The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1903-09-24

show an increase of ss7.530 over those for
the corresponding month In 1902. The in
crease in gross earnings from Jan. TO Aug
81 was 81, 64S, 2S3: increase in operating ex-
penses for the same period $150S. 135, leaving
the net increase for the eight months $14O,-
14S
One William Boyle, who brought suit
against the Pere Marquette for damages
for an injury in the shape of a rupture
caused By falling from a car, has con-
fessed that he has already collected dam
ages amounting to $3.50 for the same in
jury from the Rock Island. the Houston
& Texas Central and the Michigan Cen
trail
A report TO the passenger department of
the Pennsylvania lines West says that in
the Offices of the Boston scalpers, lately ar
rested charges filed by General Agent
Fisher. of the Detroit * Buffalo steamship
line. were found a list of articles and de-
vices for changing tickets. numbering near
ly fifty. including sets of type, punches, ink
eradicators, daters, stamps, etc.
President Cassatt, of the Pennsylvania
who has been spending the past two months
at Bar Harbor. is again at his office. He
was busy on the first day after his re-
turn in consultation with the engineering
and other officers of the company, going
over various propositions for Improvements
projected by them and important an
nouncements are looked for at an early
date
The railroads of Michigan are making
vigorous preparations for the trial of their
case against the State to annul the assess
ment of their properties on an ad valorem
basis. The roads not only attack the
validity of the assessment by the board OF
railway assessors, but claim the law itself
Is void; and, further, that the provision of
the State Constitution, which gives the
Legislature power to provide for an ad
valorem assessment, is in conflict with the
federal Constitution.
The Chicago, Rock Island & Pacific has
begun the work of installing the block
signal on its main line from Blue Island:
Chicago, to Harrington, Kan, a distance of
Col miles, and from Rock Island to VAL
ley Junction, Ia, 1S2 miles. The telegraph
dock system will be used and the signals
are the standard designs OF the Union
Switch and Signal Company. Double-arm
semaphores will be used, each signal to
have a continuous light lens. The length
of the block sections east Of the Missouri
river will be. from five to six miles and
west of the river about seven miles.
The Saturday Review gives an account
OF the Mono rail line between Liverpool
and Manchester. The distance is thirty
-FOUR and one-half miles and the managers
promise speed of 10 miles an hour. or
In about twenty minutes. No intermediate
stops will be made and only one carriage
or car will be carried at time. 1t is in
tended to fit the carriages with the West
inghouse brake, acting on all wheels on
the bearing rail- but even according to the
estimate of the promoters a space of more
| than three-quarters of a mile will be re-
CURED in which to effect a stop, and in
bad weather 1t would probably be neces-
Sdry 10 allow at least a mile.
President Monsarrot of the Hooking VAL
ley +. b. Sheldon, chief engineer and as
sistant to the president, and NJ 8. Con-
nors, general superintendent, have been
making trip in President Monsarrot's pri-
vate car over the Ohio Central and the
Kanawha & Michigan spending most of the
time on the latter road. This inspection
trip is spoken of as mysterious" especial
ly in view of the fact that President Mon
sarrot seldom goes over the system of
which he is the head, not even honoring the
annual inspection with his presence. No
report of their doings has been made to
the public, but ii is inferred that something
unusual is afoot.
The Arkansas Railroad Commission will
meet on the 18th prox. at Little Rock TO
take up a number of matters of interest to
Guiding the regulating of rates and inter-
change of traffic on connecting lines. There
are number of small roads in the State
that are charging over cents per mile. A
number of roads, including the Iron Noun
tain and the Choctaw. have steadily refused
to interchange traffic and will not sell
through tickets. which state of affairs has
caused much complaint. 1t is hoped to
bring about a settlement by which passen-
gers may purchase tickets from one road
that will be accepted to points on connect
ing lines
The Pressed Steel Car Company reports
a falling off in orders for new cars by the
big lines and attributes this to the fact
that the railroads have not been able to
secure money on as easy terms as in for
mer years. Whereas they could formerly
secure all the money they wanted at Az to
per cent. they must now pay per cent.
and commission. A high authority express
es the opinion that for some time leading
railroads have been spending their money
in buying up other roads and have in conse-
quence been compelled to neglect their
equipment. There are between 100000 and
100000 railroad cars in the country and
it is estimated 900 wear out annually
which shows that there must be heavy
expenditure every year for replacement
alone.