History of Cook County, Illinois From the Earliest Period to the Present Time, Part 45

Author: Andreas, A. T. (Alfred Theodore), 1839-1900
Publication date: 1884
Publisher: Chicago : A.T. Andreas
Number of Pages: 875

USA > Illinois > Cook County > History of Cook County, Illinois From the Earliest Period to the Present Time > Part 45

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The fifth grand trunk line in 1857 was the Chicago, Burlington & Quincy Railroad. Its officers were: John Van Nortwick, Batavia, Illinois, president and chief en- gineer ; Charles G. Hammond, superintendent ; Amos

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T. Hall, secretary and treasurer. No finer portion of the Mississippi Valley can be found than the " Military Tract," through the center of which this road passed. During the year 1857, the receipts amounted to $1,899,- 586.49, and four hundred and twelve thousand passengers were transported. As an extension across lowa, the Chicago, Burlington & Quincy was to connect with the Burlington & Missouri. The Quincy & Chicago line connected with the Burlington road at Galeshurg, one hundred and sixty-eight miles, and extended thence to Quincy. This was formerly the " Northern Cross." The Ilannihal & St. Joe road had been huilt sixty-five miles west, by November, 1857.

'T'he sixth grand trunk from Chicago was the Chicago & Rock Island. Its officers were : Henry Farnum, Chicago, president ; John F. Tracy, Chicago, superin- tendent ; F. H. Tows, New York, secretary ; A. C. Flagg, New York, treasurer. The earnings for the year amounted to $1,681, 101.57. Over three hundred and ninety thousand passengers were carried on its lines. The road stretched down the Valley of the Illinois to Peru, where it swept across the " Military Tract," and at Rock Island, one hundred and eighty-one miles from Chicago, crossed the Mississippi by a splendid bridge, the only railway structure that had, as yet, been thrown across the " Father of Waters," and the only one of any kind below St. Anthony. The Peoria & Bureau Valley Railroad was leased to the Rock Island company at an annual rental of 8125,000. The Peoria & Oquawka line ran nearly east and west and connected with all the north and south lines leading into the city. A branch of the Bureau Valley road, the Illinois River line, was being pushed forward from Jacksonville to LaSalle, about ninety miles.

The eighth grand western trunk line was the Illinois Central. Its officers were : W. H. Osborn, New York, president ; G. B. McClellan, vice-president and chief engineer ; James C. Clarke, master of transportation ; W. K. Ackerman, New York, secretary ; I. N. F'erkins, New York, treasurer ; John Wilson, land commissioner. At this time (1857) the Illinois Central was the longest road owned by one company in America, Its total receipts for the year were $2,293,964.57, and nearly seven hundred and fifteen thousand passengers were transported over its lines. Up to January 1, 1858, nearly one-half of the two and a half million acres comprising its land grant had been sold for $15,311,- 440.40. The sales for the year amounted to $4,598,- 211.99. Of the Pittsburgh, Fort Wayne & Chicago road all except eighty-two miles was completed by the latter part of 1857. It had been operated during the year hy using the line of the Michigan Southern road as far east as LaPorte, and thence connected by the Cincin- nati & Peru road. The Michigan Southern and North- ern Indiana connecting with the roads south of Lake Erie ; the Michigan Central, connecting with the Can- ada, Great Western, New York Central and the Erie railroads, and with the Grand Trunk to Montreal, Quebec and Portland were the most important trunk lines to the East.

GENERAL HISTORY UP TO 1883.

