The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1901-11-18
WHAT THE SOUTHERN RAILROAD
CAN DO FOR Is.

The construction Of the Indiana Southern
Railroad now depends entirely upon the
consent of the City Council to enter the
city. When such authority shall have been
given construction will begin Immediately.
The men behind the enterprise are resi-
dents Of this city and the country through
which the road will run. To those who
raise the objection that the men seeking
the franchise are getting it to sell to other
corporations the Journal can say that it
has the positive assurances of the pro-
moters of the enterprise that they will
certainly build the road. and build it with
home capital. The opposition which has
been trumped up to oppose the granting Of
the right of way can congratulate itself
that it occupies the novel position of being
the first in a city to oppose the construc-
ton Of a new channel to bring business to
the city.
Most intelligent people nave come to the
conclusion that the days of natural gas
as a sufficient fuel for domestic purposes
are ended, and hat the time has come
when indianapolis and other towns must
AOCA ~ SCHAN CNAtA oC0ACC - SARIAS I'M
only source now is coal, and if coal must
be relied upon for fuel this city and vicin-
ity cannot have too many openings in the
way of railroads to the best coal fields in
the State. For eighty miles the proposed
Southern Railroad will run through the
best coal fields in Indiana, which now can
not be directly reached by any other rail-
road. This coal is held in measures fifteen
feet In thickness, and the state geologist
declares it even a better coal than the
Jackson, which is now the best soft coal
in use for domestic purposes. The Jackson
retails at 81 and $3.50 a ton. Conservative
men who have made stimate of the cost
of mining and shipment assert that the
equal or better coal of the region through
which the proposed road will run can be
sold at a good profit at 81 per ton. Even
if sold at a dollar a ton less than present
prices 1t means a saving of many dollars
to every family In Indianapolis and vicin-
ity. In any event such a direct road to
the coal fields must be a great advantage
to all the people of the city.
When manufacturers come to Indianapo-
lis to examine sites for factories they are
pleased with the railroad facilities and the
adaptation of the territory about the city
for the construction of factories, but when
they ask about the important item of fuel
no special advantage can be offered. A
few days ago a manufacturer in this city
was offered as an inducement a lower rate
OF 20 cents for the shipment of coal in a
town on the Midland Railroad farther from
the coal fields than is indianapolis. To
grow as a manufacturing city, giving
larger employment and enhancing the value
OF property, Indianapolis must be able TO
offer as cheap fuel as any competing point.
Another railroad, running through the
heart of the coal region, will help to make
this condition.
The Southern Railroad will run direct
from indianapolis through a country in
which there is no railroad. 1t Will pass
through the Bedford stone quarries and
into the best wooded country in the State
for the manufacture of furniture. 1t will
open up a new trade for Indianapolis which
is now diverted to st. Louis. Louisville and
other cities because this city has no direct
communication with Brown, Lawrence,
Orange, Martin, Dubois, Spencer and other
counties. The wonder is hat a road which
opens such a country and can do so much
for the residents and industries Of Indian
apolis and vicinity was not built long ago.
Now that responsible men purpose to build
this road without costing the people OF
the city a dollar, TO refuse them permits
sion to build their road into the city would
be very much like announcing to the world
that Indianapolis proposes to build a wall
around its corporate limits to prevent its
further growth.