USA > Indiana > Marion County > Indianapolis > Hyman's handbook of Indianapolis : an outline history and description of the capital of Indiana, with over three hundred illustrations from photographs made expressly for this work (1907) > Part 9
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Thirtieth Street Bridge over Fall creek is a reinforced concrete structure, two spans over the creek and one span over the boulevard drive way. It is faced with Bedford stone and built at a cost of $75,000, by Wm. Fife & Son.
Thirtieth Street Bridge over White river is a three-span Melan arch bridge; 425x70 feet, and built at a cost of $170,000, by the Marion County Construction Company.
The Merchants Heat and Light Company supplies steam heat, electric light and power, operating under a franchise from the city of Indianapolis. The distributing pipes, conduits and appurtenances are required to be placed underground in the district known as the original mile square, to which territory the operations of the company are chiefly confined. This company was organized, and its common stock is held, by the largest retail merchants of the city, embracing all but a few of the members of the Merchants' Association. The use of nat-
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MERCHANTS HEAT AND LIGHT COMPANY.
ural gas for fuel here for so many years resulted in leaving the indi- vidual heating and lighting plants throughout the business section of the city practically without equipment for the burning of coal when the gas supply became exhausted. This was the primary cause for the or- ganization of the company. In its original inception the intention was to supply heat and light only to the stockholders, but the demand for service from the company at once became so general that this plan was radically modified before the actual work of construction began. A very large part of the patronage of the company now comes from others that the stockholders and members of the Merchants' Association. The company's power house is located at New Jersey and Pearl streets, and it has an electric substation at No. 31 W. Pearl street. The general offices are at 25 South Pennsylvania street. At the present time this company has an investment of approximately one million dollars.
The Central States Bridge Company, formerly the Newcastle Bridge Company of Newcastle, Ind., moved to Indianapolis in the spring of 1902, and has been successful iu handling some of the largest con- tracts both in the city and county, and has executed them in a manner that will secure for it the future business of the parties for whom the work was done. This company does both structural steel work and
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bridge work; also heavy concrete masonry work. Below are a few of the contracts it has to its credit:
Steel work in the Grand Lodge K. of P. building, Indianapolis.
Steel work in Castle Hall K. of P. building, Indianapolis.
New York Central shops at Beech Grove, Ind.
Massachusetts avenue elevated, Indianapolis.
Warman avenue elevated for the Pennsylvania R. R., Indianapolis. Six large bridges over power canal at Sault Ste. Marie, Mich.
Emrichsville bridge, Indianapolis.
West Michigan street bridge, Indianapolis.
Live stock show pavilion, state fair grounds, Indianapolis.
Superstructure of the River avenue bridge, Indianapolis.
Union station and viaduct at Lexington, Ky.
Large viaduct at Clifton Forge, Va.
Several other large contracts might be mentioned, but we are at- tempting to give only a few of the most important ones.
The location of this company is ideal for their business, being on the Belt railroad.
The officers of the company are: T. L. Campbell, president; J. E. Troyer, vice-president and chief engineer; Eugene Runyan, secretary and general manager; Levi S. Pierson, treasurer.
George W. Fife, stone and concrete bridge builder, is successor to the old established firm of Wm. Fife & Son. This was the oldest con- cern in this city engaged in this line of work, and the contracts com- pleted by it stand as monuments of its ability. Some of the more notable work done by this firm are: The bridge over White river on West Washington street, the beautiful bridges over Thirtieth street at Fall creek, the College avenue bridge and the Morris street bridge over White river, all of which are illustrated iu this book. This concern did all of the masonry work for the Big Four railroad for twelve con- secutive years between Cincinnati and Chicago.
Wm. Fife, the founder of the firm, died April, 1907, and his son will bring to the new concern the experience gained in his past asso- ciation with the work. The office is located in room 412, Knights of Pythias building, 230 East Ohio street.
