The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1900-06-11
THOUSANDS VISIT PARKS
CAPACITY OF THE sTREET-RAIL-
WAY COMPANY TAXED ALL DAY.
Crowded Excursion Trains Run to the
City from Towns In and Out
of the State.

"fIe is at the park this afternoon" vas
the reply given to thousands of inquiries
made in this city yesterday. To have gone
on hunt for friend would have been
like trying to find real lemon juice in circus
lemonade for the attendance at all of
the parks yesterday was the largest of
not only this season, but for several years
excepting an extraordinary occasion. The
street-car company, of course, derived the
greatest benefit resulting from the desire
of the thousands Of people for Sunday
outing.
Fairview was the most heavily patron
ICED, while Armstrong, Garfield and the
German Lutheran parks came in for
large share Of the patronage OF the city
folk and the thousands Of visitors to In
diana's state capital yesterday. Street-car
officials admitted last night that the re-
ceipts for Sunday were larger than on
any previous Sunday in the history of the
company. and, with the exception of a few
occasions like big attractions at the State
fair, broke all other records The exact
figures Of the number Of people hauled dur
ing the day could not be estimated accu-
rately last night, but it was said that over
100000 fares were collected during the day.
service every available car fit for use and
some were disgrace when compared with
the new summer cars. Trailers and even
motors of the vintage of several years ago
were brought out of the barns and forced
into service on the lines on which the
traffic was the heaviest On the Illinois
street line, the best patronized as 1t is
the direct route to Fairview Park, cars
were run that were taken of the regular
lines Of the CITY, The company pressed
into service about $50 cars during the day
The power was good and, considering the
immense patronage. the service was fair.
The record-breaking Sunday traffic was
caused by the influx of thousands of ex-
cursionists to the city. Cheap excursions
were run into Indianapolis from Cincinnati,
Union City, Wabash. Belefontaine, o.,
Seymour Sheldon. ILL.,. Terre Haute,
on the l.. e. & w. road. besides the inter
mediate points on the other lines. From
10 O'Clock in the morning until late In the
evening the Union Station was crowded
| with the visitors, and it is estimated that
about 1000 people visited here yesterday.
The greatest majority of these visitors took
cars for the parks as soon as they arrived
While a few visited the monument and
others did not leave the Union Station for
fear of losing themselves. The heavy
street car traffic began as early as 9
o'clock. and from IL o'clock until late In
the afternoon Illinois street was lined with
| a struggling mass of humanity gradually
vending Its way toward the Union Sta
ton. where the people would board cars for
the parks as soon as they made the turn.
Many peculiar and ludicrous sights were
witnessed by the residents of Illinois street
who sat on their porches watching the long
line OF cars that passed during the after
noon. Every car was crowded TO its utmost
capacity. there being no space for the Gus
| tomary room for one more" People who
| tried to catch cars north of Washington
GQ int or,1
PEELED TO follow the example of others and
go TO the Union Station to take their
chances I'm the immense throng. Women
and young girls were forced, or rather
their desire to get TO- the parks compelled
them, to take equal chances with the men,
end they were seen standing on the run
ming boards, their skirts of variegated hues
futtering in the breezes. They stood I'D
with the motorman and on the rear plat
form with the cigarette dudes and pipe
smokers. but never complained, as they
were bent on pleasure, IL such a term
might be used, In taking such chances on
| more venturesome young women were even
seen standing on the railing back of the
rear platform.
After o'clock in the evening there was
a slight decrease in the traffic and a few
extra cars were taken OF the various lines
Conductors who had been on duty from
early In the morning looked like a young
wife who had just finished hanging out her
| first washing-they were troubled with
that tired feeling. One conductor used HIS
left hand TO ring UP the fares on every
occasion possible. for he said that during
| the day ne had collected over 1000 fares
He was a conductor on one OF the new
| cars that carried over one hundred passen-
gers on each trip to the park. Some of the
| smaller cars could only give room for about
| half that number. All told IL was a great
day for the street company, and the
receipts would I'LL the Golfers OF any cor
| poration.