Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1906-05-03

John c. Breckenridge has been appoint
ed consulting engineer for the New York
Central and will be engaged in the install
lation of electricity on the New York end
of the line.
The Northern Pacific is said to have an
option on the Pacific and Idaho Northern,
which it will exercise with a view to
building line from Cottonwood to Lew
istOn, Idaho.
President Johnson and other Norfolk
and Western officials are inspecting the
''Short Line" from Columbus to Sandus-
Ky with view, it is said, to purchasing
it from the Pennsylvania.
The general Office of the Lake Shore at
Cleveland announce that the Twentieth
Century Limited made 10S miles in one
hour and thirty-nine minutes between
Cleveland and Toledo. This is thought to
establish a new speed record for regular
train service.
The report of the Missouri Pacific rail
way for 1903 shows u deficit of SIS
20J. as compared with a surplus of over
100000 the preceding year. In expla-
nation of this President Gould refers to
the disastrous billiards. and floods of the
first half of the year and to the yellow
fever quarantine.
After a trial of two years with a linn
tied number of omnibuses in the streets
of London, England, the London power
omnibus company has ordered seventy-five
double-decked buses and has begun the
construction of the largest garage in Eu-
rope, with a floor area of 2O0x9O feet The
ll1,,
from which six cars may be charged at
one time.
Nearly all of the great trunk lines
have reported increased gross earnings
during the first three months of the year,
and notably the New York Central, the
Wabash and the Chicago Great Western.
Bank clearings have broken all records
for any three months in the history of
the country, according to Bradstreet's,
and the number of failures were 2,791. or
decrease of ) per cent as compared with
the first quarter of last year.
The sixteen railroads constituting the
Chicago Car Service Association have
served notice on the International Har-
vester Company or harvester trust that
owing to the freight car shortage it will
tracks of the company owning them. Be
cause the trust owns the Illinois North
ern railroad, it claims the right to the %
cents a day charge for car demurrage.
But the railroads insist upon 81 per day,
as charged to all other manufacturers or
shippers.
The Chicago. Burlington and Quincy
railroad was fined $4,000, and Darius
Miller. vice president, and G. O.. Burn
ham. export freight agent of the road,
were each fined $4,000. Violation of the
provision of the Elkins law prohibiting
secret rebates was the charge against
them United States District Judge ).
ii. Bethea imposed the fines at Chicago
after Chester A. Dawes general counsel
of the company, had thrown the defend
ants upon the mercy of the court and
District Attorney Morrison had expressly
left without suggestion the amount OF
the fines to the discretion of the court.
The sentence was considered severe by
the railway officials. as they expected no
more than $4,000 altogether.
Railroads in Ohio may hereafter charge
| not more than two cents mile for carry
ing passengers. The new law went into
effect in March. On the same day that
| the new rule became operative the presi-
dent of New England railroad company.
whose main line connects Boston and
New York. announced that uniform two
cent rate would be adopted by his COM
pany at once. The agitation for such
rate is now in progress in New York,
: PENNSYLVANIA. Virginia. Iowa. Illinois. In
| diana and Nebraska. In Michigan there
| is a graduated rate based on the earning
| power of the road. 1t starts, at two cents
ana runs up to four cents. Wherever the
| rate has been reduced the receipts from
| passenger traffic have increased, as in
| creased facilities for travel always induce
| people TO go about.
After considerable expenditure and all
winters work the stretch of the Illinois
CentraI's line from Hopkinsville, KY. to
Nashville. Tenn. has been put in first
class condition. This 81 miles, it may be
remembered, was formerly part of the
Tennessee Central, was acquired by the
Illinois Central last summer. While the
| line occupied a commanding position, af-
| fording an entrance TO Nashville, it was
in poor physical condition. As quickly
as the Illinois Central took it over swarms
of laborers were put to work. All unnac-
eSSary curves have been Strengthened. new,
heavy rail laid and fresh ballast put I'M
der the track. The road from Hopkins
vile will be featured as a scenic line.