Mansfield Engineering Company-This company was formed by the association of Mr. Henry A. Mansfield and Mr. DeWitt V. Moore, who are the only ones interested, about six or seven years ago. The company maintains a corps of graduated engineers and designers, and is prepared to handie any civil engineering proposition, with especial reference to reinforced concrete design and construction of steam and electric railway surveys and construction. In reinforced concrete de- signing this company Is a pioneer in this vicinity, and at the present time represents one of the best known and most widely used systems
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of construction, namely, that of the Trussed Concrete Steel Company. of Detroit, Mich., using the Kahn system, consisting of the Kahn sheared bar, the Kahn cup bar and the Kahn ribbed metal and ex- panded metal. With the various forms of reinforcing material and the experience in hundreds of structures, this company is prepared to make designs for any kind of an architectural or engineering structure. The company's experience in interurban railway construction has been very extensive, and their reports, prospecti, designs, etc., on a large number of propositions have been very highly complimented upon, not only by local institutions, but by the larger financial institutions of the East.
SUBSTRUCTURE BY THE MOORE-MANSFIELO CONSTRUCTION CO.
SUPERSTRUCTURE BY THE CENTRAL STATES BRIDGE CO.
RIVER AVENUE BRIDGE OVER WHITE RIVER.
The Moore=Mansfield Construction Company-This construction company was incorporated in August, 1902, by the association of Mr. Henry A. Mansfield, C. E., and DeWitt V. Moore, C. E., and their con- nections. Both of these gentlemen had had an extensive experience in construction work before the organization of the company, both having been connected with the Pennsylvania lines west of Pittsburg in the engineering department, and in addition Mr. Mansfield was city en- gineer of Indianapolis during the term of Mr. Sullivan.
In the five years' life of the company about seventy-five contracts have been executed. The work of this company in engineering design and construction has been so diversified, and has covered so broad a field that in more than the usual sense of the word they have a right to style themselves as "general contractors."
A brief outline of some of the work done by this company during the past five years covers a great variety of work, of which might be mentioned.
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Indianapolls & Plainfield electric railway ; numerous side tracks and accessories for industries of Indianapolis; concrete intakes for In- dianapolis Traction and Terminal Co .; Pogue's run bridge work for In- dianapolis Union Ry. Co .; bridge work to the extent of 40,000 cubic yards for the Big Four, Cincinnati division, and other smaller work for same company; intake and outfall for water supply from Fall creek for the Indianapolis Light and Heat Company ; the River avenue bridge, a view of which appears in this work; the boulevard along the south side of Fall creek between Capitol and Central avenues, and under- grade crossing of Pleasant run boulevard between Belt railroad for Indianapolis Union Ry. Co., and also similar work now under way along the north side of Fall creek between same points; Pennsylvania street sewer north of Fall creek for city of Indianapolis; reinforced concrete skeleton construction of the new Board of Trade building, Indianapolis ; promotion and completion of the Indianapolis, Crawfordsville & West- ern Traction Co., which is one of the latest and best lines entering In- dianapolis ; plain and reinforced concrete work in connection with the Big Four shops at Beech Grove, Indianapolis; twenty-eight reinforced concrete bridges on the line of the Indianapolis, New Castle & Toledo electric railway between Indianapolis and New Castle.
In addition to the large amount of work in and around Indianap- olis this company has and is now doing a large amount of work through- out the state, from complete construction of concrete buildings to the complete construction of internrban and steam railways.
This company believes in engineering design and engineering super- vision of all construction work, and has an efficient corps of graduated engineers, and is prepared with an organization of men, tools and machinery to handle any proposition along the above lines.
The management of the company is divided between Mr. Henry A. Mansfield, president and treasurer, and Mr. DeWitt V. Moore, vice-presi- dent and secretary.
Central Union Telephone Company-Indianapolis is the general headquarters of the Central Union Telephone Company, which conducts the organized telephone business of Ohio, Indiana and Illinois in the Bell telephone system. The company moved into its new headquarters building at New York and Meridian streets in October, 1907. The first telephone exchange in Indianapolis, operated by a company of which the .Central Union is a successor, was a small affair. It has since grown until the Central Union has now 13,000 telephones in Indianap- olis and 5,000 more in the immediate suburbs. The traffic is handled through five exchanges-"Main," located on the upper floors of the new building; "North," on Twenty-fourth street ; "Irvington," on East Wash- ington street ; "Woodruff," on North Rural street, and "Prospect," on Shelby street. As the city grows and the outlying districts are more
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CENTRAL UNION TELEPHONE COMPANY BUILDING.
