The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1902-02-08
ALL RECORDS SURPASSED
PHENOMENAL EARNINGS OF THE BIG
-FOUR LINES FOR JANUARY.
Comments on on the Wander
biIt Lines-Severe Weather on
the indianapolis Railways.

The Big Four lines proper earned in the
fourth week Of January $5O6, 5000, an in
crease over the corresponding week of 1901
of $50, 470.45. The total earnings of jan
uary were 81, 429, SCI. %, an increase over jan
uary, 1901, of SIS, 800. 70. making the best
earnings Of any January in the roads his
tory, and this in spite of much unfavorable
weather and trouble TO furnish cars.
The Peoria & Eastern earned the fourth
week of January SCI, 1906, a decrease as
compared with the corresponding week of
1901 Of $5,S66. 81; for January the line earned
SOP, 721.2S, a decrease of $~16.S94.21 as COM
pared with January. 1901. Had the com
pany been able to furnish cars the earnings
would have been large beyond precedent.
Changes on the Vanderbilt Lines.
Those well informed concerning the af-
fairs of the Vanderbilt lines express the
opinion that ]. X. Russell, superintendent
of the Toledo division, will be selected gen.
eral superintendent, vice A. II. Smith,
transferred to the New York Central. Fur
Their changes are looked for on the Wander
bilt lines. So far as President w. H. New
man is concerned, the Vanderbilt people
speak of him as being the strongest man
than has ever been president of the Cen
trail, and the same officials say they hold
Z. j. general traffic manager OF
the Lake Shore, in the highest esteem. One
goes so far as to say that before the
changes are completed Mr.. Grammar will
be vice president and general traffic man
ager of all Vanderbilt lines, the Big Four
excepted. In speaking of Mr.. Blodgett re-
turning to the Lake Shore as it's general
manager, the Cleveland Leader quotes him
as saying: Your little old New York may
be all right, but give me Cleveland. 1t is
my home, my friends are there and L have
been lonely since / came here a year ago..
Mr.. Newman knew that Mr.. Blodgett
wanted to come to Cleveland, from which
his family has never moved. He also knew
that w. G. Brown was exactly the man for
the new post. since he has done everything
there Is TO be done on a railroad, in an OPP
Grating way, and has done il we'll. He
came TO Cleveland from the Burlington and
had previously filled some or the most re-
sponsible operating positions upon II. Mr..
Brown was decided upon, therefore, for the
New York post and Mr.. Blodgett was sent
back to Cleveland. This latter decision
had another phase to it also. A. II. Smith
was supposed to be In line for the work
here, but Mr.. Smith is only ten months off
of a division, and, therefore, hardly sea-
soned enough as yet to take up such a post
as general manager of the Lake Shore. He
is, however, exactly the man for the New
York Central, especially since he can have
for his immediate superior the schooled
veteran which Mr.. Brown is. Mr.. Smith is
looked upon as one of the coming railroad
lights of the country, and while the eleva-
ton to the New York Central was a stun
ming surprise to some of the railroad men,
his length of service In the Lake Shore post
being considered, they nevertheless express
confidence in his future. Mr.. Smith has
been twenty-seven years on the Lake Shore
and until ten years ago was no higher on
the ladder than bridge carpenter. 1t was
then, however, that he began to show some
of the things he had learned under John
Newell, w. III. Canniff and others, and he
soon branched out into one of the best divi-
sion men the Lake Shore ever had.