coming next. The light
est months business was in January. For
the first time for thirteen consecutive weeks
the average loaded car movement exceeded
10000 cars. The first half of the year the
volume of traffic was disappointing, but it
improved with each month after July. A re-
view of the business of 1897 shows an in
crease, east-bound, in export freignts of
corn and corn products; also, an increase
in provisions and live stock for export, and
in shipments of grain via Baltimore, New
port News and Norfolk. In the shipments
of dressed meats East there was an average
tonnage, Indianapolis proper making the
heaviest shipments in the history of the To-
cal packing houses, and the last few weeks
the roads have handled fully rs per cent.
more cotton for seaboard points. The ship
ments of produce were not as heavy as in
1896, neither have been the shipments of live
stock 10 Middle and New England States
markets, this having been offset by the
heavy shipments of dressed meats. A
freight official who has given the :natter
much attention states that the shipments
of higher classed freights West, such as dry
goods and millinery were fully 80 per cent.
heavier than i'm 1895 and really the heaviest
of any year since 1892. In the shipments of
lower classed freights, such as sugars and
other heavy groceries, they exceeded those
of either OF the last five years. Beginning
with midsummer the shipments of iron
structural work, coal and coke. WeSt-bOund,
began to increase, and in October, November
and December fully equaled those of either
OF the last five years. The Improvement or
freight traffic set in with the beginning of
the movement of the wheat crop. little
later the old corn crop begun to move in
large quantities, and at no time since Sept.
have indianapolis lines been able to fur
niSh cars required to move the business
promptly. Coming to business locally the
improvement the last half of the year was
very marked the wholesale houses on South
Meridian and Pennsylvania streets, e5pe-
cially the grocers, making the heaviest ship
ments in the career of our wholesale houses.
hacking houses few
months, made remarkable strides in extend
ing their markets, and coupled with this
mess in their history. Street Improvements
have required large quantities of brick, as
phalt, stone, and large mileage Of new
water and gas pipe has been handled. Best
OF all, the manufacturing industries mere
within the last few months have been neaVy
shippers. While not as heavy, probably, as
in 1892, they have exceeded in tonnage either
of the years since. The Big Four proper the
Pennsylvania lines and the Vandalia ham
died a larger tonnage than in either of The
last five years, and in December the largest
tonnage in their history. The Cincinnati,
Hamilton & Dayton. the Monon, the indian
apolis, Decatur d Western the Lake Erie
& Western all did more business than in
1896; but the largest increase is shown with
the three first roads named. The Peoria &
Eastern barely held its own, which was
due more to a scarcity of cars than to IA
lack of business. The last half of 1897 more
business was done at the local city freight
depots than in any year since 1892. The old
time complement of men were employed nd
working overtime has not been an uncom-
mon thing. There is one feature which is
worthy of notice-the increase in shipments
of COAL the result of an insufficient supply
of natural gas and largely increased de-
mand for fuel on the part of manufacturers
The shipments of furniture have exceeded
those of any fall in the history of manufac-
turers Railway managers are much graft
fed with the results of the years business,
more especially the last six months, in
which the tonnage reached such a large
volume. Below is given the loaded car
movement IT16iqnannliG mr. or a
year 1897 and that of the corresponding
months for four nrecedinc vears.