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MERIDIAN STREET BRIDGE AND BOULEVARD APPROACH.
thickly settled it is likely that other branches will be established. The company has the most complete long-distance service in existence over its own lines, covering the three states and over the lines of the Ameri- can Telephone and Telegraph Company, reaching all the principal cities and towns in the United States and Canada east of the Rocky moun- tains. These lines are constructed of large gauge copper wire, and con- versation over them is as clear and satisfying as over local lines. The new building is an eight-story structure and one of the best constructed in the city. The company's general headquarters were moved from Chi- cago four years ago, Indianapolis being considered a more suitable place.
The officers of the company are as follows: President, L. G. Rich- ardson ; vice-president and general manager, H. F. Hill; secretary and treasurer, W. S. Chapman; assistant treasurer, C. L. McNaughton ; auditor, John Uprichard.
New Long Distance Telephone Company, located at 230 North Meridian street, was organized in 1898 for the purpose of giving toll line service to the independent telephone companies throughout Indiana and adjoining states. The development of the toll line branch of the telephone business has been in keeping with the exchange development,
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and this company now has radiating out of Indianapolis to all parts of the state a complement of more than 1,000 miles of pole line and 8,400 miles of wire.
The company furnishes toll line facilities for the 200,000 independent telephones in the state, giving rapid service not only to Indianapolis but to all the principal towns and cities in adjoining states. Its con- nection with the other large toll line systems of the East, West and South makes it an integral part of the great independent system which has so rapidly developed throughout the United States during the past ten years.
The same officers operate and control the New long distance system and the Indianapolis exchange system, making the two practically one large corporation.
The Indianapolis Telephone Company was organized in 1904 as a holding company, taking over by lease all the property of the New Telephone Company in Indianapolis and Marion county and operating it as an independent telephone plant. The main exchange and general offices are at 230 North Meridian street, in the company's building, which is now too small for the increasing business. Branch exchanges
INDIANAPOLIS TELEPHONE EXCHANGE.
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at Twenty-second street and Talbott avenue for the North Side, 1025 Prospect street for the South Side, North Indianapolis, Broad Ripple, Irvington, Lawrence, New Augusta, Cumberland and Clermont are all connected with the main exchange, the total number of telephones in use being in excess of 12,000. These lines connect with the New Long Distance Telephone Company's wires, which reach all over Indiana and adjoining states, in Indiana alone giving subscribers access to over 200,- 000 telephones. The officers of the company are: James S. Brailey, jr., president ; George C. Hitt, vice-president, secretary and treasurer ; James E. Brailey, general manager, and John A. Moriarty, assistant general manager.
The Indianapolis Gas Company, engaged in furnishing artificial gas to the city of Indianapolis, was incorporated in 1890 as successor to the Indianapolis Gaslight and Coke Company, the Electric Lighting, Gas Heating and Illuminating Company and the Indianapolis Natural Gas Company. The Indianapolis Gaslight and Coke Company started business in 1951. Natural gas was supplied in the city from 1888 to 1903. In 1902, knowing that natural gas would soon be a thing of the past, the Indianapolis Gas Company purchased a tract of 2612 acres
VIEW ON FALL CREEK BOULEVARD.
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INDIANAPOLIS GAS CO.
MAJESTIC BUILDING.
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PLANT OF INDIANAPOLIS GAS COMPANY.
on Langsdale avenue and the Big Four railroad and started the erection of a new gas works, which they realized would be necessary as soon as natural gas gave out. This plant has been added . to since that time, so that now the com- pany has a combined coal gas and water gas plant having a daily capacity of about 7,000,000 cubic feet. In building this plant it was always the aim of the com- pany to install only the most modern and economical machinery, the result being that the company has one of the best gas plants in the country.
The policy of the company is liberal and progressive, and it has had marked success in promoting the sales of gas for domestic and industrial uses. The com- pany is giving excellent service, and is using every endeavor to educate its con- sumers in the economical use of gas, and for this purpose they have opened a sales department which carries a full line of all the best gas appliances, and has a full corps of instructors and inspectors who keep in constant touch with its consumers.