THE ILLINOIS CENTRAL SINCE 1851 .- C. C. P. Holden furnishes the following facts covering much of the history of the Illinois Central Railroad Company, up to date: " The extraordinary efforts put forth by the Land Department of the Illinois Central Railroad, not only in this country but in Europe, was beginning to

have its effect. New settlements sprung up far to the west and northwest. New railroad companies were organized west of the Mississippi, with large land grants attached to their charters; and they, too, with the ex- ample of the Illinois Central before them, did their full share to attract and induce emigration to the lands rep- resented by their several corporations. Generally they were very successful in their efforts, as a comparison of the census reports of 1860, and the maps of that coun- try with those of the present day will fully verify. The status of the Illinois Central lands was now fully estab- lished, and they were known to be among the best in the State. They were daily sought after and were selling rapidly, as the country through which the road traversed was being brought under a high state of cultivation. The traffic of the line both in passengers and freight was beginning to assume large proportions, and, indeed, a new era seemed to be dawning. The land sales went on, and the intervening sections, most of which were owned by the Government when the grant was made, and had generally been sold by the Government to speculators, were now being bought by bona fide settlers, and rapidly coming under the plow. Cities and villages were springing up from one end of the line to the other. The wilderness of 1850 was being transferred into fields and meadows, and general prosperity was to he seen on every hand.

"The war came on, and the Illinois Central was called upon for transportation, and took the first detachment of troops that left Chicago for the front, landing then in Cairo at very short notice." "This was in April, 1861, and for nearly five years subsequent thereto, the de- mands of the Government upon this company for trans- portation of troops, munitions of war and supplies was simply immense at times, monopolizing the entire car- rying facilities of the lines, and that, too, to the great detriment of the regular shippers and patrons of the road. The position of the road was such that it held the key to the transportation problem between the Union forces and those in rebellion, especially in the valley of the Mississippi. After the war the Government recognized the great and important services performed by this company and acted accordingly.

" The sales of lands by the Illinois Central Railroad naturally decreased during the war, but at the conclu- sion of the Rebellion many soldiers settled upon the company's lands and returned to agricultural pursuits. A mania for railroad building broke out, so that prior to 1870 the State was pretty thoroughly gridiron.ed with iron rails, and the Illinois C'entral was intersected by other lines along its entire length. Though conserva- tive by nature, the Father of Land Grants partook of the spirit of the times and stretched out its arms to em- brace more territory-toward New Orleans, on the south, Sioux City, on the northwest, with numerous branches reaching to Springfield, the Braidwood coal fields, Mona (on the Minnesota State line), Yazoo City and Aberdeen, Miss. The Illinois Central now operates an aggregate length of main line, branches and sidings of 2,276 miles, 1,180 of which are in Illinois. There arc 328 stations on the entire line, 198 of which are in Illinois. There are I11 crossings and junctions on the entire line, 80 of which are in Illinois and 64 of these are on the original line.

"The present equipment of the line consists of 333 locomotives, 311 passenger, mail and baggage cars, and 8,271 freight cars. It has 8,200 employes receiving 84,678,700.22 per annum in salaries, and of this number 4.513 are employed in Illinois, and are paid in salaries $2,674,796.96. The road carried 2,503,704 tons of

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freight and 3.714,240 passengers in Illinois during the year ending June, 1883.

" The Land Department has received from the sale of lands up to December 31, 1882, over and above all expenses, 826.500,000. There are still unsold 175,000 acres, mostly situated in the southern part of the State, and there is due to the Land Department for lands sold $350,000.

" The company has paid into the State treasury of Illinois since March 24, 1853, the sum of $9,269,940.60, this amount being seven per cent upon the gross carnings of the road up to April 30, 1883.

" The State, which had a population of 851,470 at the time 'the company obtained the grant, had increased in population to 3,077,871 in 1880. And the thirty two original counties through which the road is located have increased in population from 255,284 in 1850 to 1.449 .- 997 in 1880, this being the last census taken. There are ninety-nine original counties in the State, and the thirty two on the line of this road has a population a little short of half the population of the entire State. All the cities and towns on the road when it was located had a population of 42,682. There were ten in all, Chi- cago having a population of 29,963 inhabitants. There are now on the same line ninety-one towns, which have more than 200 population each; fifty-nine towns and cities that have a population of 500 each; ten cities that have a population of 5,000 each, besides the city of Chicago.

