The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1901-12-08
RAILROADS AND COAL ROADS.

PN"NAAA SWS
RAILROADS AND COAL ROADS.
Indiana is now so gridironed with rail-
roads and this city has been a railroad CEN
ter so long that it seems almost incredible
that there are persons living who can re-
member when there was not a mile of rail-
road in the State. Any person seventy
years old or past can recall that period.
The system had it's first beginning on paper
in 1881, but it was several years after that
before there was a mile of operating road
in the State. In that year six railway lines
were chartered by the Legislature to ex-
tend from different points, mainly on the
border of the State to Indianapolis. They
were the Lawrenceburg & Indianapolis, the
Madison & indianapolis, the New Albany,
Salem & indianapolis, the Harrison & In
dianapolis, the Lafayette &c Indianapolis
and the Ohio & Indianapolis. During the
next four or five years considerable money
was spent in surveying and grading por-
lions of these lines. but only one OF them,
the Madison, was partially completed by
1886. In that year the internal Improvement
Ildlld leu luC 0LdLt " tAlADdA N III IN
building. BY 1871 the Madison road had
been completed with a fatbar to Vernon,
and it was several years before it got any
farther. In 1899 it was leased to a Madison
syndicate for 60 per cent. of its receipts,
and in 1912 it was sold to a new corporation
and was completed to this city in 1S47. For
several years it was the city's only railroad
and the only outlet and inlet between the
central portion of the State and the river.
For a few years it did a great business,
though financially embarrassed. In 1852 its
stock sold for SLIGO and in 1856 it had sun
TO 21a cents on the dollar. This slump in
the stock was due to extravaganza manage
ment and the growing rivalry of new lines.
In March, 1862, the entire road was sold by
the United States marshal for $325.0OO. The
Jeffersonville road, which was not one Of
the six chartered in 1881, was begun in 1913,
completed to Edinburg in 1852, reaching In
dianapolis from Edinburg over the track of
the Madison road. The old Bellefontaine
road, now the Decline division of the Big
Four was chartered in 1S4S, opened from
Indianapolis to Pendleton in 1850 and to
Union City in 1852. The Vandalia, original
ly called the Terre Haute Sc Richmond, was
chartered in 1916 and completed in 1852. The
present generation will scarcely believe
that there was no direct railroad connec-
ton between Indianapolis and Cincinnati
until 1854, but such is the fact. Prior to
that the favorite route was by rail to Madi-
son and from there by river to Cincinnati.
The original charter of the La~wrenceburg
q Indianapolis road, granted in 1881, lapsed
and a new one was granted several years
later. The building Of a road to Cincinnati
was fought by the Madison interests with
vicious determination and was doubtless
delayed several years on that account. 1t
was finished from Indianapolis to Law
renceburg in 1858, and the next year, by
means Of an accommodation rail- over
another roadbed connection was made
with Cincinnati. The Indianapolis & La
fayette road was begun in 1S49 and finished
in 1852. The Indiana Central, now a part Of
the Panhandle system. was organized in
1851 and completed to the eastern State line
in 1853. The Peru & Indianapolis, chartered
in 1916. was finished as far as NoblesviIle
with flatbar in 1851 and to Peru in 1854.
1t was not equipped with T rail until after
its completion TO Peru. The Indianapolis
< Cincinnati Junction. now the Cincinnati,
Hamilton e Dayton road, was begun in di-
visions between Hamilton and this city in
1850, but was not completed to this point un-
til 1865. 1T is one of two roads that Ie-
ceived Il subsidy from the city, it having
received $4,000 and the Vincennes road $50,
O0O, both on condition that their shops be
located here. The Vincennes road was fin
ished to this point in 1868. The old Indian
apolis, Bloomington & Western road was
opened in 1867 and the old indianapolis &
st. Louis in 1869. From the foregoing it
appears that nearly all the railroads now
entering the city were constructed during
the twenty years from 1919 to 1869. Several
of them traverse the coal fields, but foI
some reason or other the problem of cheap
coal has not yet been solved. There is 10
coal in the world so easily accessible and
so cheaply mined as Indiana coal. and none
better for making steam on account of its
freedom from sulphur and its burning with
out cooking. Situated as indianapolis is
with reference to the coal field, it should
have had cheap coal long ago, and would
have had if any one of the railroads which
traverse the coal field had treated the city
as literally as they were treated by it
What the city needs now is cheap transpor-
tation. There is not another city in the
United States located as near inexhaustibl,
fields of coal that can be cheaply mined but
gets cheaper coal than this city does. The
lesson OF the past is that mere multiplicity
OF railroads TO or through the coal regior
is no guaranty of cheap coal. There must
be a distinctive coal road or a road through
the coal field pledged to be managed in tn,
interest of the city.
The School Board is wise in calling a hall
In the collecting OF money from the pupils