Madison County, Indiana - Chapter 13, 1897

Chapter 13

The Indiana Central Canal project had been abandoned but a tew vear,s when the subject of a line of railway extending from Indianapolis through Madison county on to Bellefontaine, Ohio, absorbed the public interest along the proposed route. Madison county had no market for her produce, which was increasing yearly as the county developed, and the prospect of securing a railroad was hailed with general satisfaction by the people. There were " croakers" then as now who were opposed to public improvements, and man}- of the objections urged against railroads in general, and the construction of the Bellefontaine railroad in particular, in the light of subsetjuent events, are amusing, to say the least. Several citizens of Anderson, who were " molders of public opinion " in their day, opposed the construction of the road for various reasons. One who Iiad occupied several of the most important offices in the county, and stood high in the confidence of his fellow citizens, did not want the road built for the reason that the cars would run over and kill the children! Another prominent citizen urged that the benefits of the road would not justify the expense to the people, declaring that one train could haul all the produce of the county for twenty years at one load ! Other objections were urged against the building of the road, but the masses of the people were in favor of it, and we find that at the June session, 1849, of the Board of Commissioners, the following : " Ordered that the County Commissioners, for, and on behalf of the county of Madison, take and subscribe the sum of |15,5lX), which, including the sum of ifinOO heretofore subscribed, makes $16,000, as stock in the Indianapolis & Bellefontaine Railroad Company, to be paid in four ecjual annual installments, and to be expended within the county of Madison." Citizens generally subscribed for stock in the company, and the railroad was built, that portion of it passing througii

Madison coiiiily being completed in 1852. The road now belongs to the Big Four sj-stem, and is operated under tiie name of the C. C. C. & St. L. railway.

The first station, or depot, built along the line of this road in Madison county, stood about where the present handsome Big Four depot is located in Anderson. The first agent at Anderson was Philip .Siddall, long since deceased, luit who in his day possessed qualities of the heart that rendered him popular with all classes of people. He was the first telegraph operator at Anderson, having learned the art of telegraphy shortly after it had been adopted by the railway conipany to facilitate its business. Telegraphy, that is electro-telegraphy, was at that time in its infanc}' - the first telegraph line between Washington and Baltimore having been established in 1844 - and messages were not received by sound as they are at the present time, or as they were several years after I'rofessor Morse's invention had proven itself the greatest triumph of modern civilization, but by means of characters indented by the instrument on a narrow strip of paper or " tape." ]Mr. Siddall became very proficient in receiving and transmitting messages by this method.

Extknt Of Track

This branch of the Big Four has nearly twenty-one miles of main track and about six miles of side-track in the county, and is one of the most profitable roads belonging to the system. It is connected with the principal railway systems of the country, and so far as its business in Madison county is concerned, enjoys a prosperity at the present time as compared with its early history that approaches the marvelous. Statistics and other information showing the amount of traffic, both freight and passenger, enjoyed by this company at the present time \y\\\ be found in the history of Anderson township.

What is now known as the Pittsburg, Cincinnati, Chicago & St. Louis railway has been operated under various names, having frequently changed ownership, but it now belongs to the Pennsylvania system. This was the second road built through the county, having been completed in 1855. It was projected as a connecting line between Richmond and Chicago by the management of the Columbus, Piqua & Indian- apolis, and the Riclimoiul & Coxington lines, tlie two latter lines being consolidated in 1804. The road passes through the county from the southeast to the northwest, having about twenty-two and one-half miles of main track according to the last statement filed with the auditor of the county b}' the general superintendent. The company also has about eight miles of side-track, and, at the present time is in a nourishing condition, doing an enormous amount of business in the county.

The first agent of the company in the county was Henry Pyle, Esq., who kept his office in a freight car that had been removed from the track and placed at the side of the track about where the present freight depot in Anderson now stands. This depot was also used for the accommodation of passengers up to b^'.)4, when the present passenger depot, just east of Fletcher street, between Ninth and Tenth, streets, was erected.

While other enterprises have made rapid strides, and the hand of progress can be seen on every turn, the railroads have not been asleep in the last forty years. There is as wide a difference between the railroad equipments and the mode of railroad management, as there is between the fine coach drawn on the streets today and the old wooden axle carriage of that dav. The comparison of one is only a comparison of the other. To illustrate: The Pan Handle railroad was constructed from Richmond to flagerstown in 1850-51, extended to Newcastle in 1852, and reached Anderson in 1855. The equipments of the road at that time would be a curiosity to the present generation. The first engine that ran on the road was called the " Swinett."" It was a very small affair, not much larger than one of the large traction engines in use now for the purpose of running threshing machines. It had no pilot, or "cowcatcher" in front, like the engines of to-day. No coal was used in those days. The smoke stack on the Swinett wa> :i large affair, spreading out at the top, \vith a large sieve co\cring it to arrest the escape of sparks and ashes.

The "'Swinett" coming down the road made much the same appearance of a country boy at a county fair with his pa's plug hat on. At night when she was steamed and her lire-box stufl'cd full of drv wood, as she sailed along through the darkness, she left a string of fire coals streaming over her back like the tail of a comet, often setting fire to strawstacks, barns and fences, and clearing everything in her way. She had painted on the side of her '- tender" the picture of a man with a pig under his arm, the tail in his mouth and he picking on the pig like a banjo. Thus it took its name " ,Swinett."