" In 1850 in going from Chicago to Cairo hut one village was passed in the entire distance, Jonesboro, which was one mile west of the line. It had a popula- tion of 584. Between Chicago and Cairo there are now fifty-two important cities, and thriving villages, thirty- two of which have a population greater than that of Jonesboro at that time.

" Besides having been an important agent in bring- ing about results of benefit to the State at large, the Illinois Central Company has also done much to devel- op communities. The protection of the lake front, at its own expense, is a case in point. The city of Cairo receives similar benefits from the great levee at that point, which has certainly twice saved the city from in- undation, It was built and is maintained by the Illinois Central.

"But there have been dark days in the long and eventually prosperous life of this great corporation, especially during 1857-58. There was, however, one man at the helm of affairs who never faltered or lost faith in the stability of the magnificent enterprise. To the faithfulness and ability of William H. Osborn is greatly due the present status-in fact, the very exist- ence of the Illinois Central Railroad Company. Dur- ing these carly days, also, there was John M. Douglas, whose counsels and advice were always like pure gold.

" The presidents of the Illinois Central from 1851 up to the present time, with dates of their election, have been as follows: Robert Schuyler, March 19, 1851; 1). A. Neal, July 28, 1853, but declined the office the same day; William P. Burrell, July 28, 1853; J. N. A. Gris- wold, January 10, 1855; William H. Osborn, November 7, 1855; John M. Douglas, July 11, 1865; John Newell, April 14, 1871; Wilson G. Hunt, September 11, 1874; John M. Douglas, June 16, 1875; William K. Acker- man, October 17, 1877; James C. Clarke, August 15, 1883. Of the above the following are dead: David A. Neal, Robert Schuyler, and William P. Burrell. "The general superintendents who have managed that de- partment of the company's service are as follows: Ros- well B. Mason, John H. Done, James C. Clarke, W. R.

Arthur, Marvin Hughitt, Abram Mitchell, Joseph F. Tucker, and Edward T. Jeffery. Of these John H. Done was killed while trying to get on a moving freight train in the southern part of the city at Myrick's stock yards.

" There are more than six hundred employés of the company who have served in various capacities for more than fifteen years. The following-nanied persons, with their position and date of commencement in the service of this company, is given: James C. Clarke, president, 1856; W. K. Ackerman, first vice-presi- dent, 1851; Joseph F. Tucker, traffic manager, 1856; Edward T. Jeffery, general superintendent and chief engineer, 1856; Charles A. Beck, superintendent Illinois and lowa Division, 1856; Horace Tucker, general freight agent, 1862; Peter Daggy, land commissioner, 1855; John C. Jacobs, division superintendent, 1856; Henry Schlacks, superintendent of machinery, 1855: William H. Waters, auditor's office, 1856; Orin Ott, purchasing agent, 1852 ; F. Fairman, freight auditor, 1855; L. H. Clarke, former chief engineer, 1852 left the company in 1878); J. W. O'Brien, secretary land depart- ment, 1852 ; Benjamin Moe, paymaster, 1864; Henry DeWolf, assistant treasurer, 1865; John B. Calhoun, former land commissioner, 1852; J. G. Pratt, cashier land department, 1862; George Watson, division superintend- ent, 1854 since deceased); J. Linton Waters, assistant secretary land department, 1856 (left in 1872); 11. 1 .. Shute, general freight agent Jowa Division, 1857; W. H. Osborn, July, 1854; Paul H. Dennis, claim agent, 1863: James T. Tucker, private secretary to Vice- President N. P. Banks, May, 1857 (since deceased ; S. J. Hays, superintendent of machinery, 1856 (died in 1882'; C. C. P. Holden, connected with the company from February 20, 1855, to February 4. 1873; Nelson Holt, station agent, 1852; 1., P. Moorehouse, tax agent, 1857; Thomas Tustin, local freight agent, 1864; J. M. Healey, road master, 1852, and C. H. Comstock, treas- urer's office, 1852."

