The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1901-11-10
Deeds VIII BE Filed To-Morrow show
ing the Possession OF Property
for n Private Line.
MEETING OF THE PROMOTERS
THE CITY WILL BE URGED To TAKE
ACTION AT ONCE.
officers of the Road Talk of Its Adj
Misunderstanding of the
Fuel Problem.

The question whether this city is to be
put into direct connection with the great
coal and limestone regions and timber
areas of southern and southwestern Indi-
ana is now up to" the local city govern
ment, and depends altogether upon the
granting or refusing of an entrance to the
city to the Indianapolis Southern Railway.
A meeting of promoters of the road was
held yesterday morning in the office of w.
E. Stevenson and another in the afternoon
in the office of Charles E. Barrett. and
after the second meeting the announce
ment was made that early tomorrow
morning deeds will be placed on record
showing the Indianapolis Southern to be in
full possession of ground enough to consti-
tute a right of way from the city limits
straight through to the Union Station. The
meetings were attended by Messrs. Steven
son, Parry and Barrett, officers of the road.
and several of the directors, including John
Z. McGettigan.
1--WE propose to go before the Board of
Public Works the first OF next week." said
Mr.. Parry, ''and ask permission to enter
the city with our road. If permission is
given us we will have construction gangs
at work within ten days building the line.
We hope and believe we can have cars in
operation within the next year. Certain it
is that we will push the road to completion
as rapidly as possible after we secure the
permission to enter indianapolis that We
require"
OVER OWN RIGHT OF WAY.
The officials of the road are still firm in
their determination not to agree to come
tn tho TTDiOn Station ovar another com
pany's tracks. THAT would simply mean
to let two turns of a rope be taken about
our necks, and when the other fellow
twisted we would have to stop breathing"
said one of the officials, significantly.
The amount of money invested by the
Indianapolis Southern in land within the
city limits over which il proposes to lay its
tracks to the depot could not be ascer-
tanned, but ii is known to be a considerable
sum-. This is taken to be ample refutatiOn
of statements that have been going the
rounds to the effect that the scheme was
only hot air or a project to force some
existing railroad company to buy of the
promoters of the new road.
The men who are prepared to build the
Indianapolis Southern have gone carefully
over its proposed route and are thoroughly
familiar with the immense natural re-
sources that will be literally laid at the
feet of Indianapolis when the road becomes
an assured fact.
The line will leave Indianapolis at a
point near where the Belt Railroad crosses
White river. in the southwestern portion
of the city, but on the east side Of the
river. and run almost due south through
the counties of Marion and Johnson to
the corner of the latter coun-
ty, whence it takes a turn into Morgan
county. touching M~organtown: thence it
runs almost directly south to Nashville, in
Brown county, giving that county the first
railroad in its entire history. From Nash
Vile the road goes southwest to Bedford,
taking in the great Oolitic limestone field,
admittedly the largest in the world. From
Bedford the line runs in a s~Outhwesterly
direction through the northwestern portion
of Orange county, where ii strikes the coal
field of that part of the State. Thence il
continues to the northeast corner of Du-
bOis county, running southwesterly
through that county and Spencer and War
rick counties, bringing up finally at Evans
Vile. All of the laSt-named counties are
in the coal territory. The road takes in the
city of Rockport and branches will be built
later to take in a still greater part of the
territory in southern Indiana that is prac-
tically virgin to railroads.
The promoters of the new road wonder
constantly that such a line was not built
long ago. One of them took down a wall
map of Indiana yesterday and drew a
pencil mark from indianapolis clear down
to JeffersOnville, in the southwestern part
of the State, and another mark from the
capital city clear through to Vincennes,
i'm the southwest. showing a vast territory
comprising more than twenty counties that
is absolutely without direct communication
with Indianapolis. The people in that
immense territory" he said, do not trade
with us. Isn't II about time they were
beginning?"
SOLUTION OF FUEL PROBLEM.
The point that the officials of the road
emphasize most, however, is that the In
dianapolis Southern. built and in operation,
means the satisfactory solution of the fuel
problem for Indianapolis, not merely for a
few years. but practically forever. They
point to the proved fact tina the road
runs for more than eighty miles through
one of the richest coal fields in the United
States. This coal is declared TO be as well
adapted for domestic uses as any that can
De obtained anywhere. 1t is equal to the
West Virginia coal, the railroad officials
declare, and the people of Indianapolis pay
81 per ton for the Eastern fuel, while the
coal from soutern Indiana can, ii is main
tanned, be brought to this city by the In
dianapolis Southern and sold here for one
half that price or even less.
why, the benefit secured to Indianapolis
by the discovery of natural gas fourteen
years ago" said Mr.. Parry, has not been
a circumstance to the advantage that will
accure from the building of the Indian
fuel indefinitely. Natural gas is disap-
pearing. Everybody knows that. So it is
certainly an opportune time TO make ar
engagements to meet the situation"
The officials of the new road talk less
about the building-stone territory that il
will reach than about the coal fields.
AHtN hlOM ina lit puOliC ullucISldHuS
thoroughly the value of Indiana oolitic
limestone. 1t may not, however. be gen.
rally known that the route of the Indian
polls Southern passes over thiuty-two
niles of this stone-quarry region of In
lana. Behring'S have been made by pro-
nOters OF the road in many places to deter
nine the thickness OF this building stone,
md at one point it was found forty-seven
'eet thick.
The more important points touched by
he Indianapolis Southern are the famous
Watering places-West Baden and French
lick. The line, as originally contemplated.
viii be leo miles in length. One of the men
principally interested in the project talked
generally yesterday of the territory TO be
reversed by the road. "A great many
people he said. Imagine that the terri
DRY traversed by the indianapolis South
srn is nothing but hills and hollows. that
he soil is not good for much and that the
region is thinly inhabited. AS a matter
of fact. the soil, almost as an entirety, is
excellent for agricultural purposes, and
that part of il which is not is admirably
adapted TO the raising of fruit. Take
Brown county, for instance. There is one
of the finest Embarrassing districts I'm the
country. AS to population. that territory
is the most thickly populated part of In
diana outside OF the gas belt. Then the
immense amout of timber that will be
reached by the road is worthy Of considera-
ton. IL car readily be seen that the com
pIetion or the road Is a matter that touches
not only the great mass of the people in
the capacity of users OF fuel. but il is of
Fital Importance TO the building interests
as Well"