Rensselaer Semi-Weekly Republican, Volume 34, Number 28, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 6 December 1901 — The Three I Reaching Out. [ARTICLE]

The Three I Reaching Out.

The Three I Railroad, which runs through the northern part of Jasper county, has always been a very prosperous line, and its freight business especially is enormous, Some very important extensions are proposed for the road. These and its future prospects generally are thus described in a Chicago paper a day or two ago. A new line from Cuicago to Toledo and Detroit is embraced in. plans made for tbe extension of Indiana, Illinois & lowa railroad. This road now runs from Clinton, lowa, to St. Joseph, Mich. An extension from South Bend, Ind., to Elkhart, has been decided upon, and surveys have been made from Elkhart to Toledo and Detroit, and also from South Bend to Chicago. The route which probably will be adopted will be shorter than the Lake Shore line from here to Toledo and Detroit. The extension of the “Three I” road will end a monopoly which long has been enjoyed by the Vanderbilt lines. They will not relish such an invasion of their territory is certain, but they are powerless to prevent it, Under the present management the “Three I” road has been remarkably prosperous. .It now has a surplus of about $10,000,000 with which to carry out its ideas of expansion. An extension to Toledo would give it connection with the Ann Arbor, Cincinnati, Hamilton & Dayton, Cincinnati Northern, Hocking Valley, Lake Shore, Michigan Central, Ohio Central, Pennsylvania, Pere Marquette,' Toledo, St. Louis & Southwestern, Wabash, and the Wheeling & Lake Erie railroads. By extending to Detroit it would also conneot with the Canadian Pacific and Grand Trunk roads. This would give it exceptional advantages for securing freight traffic. It is doubtful if any other road of the same length gets as much competitive freight traffic as the Indiana, Illinois & lowa road. It intersects thirty big railroads between St. Joseph, Mioh., and Clinton, lowa, and its popularity with shippers is largely due to the fact that its connections enabled it to avoid the usual delays in transfers VWeen Western and Eastern lines. During the past few years the physical condition of the “Three I” road has been brought up to a high standard, and a large amount of money has been expended for locomotives, passenger, and freight oars. In addition to earning good dividends, a handsome surplus has been aooumulated. Instead of being gobbled up a larger company, as was anticipated at one time, the “Three I” road seems destined to beoome one of the most important connecting links in the country, exercising much influence on both east-bound and west-bound traffic.