The Land Commissioners who managed the Land Department subsequent to 1853 were: John C. Dodge, Charles M. Dupny, John Wilson, J. W. Foster, J. M. Redmond, W. M. Phillips, John B. Calhoun and P. Daggy, all of whom are dead except Redmond and Daggy.

General Ambrose E. Burnside was cashier of the land department in 1856-57, and for a time acting com- missioner of the same department. Subsequently he was the treasurer of the company in New York. He too is dead.

General George B. McClellan became vice-president of the road in 1855-56, acting for a time both as chief engineer and general superintendent of the road.

In acklition to the above, the following prominent Generals in the war were connected, at some time, with the Illinois Central: Major General N. P. Banks, vice-president in 1857-58; Brigadier-Generals T. E. G. Ransom, J. B. Turchin, John Condit Smith, William Robinson, Mason Brayman and T. D. Williams.

Carson, a celebrated scout, was a conductor on a Hyde Park train when the war broke out, and served and died under General Grant. David L. Holden has been station agent at Matteson since 1865.

The present executive officers of the company are: James C. Clarke, president; Stuyvesant Fish, vice-presi- dent; J. V. F. Randolph, treasurer; Henry DeWolf, assist- ant treasurer; L. A . Catlin, secretary, and W. J. Mauriac, assistant secretary; Benjamin F. Ayer, general solicitor; James Fentress, solicitor for Kentucky, Mississippi, Tennessee and Louisiana. J. C. Welling is auditor and

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John Dunn is assistant to the president; S. B. McCon- nico, general agent, New Orleans.

The managers are:

Traffic.Department .- J. F. Tucker, traffic manager, Chicago; M. C Markham, secretary to traffic manager, Chicago; Horace Tucker, general freight agent Illinois and Iowa Divisions, Chicago; D. B. Morey, general freight agent Southern Division, New Orleans; A. H. Hanson, general passenger agent, Chicago; J. W. Cole- man assistant general passenger agent, New Orleans; H. A. Winter, general baggage agent, Chicago.

Operating Department .- E. T. Jeffery, general su- perintendent and chief engineer, Chicago; C. A. Beck, superintendent Illinois and Iowa Divisions, Chicago; C. M. Sheafe, superintendent Southern Division, New Or- leans; O. Ott, purchasing agent, Chicago; Henry Schlacks, superintendent machinery, Chicago; A. W. Sullivan, assistant superintendent machinery, Chicago; C. S. Jones, superintendent of telegraph in Illinois and Iowa, Chicago; George M. Dugan, superintendent of telegraph south of Cairo, Jackson, Tenn.

Treasury Department .- L. V. F. Randolph, treas- urer, New York ; Henry DeWolf, assistant treasurer, Chicago; R. S. Charles, local treasurer, New Orleans; B. Moe, paymaster, Chicago; John Watkins, assistant paymaster, New Orleans.

Accounting Department .- J. C. Welling, general auditor, Chicago; F. Fairman, freight auditor, Chi- cago; A. D. Joslin, ticket auditor, Chicago; E. M. Hor- ton, car accountant, Chicago; W. M. Adams, traveling auditor, Chicago; J. F. Titus, assistant traveling audi- tor, Chicago; W. O. Cole, assistant traveling auditor, Water Valley.

Land Department .- Peter Daggy, commissioner, Chicago; J. W. O'Brien, secretary, Chicago; J. G. Pratt, assistant, cashier, Chicago.

The charter of the Illinois Central was granted Febru- ary 10, 1851. It was amended February 17, 1851; June 22, 1852, June 23, 1852, February 12, 1853, February 28, 1854. and February 14, 1855. From the letter heretofore printed, from the pen of Roswell B. Mason, the reader will learn the progress of the road as con- structed by the Illinois Central up to and including 1858, In 1877 the Chicago & Springfield Railroad (from Gilman to Springfield, 111 miles) was embraced in the system.

