Jasper County Democrat, Volume 3, Number 29, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 27 October 1900 — THE RAILROADS. [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

THE RAILROADS.

The voluntary relief department of thf Burlington system is in a flourishing con ditiou. About $1,650,000 has been expended ii improving the road bed of the Texai line of the Santa Fe system. The Association of Railway Superin tendents of Bridges and Buildings its eleventh national convention at St Louis. Earnings of the Milwaukee and St Paul system for the third week in 0c tober decreased $21,000, compared witl a year ago. Chesapeake and Ohio earnings for tin fourth week in September increase! $158,265. For the month the incrensf was $226,913. Officers of the Illinois Central havt started in on a fall booming of this road’i new line between Chicago and Ho l Springs, Ark. Executive officers of between forty an< fifty western roads met in St. Louis ti consider an agreement for the restrictioi of passes during 1901. Seven new passenger engines han been received by the Illinois Central road The locomotives delivered are the of a recent order for thirty. The annual report of the Wisconsii Central Railway shows: Gross earnings $5,637,416; operating expenses, $3,580, 935; net earnings, $2,056,480.

The Atlantic freight service arrange! by the Norfolk and Western, the Chesa peake and Ohio and the Southern Rail way will soon be put in operation. The Texas aqd Pacific officials an nounce that that road has re-entered th< southwestern passenger bureau, from whlctgit withdrew several weeks ago. Another big contract for freight on gines has been awarded by the Burling ton road for thirty locomotives to b< known ns the prairie type. The cost ol ench engine will be $14,000, or $420,000 for the thirty. The Mississippi Railroad Commission declined to recede from its original schedule of rates on cotton seed, which is 4 cents minimum to 12 cents maximum, with 25 per cent added for joint hauls. The courts will have to settle the matter. The special campaign trains which have been run by the railroads in the central States have not proved very profitable to the transportation companies; in fact, officers of many of the linos that hnvc engaged extensively in operating these political trains say that they have been run in a majority of instances at large not losses. The formal opening of the magnificent new terminal station in Nashville, Tenn., took place the other day. The new sta; tion, together with necessary improvements, cost $2,500,000. Gross earnings of the Chicago, Milwaukee nnd St. Paul road for the first week in October were $866,723, compared with $991,805 for the corresponding period of last year, a decrease of $125,082.

The first annual report of the Hocking Valley Railway, for the year ending June 30, 1900, shows gross earnings of $4,417,206; operating expenses and taxes, .$2,041,207; net canungs,