The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1902-09-17
Edward Hawkins Says He Has Sc
cured Franchise of &
sheIbyviIIe Projected Branch.
AGAINST TowNsEND-REED co
ISTERURBAN MEN OPPOsI-
TIOx TO THE BUILDERS.
byviIle Line VIII BE Built
at Once.

sheIbyvilIe seems to be the storm center
of the interurban atmosphere at present.
Following quickly on reports of the sale of
the road at absurd figures comes the an
nouncement Of Edward Hawkins that he
and Harry 3. Smith. of Hartford City. and
Eastern capitalists had purchased OF j. T.
Polk. Of Greenwood. and Eugene C.. Rob-
inson. OF Rock Lane, their controlling in
terest in the projected branch of the
Greenwood line TO Shelbyville, and that the
purchase means a competitive line to Shell
byville by way of Greenwood. This an
nouncement was soon followed by the state
ment OF George Townsend. of Townsend.
Reed & Co.. that IL was certain the Shelby
Vile & Southeastern will go through to Gin
cinnati.
Edward Hawkins said last night that he
and Mr.. Smith and several Eastern men
had purchased the right of way and fran
chises OF the Greenwood 81 Sheibyville
branch and that they would at once reor-
ganize the company, let contracts for con-
struction and advance the building of the
line as rapidly as possible. This branch"
said Mr.. Hawkins, was projected by Mr..
Polk, Mr.. Robinson and others, and proba-
bly, $4,000 has been spent in the work of
wi AAo aAtA oAeNAAo 6OOhN W ANAA~o Va
the route The company was impeded. how
ever. by the failure of a contractor and
suffered other Instructions until the affairs
of the road became stagnant. About two
months ago I was asked TO investigate the
project with a view to purchase. I have
found that the line Is a practical one and
IL will be built. Mr.. Polk and Mr.. Robin
son Will still have minority interests. The
line passes through a well-settled, rich
agricultural country and the people are en-
thusiastic for Ii. BOgsstown citizens have
assured a subsidy from private sources as
soon as it is constructed. besides this we
have a freight agreement with the Big
Four which will enable us to receive and
transfer freight at Shelbyyille. By the pur-
chase we receive the contract for forty-nine
years between the Greenwood & Shelbyville
line and the Indianapolis, Greenwood &
Franklin line, by which our cars may reach
indianapolis over the Greenwood Com
pany's tracks. Because of this We will call
our line the indianapolis, Greenwood &
Shelbyville and will enter into competition
with the other interurban line.
THE PROJECTED LINE.
The projected line from Greenwood to
Shelbyville is nineteen miles long and If
built will be three and one-half miles long
er than the one now in operation. Its
principal towns are Rock Lane and Boggs-
town. Its right of way is entirely over
private ground. 1t was the original idea
of Polk, J. 1. Irwin and others to make
the Shel5yville branch and the Columbus
branch of the Greenwood line arms of a
big system TO be operated from a central
power plant at Greenwood. The Polk
interests, however, became involved in a
receivership and this somewhat impeded
the project Not much was heard OF the
project until the announcement of Mr..
Hawkins that he had financed the enter
prise and that the road would be built.
The company has no franchise rights I'm
ShelbyvIle nor indianapolis, but Mr.. Haw-
kins says the new company will immediat-
ly ask both.
Townsend, Reed & Company are in con-
troll OF the Shelbyville & Southeastern.
When told last night of the announcement
of Mr., HAWKINS, both Mr.: Reed and Mr.;
have had two experiences with parallel
lines" said Mr.. Townsend, land IN both
instances we built our road. At Omaha
similar enterprises, but they did not scare
us We are now threatened with another
In connection with our Lebanon, Frankfort
* Lafayette line, but we are hard at work
building our hnes-making grades and pre-
pairing for the complete fulfillment of our
contract. We have built the Shelbyville
line and 1t is in operation. While l cannot
positively say so tonight, 1 am absolutely
certain that this line will be extended to
Cincinnati. We are building, not talking
A COUNTER MOVE.
Interurban men who were talked to about
the new road announced nv Mr.. Hawkins
said they thought they saw n it a coun-
ter move against the Town.. Reed in
terests in their Lafayette line. Haw-
kins. they said. was associated some
of those interested in the Indianapolis &
Lafayette Rapid Railway Company, which
now has a franchise pending before the
indianapolis Council. There has been a
rumor for some time that this contract
was likely TO be withdrawn by the Board
OF Public Works, as it was believed i'm
probable that the road would be built.
Harry b. smith. who is associated with
Ar: ha~Klns, Is associated with the Muir
railway property, and the line from Rich
mond to Dublin, which connects with the
indianapolis, Greenfield x Eastern. There
has been no suggestion that the Murdocks
are interested I'm the Hawkins Shelbyville
enterprise or that they have any consid-
cradle interest In the Lafayette Rapid
rivalry between the two Lafayette lines.
but the Townsend-Reed interests seem
cessful Ii is understood that the TOW
send-Reed interests have now about $3.50
600 invested in the line TO Lebanon and
Lafayette and that they expect to have
It completed i'm a year. Work on the grades
has beer going on for months.
There is also a supposition hat Big Four
interests are friendly to any fnterurban
enterprise that will impede the extension
OF the Shelbyville * Southeastern. as that
line IS projected parallel with the Big
Four 10 Cincinnati.
Reports as 10 the pending negotiations
with reference TO the Shelbyville & South
eastern line are regarded as exaggerated.
II Is understood that two offers for the
purchase OF the road have been rejected. A
third IS now before the directors and may
be acted on this week. IL is not regarded
as a direct purchase so much as a consoli-
dalton scheme. by which the entire line
from this city TO Cincinnati will be financed.
This Will mean extensions from both ends
OF the line. The Shelbyville line will likely
go TO Greensburs, eighteen miles south OF
ShelDyV1lle, and extensions of the Cincin-
natl, Lawreneeburg x Aurora line will be
made TO connect IL.