Rensselaer Union, Volume 10, Number 24, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 28 February 1878 — The Indianapolis, Delphi & Chicago Railroad.— By Elmer Dwiggins. [ARTICLE]

The Indianapolis, Delphi & Chicago Railroad.— By Elmer Dwiggins.

This railroad is located in the counties of Jnspcr and White, in the northwestern part of the slate of Indiana. lis termini are, Rensselaer in Ja*per county and Bradford iu While. It is about sixteen miles long and three feel wile. Its general course is southeast aud northwest, Startin'; at Rensselaer it tuns east about three mile*, on au rid wide grade known as the Contiiu rtial, then southeast alniut thirteen miles on its o»n grade. The latter pari id a continuous number oT’sTdogba. Its rails are about thirty-two feet long, three inches wide at the bottom, las* than one-half inch thick in the middle, about one aud one-half inches at the top, and three and one-half inches high. They are fastened to the ties by thirty-two epikes, three inches Ion?; and the roils are bolted together. The ties are of different dimeuaion*. They are required to he six feel long, eight inches broad nnd six inches thick; of white or bunoak: but same arc cherry and some pine. They lie upon the grade except where it is very muddy; in ilu* caso they are laid upon long pieces of oak limber, called mudsills. They are to.be iaid two feet apart frqip center to center. The grade is about etghi feel wide (except on the Uontineutul wlu-re it ia wider), and from one foot to five or.*ix feet high. About two miles east of l’eusselacr i* a bridge over tho Irovjuois river. It has no stone foundation: \>ut is made of stringer;, sleepers and piles. The stringers are fifteen feet long, one foot six inches wide, and enc foot thick; they lay on sleepers, forty in number, n'ud are of white and burr oak timber. Next tiro tlie sleepers, twenty-one in number, six or seven feet long, one foot wide, one foot thick; which lie un the piles, fastened by mortises'and wooden pins. Tlie piles are oak timbers fifteen feel long and one foot iu diameter: ahout five feel stand übuve water, the, reTOaindgr Being below the surface and driven iuto tlie ground. They number forty-two. The bridge is three hundred feet long, an*l stands five feel above water. There are five stations on the road: Pleasant Ridge, Zard, Hanging Grove, Lee and Sharpsburg. At each of these stations there is to be a switch and sidetrack. There is to be a depot »i Rensselaer, The fare from Rensselaer to Bradford is fifty-fivo cents. This road was laid to Rensselaer February-5,1878, at 2:30 o’clock p. m. A graad celebration of the opening of this long-wanted, burd workeafor r»ifrond in the form of n barbecue was held at Rensselaer on the 1 fill,of February, 1878. The rolling stock consists at present of three box care, three flat ears. One baggage car, and one locomotive and tender. The numbers on the box cars arc 500, s(.>i f 502, on the flat ears 8,8, 10, on the baggage car 1, on the locomotive 4. r ' The name of the locomotive is A. M. McCoy. This rsttrond was .opened for business February 15, 1878.

Just glari re at the now advertisement of W. H. A C. Rhoades ; when in the towu of Rensselaer call into tire new harness store of W. H. A C. Kboades and make a delighted survey of the handsomest establishment of the kind in the state! then, ST wanting a valise, trunk, set of harness, saddle, collar, whip, carriage rug, lap robe, or anything else in that line buy right in their .bouse j for they ketp only the best, sell only for cash and have reduced prices to correspond to the condition of tilings, Dried fruits —apples, peaches, prunes, raisin*, etc. —the largest stock in Rensselaer is I rues’ grocery, in Shanghai building.

Mr. William Thompson, son of John Thompson, Elk rails. Rastas, i» viaiting relatives in Rensselaer.