The Kankakee & Southwestern, and the Kanka- kee & Western, with the Clinton & Bloomington and Northeastern Railway were consolidated with the Illinois Central road in September, 1880. In 1867 the Illinois Cen- tral leased the Dubuque & Sioux City road, 142 miles, and in 1868-70 over 159 miles of the Iowa Falls and Sioux City road. The main line of the road is from Cairo to East Dubuque, and from Chicago to Main Line Junction-705.5 miles in all; aggregate length of tracks, 1,557 miles.

The Chicago & North- Western Railway .- The his- tory of this wonderful corporation has already been given, up to the time when it was formally organized (in June, 1859) by the purchasers of the Chicago, St. Paul & Fond du Lac Railroad Company. Since that time its history has been a marked example of the extent to which the powers of assimilation may be developed. At the time of the organization of this road it was in possession of about 600 miles of road. From 1859 to 1873 it constructed over 400 miles. The bal- ance of this great system, a pride to Chicago and the entire Northwest, was built by other roads and subse- quently taken into its capacious embrace.

According to the last report issued by the company the capital stock issued is $38,000,000, preferred stock, $22,000,000; the amount of the stock held in Illinois being $21,000,000. Its bonded and floating debts make up the balance of its liabilities, which amount to $129,- 774,000, The 3.310.31 miles of road comprising the system are divided as follows: 500.15 miles in Illinois; 913.84 in Iowa: 895,85 in Wisconsin; 224.40 in Michi- gan; 314 in Minnesota, and in Dakota 362.07 miles. During the year there have been huilt 504 miles of new road. The Chicago & North Western company has on its pay rolls 15,400 employes, to whom are paid salaries amounting in the aggregate to nearly $8,900,000. It has carried 6,861,687 passengers, of which number 4.447,703 were passing through Illinois, or traveling in the State. The transportation earnings for the year were 823,228,000, and the operating expenses $12,144,- 000.

Following are some of the items of the last balance sheet: Construction and equipment account, $131,961,- ooo; cash, $961,800; material and supplies on hand, $2,468,000; capital stock of the company, $60,211,000; funded debt, $64.943,000; profit and loss or income account, $7.648,000, The total assets of the company are $137.423,000.

The Chicago, Burlington & Quincy Railroad .- It will be remembered that in July, 1856, the Chicago & Aurora and the Central Military tract railroads were consoli- dated into this company. The Northern Cross and the Peoria & Oquawka railroads were obtained by pur- chase, at a subsequent period. The company now operates 3,228 miles of track.

The present officers of the company are as follows : C. E. Perkins, president; J. C. Peasley, second vice-presi- dent and treasurer; T. J. Porter, third vice-president and general manager; IT. Weiss, Secretary; Wirt Dex- ter, general solicitor; J. L. Lathrop, anditor; Henry B. Stone, assistant general manager; E. P. Ripley, freight agent; Perceval Lowell, passenger agent.

The capital stock of the Chicago, Burlington & Quincy Railroad is $69,649,000 and its funded debt $68,648,000, the sum of these amounts being the total liabilities of the company. It is equipped with 522 locomotives, 353 passenger coaches, express cars, sleepers, mail cars, etc .; freight cars of all kinds. ctc., 20,174; making a grand total of all kinds of 20,527. The number of its employés average 5,900, and their aggregate yearly salaries $3,000,000. 'I'he earnings of the road are $21,500,000, and operating expenses $10,668,000. The last statement of the com- pany shows a balance of $6,652,000, and a construction account which had mounted up to $98,700,000.

During the year ending December 31, 1882, over 400 miles have been added to the road, the company having spent on new construction $14,230,080 and $1,589,128 on new equipment.

