The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1934-11-15
CITY TROLLEY
SYSTEM PAID
HIGH TRIBUTE
New Field Is Opened for
Youth, Finance, Says
Maqazine Writer.

The fame OF this oity's system Of
street cars. tTackIeSs trolleys and
motor coaches. already widespread
among men in the transportation
industry. today was carried into
more than 100000 homes all over
the United states when the current
issue OF the American Magazine ap-
pcaTed with a lengthy article on the
indianapolis Railways.
To obtain the information for
this article. the magazine sent here
recently a Well-knOWn New York
newspaper man who. writing under
the pen name OF John Janney. de-
scr!bes what he found IN an article
entitled Here Comes the Trolley.
The writer Is high in his praise
for the system as 10 now exists, and
for Charles W Chase. Indianapolis
Railways president. whom he cred
its not only with TeVitalizlng the
system here. but also through this
action. with opening a new field for
ambitious young men-and foT
American captain modern street
railway systems
I found a new kind Of service for
the consumer" writes Mr.. Janney
With modern cars Of a new and
much faster design. the household
or could lnger a little longer over
his coffee IN the morning and get
home a little earlier az night.
Real Estate Values Gain
Real estate values we're i'm
proved. partly because greater speed
Of cars brings them closer TO the
business center. partly because of
the silence OF a new type Of trolley
car.
Motorists were happy. because
the quicker pickup on all vehicles
speeds traffic and because most OF
the new cars. stopping for pas
sengcrs. get over 70 the curb and
out Of the way.
If you are more than IS years
old. you can remember the dear,
dead DAYS when the folks, of a hot
summer evening. would 90 out for
a trolley ride to get a breath Of
air. Well. believe it or not, I &C
tually found that, in indianapolis,
some people like the new transpOr-
tation system so much they are 60
ing back 10 that old custom-a car
ride on hot evenings. out TO the end
Of the line and back?
That is more exciting to me
than a whole bale Of revenue statis-
tics"
Praises ChaSe's Work
Statistics are not neglected in
Mr. Janneys article. however.
He tells fully the story. now
familiar IN Indianapolis. of how Mr..
Chase effected a financial reOrgan-
izatiOn OF the street railways before
replacing with the present equip
ment what Janney describes as
"dingy. noisy slow vehicles, equipped
with square wheels
Horse cars still we're carried on
the books he says in his sharp
delincation Of the water which
Mr.. Chase equeezed from the sys-
TENS financial setup.
The article tells. too. Of the pur-
chase of the new equipment. Of the
lettering Of labor relations between
the company and its employees, OF
the prOfit-sharing arrangement
worked out with the men and. near
the end. Of the public's reception Of
the new equipment, the perform
anCe Of which is described in detail
The public response was immed-
fate" writes Janney. Revenue on
the new street cars. even after the
curiosity riding had worn of
showed a steady inCrC--e of II "a
Is per cent; on trac. trOlleyS
an increase of about so per cent;
and. in early 1884. a further in
crease Of about IS per cent more.
so Per Cent Gain Shown
so II was that in the spring Of
1888. when most Of the rest of u:
were wondering whether the worlc
was coming TO an end, Mr.. Chase
was planning 10 buy fifty more
street cars and eighty more track
less trolleys."
Mentioning the reroutings &C
complShed for the sake Of econom'
ical operation, the Judiciary system
set up within the company and TIT
fact that the fare on trolley car
and trackleSs trOlleys has stayed a
Z cents. Mr.. Janney says:
This effort started, remember
shortly before the depression
reached its depths. After a httl
more than two years, the rehabili
tation plan. which was TO hav
taken ten years. is so per cent com
plete
The result has been a boon Il
the city. The fast. modern, trim
looking transportation dresses u
the town and cheers up the rider
The financial side Of the nev
venture Is less important than IN
general benefit 10 the consumer. !
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