The company now has over 30,000 con- sumers and over 300 miles of mains. Gas was first sold in 1851 for $4.50 per 1,000 cubic feet, but reductions made from time to time have brought it down to the pres- ent price of 90 cents per 1,000 cubic feet.
The officers of the company are: F. S. Hastings, president; E. C. Benedict, vice- president ; Wm. M. Stevenson, secretary, and Edward Beers, treasurer. Since 1905 the active management of the company has been in the hands of Carl H. Graf as general manager.
The offices are located in the Majestic Building, northeast corner of Pennsyl- vania and Maryland streets. This build- ing is one of the handsomest in the city.
IIPPER PUMPING STATION. INDIANAPOLIS WATER COMPANY.
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The Indianapolis Water Company is a corporation organized un- der the statutes of 1865. and operates under a franchise granted by the city in 1869. Under authority conferred by these the company is charged with the duty of supplying the city with water for extinguish- ing fires. finshing streets and sewers, filling cisterns and for public uses generally, including hospitals, markets, engine and hose reel houses, and with furnishing the citizens good potable water for domestic, indus- trial and manufacturing purposes. The company has up to this date laid 291 miles of mains from It has erected pumping ma- is estimated at 82,000,000 ery is contained in four dif- are exceptionally handsome. has surrounding it 252 acres,
four inches to thirty-six inches. chinery the capacity of which gallons daily. This machin- ferent buildings, two of which The Riverside pumping station part of it being in a park adjoin- ing the buildings. The water which the company supplies is furnished mainly from its slow sand filtration system, which is regarded as one of the most perfect in the country. The water after it passes through the filters is exceedingly beautiful, bright and sparkling as spring water. In addi- tiou to the supply from LOWER PUMPING STATION. the filters the company has a deep well supply, the water from the wells being lifted by compressed air.
In granting the franchise to the company the city reserved the right to take stock in the company or to buy it or to build for itself. The city and citizens up to the present time have been indifferent as to the purchase, for the reason that it has been able to obtain from the company all that it could obtain if the works were owned by the city. Rates to the citizens for domestic supply have been below the average of the country, and as to fire protection, the national board of fire un- derwriters in the recent report on conditions in Indianapolis said, "Pressure satisfactory and well maintained."
The city, through its Board of Public Works, Board of Health and Charities and Board of Public Safety, exercises much control over the company. The Board of Public Works has the right to compel the com-
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UPPER PUMPING STATION, INDIANAPOLIS WATER COMPANY.
pany to lay 40,000 feet of mains annually, to take up and relocate fire hydrants, to connect cisterns with the mains, to repair the streets where they have been opened by the company, and to remove its mains and hydrants when they interfere with public improvements, all without expense to the city. For public use the city pays an annual rental of $45 per hydrant, which covers all that the city is obligated to pay, and includes not only the water used for fire protection purposes, but also that used for flushing sewers and cleaning streets, as well as a large amount of so-called "free water" used in the city buildings, the hos- pitals, the market houses, engine and hose reel houses and public parks. When the taxes paid by the company, which are at this time averaging 8 per cent. of its gross receipts, and the wear and depreciation are taken into account the rental seems reasonable. This is especially true
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since the result of the extension of water mains on order of the Board of Public Works is that citizens build residences, factories and store- houses the taxes upon which amount to many times the hydrant rental. it is even not uncommon that the increased taxes paid by the water company on these new mains, valves, hydrants and branches more than pay the entire hydrant rental on that particular line. These facts and the knowledge that under private ownership the operation of the prop- erty will be free from political influence, that there will be continuity of policy which would be impossible under changing management in- evitable with shifting political control of city government, and that the employes of the company, under assurance of long employment in ex- change for good service, are encouraged to put forth their best efforts- these considerations make the people hesitate to assume the burdens and responsibilities inseparable from a service that is so identified with the life, health and prosperity of the community. No one can read the statutes and ordinances under which the water company operates with- out coming to the conclusion that the city already exercises such a com- plete control over the operation of the company that little could be gained under public ownership except the satisfaction of civic pride, which hardly seems a sufficient consideration as long as the water com- pany keeps pace, as at present, with the growth of the city.