The following, from President Perkins' last report, is of interest, as comparing the business of the com- pany for the past three years :

" The average length of road operated in 1881, was 2,822 miles, and in 1882, 3, 100 miles, an increase of 278 miles. In addition to this mileage, the company con- trols, and practically owns, 700.87 miles of railroad, consisting of the St. Louis, Keokuk & Northwestern, 185.1 miles ; the Chicago, Burlington & Kansas City (old Burlington & Southwestern, 152.6 miles; the Kansas City, St. Joseph & Council Bluffs, 313.17 miles; the St. Joseph & Des Moines (narrow gauge), 50 miles ; also a half interest (the Wabash, St. Louis & Pacific owning the other half) in the Humeston & Shenandoah,

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which is 113 miles in length. All of these roads con- tinue to be operated by the corporations owning them ; and neither the earnings, expenses, statements of roll- ing stock, nor other figues relative to them are included in this report. The return to us for what we have in- vested in them consists, up to the present time, in the traffic they give us, and in the protection afforded by their control. That these properties will, ultimately, yield also a direct return out of their own carnings, there can be no good reason to doubt. They show on the whole a gratifying improvement in 1882 over the pre- vious year ; and the Kansas City, St. Joseph & Council Bluffs line shows a net surplus for the year, after meet- ing its interest and sinking fund charges, of 8346,695-39. which has been used to pay off a floating debt, and in making needed improvements and additions to the property. The increase in gross earnings in 1882, over

1881, was $374.349.28, and in net earnings, $156,900.98, The gross earnings per mile of road operated in 1882, were 86,953.15, against $7,504.06 for 1881. The net earnings per mile operated in 1882, were $3.311.88, against 83.582.54 in 1881. The percentage of operat- ing expenses to gross earnings in 1882, including taxes, was 52.4 against 52.3 in 1881 ; excluding taxes it was, in 1882, 49.5, and in 1881, 49.9. That the year 1882 shows any increase of earnings is due to our lines west of the Missouri River. There has been a large falling off of gross earnings east of the Missouri River, due somewhat to increasing competition, but mainly to the bad crop of 1881, not only giving us less grain to carry, but affecting more or less business of all kinds. In 1880 we carried into Chicago over forty million bushels of corn ; in 1881, twenty-six million ; and in 1882, only fifteen million. This is of course exceptional, and while the tendency to more competition and lower rates is inevitable, we may fairly expect, with the growth of the country, a more or less steady increase of general traffic."

The Chicago, Rock Island & Pacific .- The original charter in Illinois was granted in February, 1847, to the Rock Island & LaSalle Railroad Company. The name was changed to the Chicago & Rock Island by charter . viz .: On 39,792.34 acres; the average rate being thus of February, 1851. A consolidation of this company was effected in August, 1866, with the Chicago, Rock Island & Pacific Railroad of Iowa; the consolidated company taking the name of the Chicago & Rock Island Railroad Company. The main line from Chicago to Rock Island was put in operation July 10, 1854. and through to Council Bluffs, a distance of 500 miles in June, 1869. In 1874 a branch road was constructed through to the Calumet River, known as the South Chicago Branch, nine miles in length. Previous to the Ist of June, 1880, the Chicago, Rock Island & Pacific Railroad operated as lessee in the States of Iowa, Missouri and Kansas, sundry railroads known as the lowa Southern & Missouri Northern Railroad, the Newton & Monroe Railroad, the Atlantic & Audubon Railroad, and the Atlantic Southern Railroad, and had contracted to operate the Avoca, Macedonia & South- western and the Guthrie & Northwestern railroads, two lines in course of construction. They had also extended their Oskaloosa Branch from Washington to Knoxville, a distance of seventy-eight miles, On the 2d day of June, 1880, by a vote of a large majority of the stockholders of these companies, they were consolidated with the Chicago, Rock Island & Pacific Railroad Com- pany assuming the present title,

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History of Cook County, Illinois From the Earliest Period to the Present Time, Part 45

Author: Andreas, A. T. (Alfred Theodore), 1839-1900 Publication date: 1884 Publisher: Chicago : A.T. Andreas Number of Pages: 875

Author: Andreas, A. T. (Alfred Theodore), 1839-1900
Publication date: 1884
Publisher: Chicago : A.T. Andreas
Number of Pages: 875