Evening Republican, Volume 17, Number 222, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 17 September 1913 — LARGEST BUSINESS IN ROAD’S HISTORT [ARTICLE]

LARGEST BUSINESS IN ROAD’S HISTORT

Increased Travel and More Freight -••• Justify Many Improvements on The,O. & W. V. Rfr. Frank E. Lewis, Vice-President and General Manager; and C. J. Hobbs, Chief Engineer of the Chicago & Wabash Valley railroad, came from Kersey Tuesday and with N. G. Halsey, secretary and treasurer of the road, are engaged in making the annual report of the road for the state railway cofnmission and the interstate commerce commission. Part of their time is being taken up in attending the taking of the deposition of Harrison Armstrong, a young man who has a damage suit against the Gifford railroad.

In talking with a reporter for The Republican the officers stated that the past year’s business has been materially the best the Chicago & Wabash Valley had ever had, which indicates the wisdom of Mr. Gifford in building the road through his large area of land. For want of funds the road had run down a great deal during the past few years, when Mr. Gifford put all of his money into the extension program. Since Mr. Gifford’s death the new officers have decided to look after the territory through which the road had been completed. and to repair the roadbed there instead of trying to extend it. The result has been very satisfactory. Within a year 25,000 new ties have been used in repairing the roadbed, and section hands have been giving the road careful attention under the direction of Engineer Hobbs. The improvement has made a considerable change in the appearance of the road, as well as proving a great advantage in the movement of trains. The every-other-day schedule is being maintained for the regular train, but the increase of freight business has required that frequent special trains be run and the business has grown so materially that indications are favorable to the installation of regular daily service within a few months. A new traffic agreement has been entered into with the Monon railroad by which the roads now exchange business in car lots at McCoysburg. This will prove a decided advantage to both roads and to shippers. It will result in the branch elevators owned by Babcock & Hopkins along the C. & W. V. getting a better price for grain, which h eretofore had to be transferred from one ear to another in being shipped here and prevented these elevators paying a price that competed for business for the elevators at Medaryville and Francesville. As the grain can now be shipped directly to Rensselaer in car lots the farmers along the line will be able to get a better price and the grain will be hauled to Newland, Pleasant Grove and Gifford that formerly went to Francesville.

The development of /the country along the route, especially along the Kankakee river, and the large onion crop at Newland is giving impetus to the business. More stock is shipped over the, road each year that there was before. The passenger traffic is also better and the officers are vefy much encouraged and expect to continue the improvements and to go after all the business they can get. The north end of the line is receiving the same attention as the south end and the roadbed all the way to Dinwiddie, the northern extension, is being improved.