The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1903-06-29

PECULIARITIEs OF THE TRAFFIC
AS THE MERCURY RISES THE SIZE
OF THE CROWDS INCREASES.
Conservative Estimate of Number of
People That Visited City Parks IL
4O,OOO-Sunday I'm the City.

A new union depot for indianapolis is
one of the imperative necessities and the
great crowd of Sunday excursionists that
streamed through the gates of the Union
Station yesterday set railroad men to talk
ing and specializing again as to the prob
abilities. An employe who had been on
his feet for eight hours without cessation,
attending to the wants of all sorts and con-
ditions of men, said:
"The popularity of Indianapolis as an ex-
cursion terminal, not only for cities and
towns in Indiana, but for cities of Ohio.
Michigan, Illinois and other States, is in
creasing so rapidly that new union sta
tion is one of the certainties of the next
two years. To-day 5000 people from out
of the city have passed through the gates
and 5000 more of city people have gone the
other way to take outbound excursion
trains. All this was in addition to the reg
ular traffic, which was unusually large for
Sunday. The situation is simply that traf-
fic, particularly on Sunday, is multiplying
with such speed that the new depot is abso-
lutely required"
A CURIOUS FACT.
All In all the excursion crowd Of yes
terday reached the respectable figure of
5000 persons, the biggest day of the season
far, 1t said at the Union Station
1t is fact Of rather curious nature that
as the weather warns up and the mercury
mounts into the nineties the Sunday excur-
sion crowds grow bigger and bigger. Peo-
pie have a penchant for taking long trips
away from home on hot days, railroad
men have observed, and the custom is one
OF the peculiaritieS or the railroad business.
Early in the summer excursion season,
when the temperature Is mild, the excur-
sion crowds are comparatively small sell
hnT .lA c.
day. Along in July the figures get as high
as 1900 to 5000. Whenever a sweltering
Sunday comes along it be depended
upon that there will be big Sunday ex-
curson business.
why it is that people want to leave their
homes where comfort and some degree of
dusty, wearisome trips on excursion trains
Is something L cannot fathom," said an en-
ploye of the Union Station last night. but
such Is the case, and as it all goes TO help
our business, why we certainly do not
object But it is singular all the same
Another popularity Is why people always
take their babies with them. Every Sunday
you will see many women carrying infants
of tender age, sometimes two or three howl
ing babies to one woman. But they seem to
enjoy it,. and 1 guess it is nobody elses
business
NINE EXCURSION TRAINS.
Nine excursions were run out of Indian
apolis yesterday and eleven were brought
into the city. Two were run to Cincinnati.
two to Lawrenceburg and Aurora one TO
Madison. one TO Michigan City, one to La
fayette and two to Terre Haute. The ex-
cursions into the city were from Fort
Wayne. Peoria, Sandusky, o., Michigan
City, two from Cincinnati. Decatur, SPRING
field, ILL.,. and South Bend.
As usual. many OF the exculsionists
sought the city parks for a days enjoy
ment. City people, too, visited the parks
yesterday in unusually large numbers At
Riverside Park, 1900 people enjoyed the
nautral beauties an listened TO a concert
by Miller's Military Band Military Park
was well filled with people and Arndt's 5
Military Band played there. At Garfield
Park. the beautiful resort OF the South
Side. IL is estimated that 10000 people were
present during the day. Many brought
their dinners and made family luncheon
parties. staying all day. Meyers Military
Band played At Germania Park the Turn
ers held their gymnastic exercises and a
great crowd was present. Fair Bank was
well patronized during The afternoon. al
though there was musical programme
All day long the street cars ran to Fair
view. the resort maintained by the Indian
apolis Street-railway Company, and every
car was crowded TO the limit of it's capaci-
ty. Ii Is estimated that 1900 people visited
Fairview. The usual programme OF at
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