There is ample evidence that the management of the water com- pany believes that Indianapolis is to be a great city, and that the problem of the water supply for the future Indianapolis will grow more difficult every year. Only recently the company has purchased a 100- acre tract lying between the canal and the river for the purpose of constructing a huge storage reservoir having a capacity of about 400,- 000,000 gallons. It also will construct near the filtration system a sedi- mentation basin that will hold more than 100,000,000 gallons. An addi- tional clear water reservoir of 6,000,000 gallons capacity is nearing completion at the Riverside pumping station. In compliance with the contract with the city the company has already laid 40,000 feet of new mains this year. All of which means a liberal expenditure of money, and shows that the company has absolute confidence in the future growth of Indianapolis.
The capital stock of the company is $500,000 ; bonded indebtedness, $3,800,000. Officers are: F. A. W. Davis, president and treasurer ; L. C. Boyd, vice-president ; Hugh McK. Landon, secretary ; directors, E. P. Kimball, E. T. Kimball, Edward Daniels, Albert Baker, V. T. Ma- lott, C. H. Payson. E. R. Payson, Herbert Payson, C. S. Andrews, L. C. Boyd, F. A. W. Davis, Geo. W. Landon, H. MeK. Landon.
The Western Union Telegraph Company is associated with the earliest history of Indianapolis. The first telegraph company that
VIEW IN NORTH DELAWARE STREET.
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operated from this point was known as the Ohio, Illinois and Indiana Telegraph Company, and the line was constructed from Cincinnati to Chicago, via Lafayette, over the highway. This was before any rail- roads had been projected in that direction. The office was opened in 1848. In 1851 a line was built from Cincinnati, known as the Cincin- nati and St. Louis Telegraph Company, or Wade lines, with Mr. Jonn F. Wallick, the present superintendent of the Western Union Telegraph Company at this point, as manager. The lines were operated under this name until 1856, when the title changed to the Union Telegraph Company, and soon after became what is known as the Western Union Telegraph Company. At this time Mr. Wallick operated the office with the assistance of one man. Prior to that time he managed the office alone. As the town grew, the business of the company kept pace with it, and more operators were added to the force under Mr. Wallick, and 1867 found the distinguished name of Thomas A. Edison on the pay rolls of this office. He had just entered on the career that has since made him world famous. The company occupies the building at the southeast corner of Meridian and Monument place, and in addition maintains sev- eral branch offices in the city.
The American District Telegraph Company of Indiana was in- corporated in June, 1898, with only one office in Indianapolis. This company took over the messenger service of the Western Union Tele- graph Company, delivering and collecting all the telegrams of that com- pany. It also does special messenger work, delivering packages, adver- tising matter, etc. One of the principal features of the company's busi- ness is the operation of a night watch system for factories and mercan- tile houses and au auxiliary fire alarm, as well as police call and burglar alarm system connected with the main office of the District company. The offices are located at 29 Monument place. The officers are John F. Wallick, superintendent; John G. Wallick, assistant superintendent.
The Postal Telegraph Cable Company established its offices in this city November 1. 1885. The offices are located at 9 and 11 South Me- ridian street.
TRANSPORTATION AND TRANSIT
STEAM, ELECTRIC AND INTERURBAN RAILROADS-EXPRESS, TRANSFER AND STORAGE COMPANIES.
Railway Facilities-The great resources of Indianapolis have been made available as elements of progress by the development of trans- portation facilities that are exceptional in their completeness. The earliest years of the state's history preceded the railway era, and dur- ing those first years the towns that were located upon the Ohio river and the lower Wabash had a great advantage over any other of the locations in the state. Soon afterward came the canal building era,
OLD UNION DEPOT, 1887.
when American enterprise manifested itself all over the country in the endeavor to give convenient outlets to the products of the various sections through the medium of artificial waterways, Indiana especially participating in the extensive canal building activity by constructing the Wabash & Erie canal from Toledo to Evansville, 476 miles, which is the longest in the United States, part of which is being held -by slack-water navigation on the Maumee and Wabash rivers. The White- water canal, from Lawrenceburg, on the Ohio, to Hagerstown, was also built, and these waterways for many years constituted the principal features, outside of the Ohio river, in the transportation facilities of
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