The " Swinett " had a twin sister that came on the road about the same time, named the "Julia Dean." She was rather smaller, but much handsomer, from the fact that her smoke stack was painted red. As she came sailing along she looked like a sugar trough with a stovepipe stuck up in the center of it. She, like the " Swinett," had no pilot in front. If either of these engines ever struck a cow it was simply a question of wiiich went into the ditch, the cow or the engine.

The people of those days called a locomotive a " bulljine." It was a great treat for the youngsters to go to town on Saturday and see the " liulljine"" come in. After these rude, illshaped engines had served their day and the road had reached further into the fields of prosperity, nev\- and modern engines were placed in service. While they were considered in their day the finest in the land, they would suffer in comparison with the monsters of today.

Every town on the line of the road of anj- importance was anxious to have an engine named for it. The officials, of course, in order to please their patrons, named an engine after Ihe county seats through which the road passed. There were the "New Castle," the " Logansport," the "Anderson" and the "Chicago," all handsome pieces of machinery. Then there was the " S. Fosdick," the largest engine of its day, named in honor of a railway official. But of all the locomotives that ever skipped along the rails of the Pan Handle railroad, from the time the road was first begun up to date, the " Old Hoosier" took the "cake." She was the favorite of all the engineers who traveled the road. Mark Smith was the engineer who handled hor throttle. He was as much a favorite as was his engine. Every woman, man and child on the road knew Mark Smith, and loved him. The "Hoosier" had a whistle that outwhistled all others. People used to say that the whistle of the " Hoosier" when it was thrown wide open would shake the beech-nuts of}' the trees along the road.

John Smock was the first engineer to run an engine on the road. He came to the road with the Swinett and stayed with it as long as the engine was in use and for sometime afterward. Smock was a terrible swearer. It is said that he could curse the old Swinett until it would begin to move, without fire, water or steain. It was his delijjlit to see a team of horses skip out over a corntield alonij the road when scared at the cars. He often blew tiie wiiistle when there was no earthly need of it, just to scare somebody's Iiorses and see them run.

Among the early engineers on the road was a man named Skinner. lie for many years ran the " Old Chicago.'' She was a monster for that day, built for a passenger run. Extra large drive wheels, with the gearing or side rods inside of the tlrivers. Skinner was an awful man to swear. He made the air blue when anything went wrong. A man by the name of (jrimes was also an early engineer.

Tom Clark was the first conductor on the road. He was a whole team bv himself. He knew everybody on the road, and everybody knew him. He swore, chewed tobacco, smoked and drank good liquor, and had a good time generally. He retired many years ago, and lived on a farm near Riciimond, where, it is said, he died some years ago. There was only one train each way a day from Anderson to Richmond. It was a mixed train of freight and passenger cars. Tom Clark was the only conductor, and ran the whole business. Afterward separate trains were made up exclusively of passenger coaches, and more conductors were needed.

Then came John C. Huddleston, Charley Lincoln and Elijah Holland, of Newcastle. " Lige " wore a blue cloth " spike-tailed " coat with brass buttons, with a beautiful growth of red whiskers to match. Then there were Thompson, Plimpton, Muchmore, Billie Patterson, Bogart and others whose names are now forgotten. Bogart was a little New York dandv ; looked like he had just come out of a bandbox. He was unused to Iloosier customs. The boys along the road used to have lots of fun at his expense. They " kidded " him in many ways.

Plimpton was an eastern dude, brought out here by some of the stock-holders and placed on the road. He was universally dislikeil by all of the patrons of the road as well as by the crews who ran the trains.

John C. Huddleston is still living a retired life in New Castle, and is one of the largest land owners in Henry county. He has acres and acres of Blue river bottom land that one can see as they near New Castle on the Pan Handle train. It looks like the Garden of Eden. He had hi^ foot cut oft' at

Knightstown in 1800 by the cars running it. It is s.iid he was there on some political business and did not want it known, but the accident brought it out.

There was no telegraph line on the road then, and a conductor had to be " up to snuff"' to run a train. It was no boy's plaj' in those days to be a conductor.

The engine " Anderson "' did service for se\eral years on the road, and was a general favorite among railroaders as well as the public. She finally ended her existence by suicide about the year 1860, exploding her boiler while standing on the track in the town after which she was named, while her engineer was eating a lunch in a small restaurant or lunch room kept by " Buff " Dehority, situated near where Wellingtons flouring mills now stand opposite the Pan Handle depot. She was blown into fragments. The boiler was completely demolished and thrown in all directions. H. J. Daniels, ex-postmaster of Anderson, kept a grain house near there, and was a witness to the explosion. Xo one was hurt, but everybody for a great distance was badly scared and shakeri up.

A tragedy of enormous proportions came near being enacted while the road was being constructed. Theie was a deep cut to be made just east of Hagarstown through the farm of Hugh Allen. The contractors had their stables and boarding houses erected on the farm, spending all of one summer and part of one winter tiicre. There was a man bv the name of William Babbitt, who now lives in Da)-ton, Ohio, who was the " boss" on the work. All of iiis men ^vere Irish who had not been long in America, brougiit here by the many public works going on at that time. I'abbitt was a good, kind-hearted man, dearly beloved by all his men. Any one of them would have laid down his life for him. From some cause Babbitt was removed from the work, and a man by the name of Sam Finnej^ took his place. This did not suit the men. Finney was a grufl', rough-spoken man, tyrannical in his manners, and was no time in incurring the dislike of the men. Matters grew steadily worse until open rebellion came near being the outcome. Something occurred that so enraged the men that a secret plot was laid to kill Finney. It is said that at ni<rht after work had been abandoned a grave was dug in the bottom of the " pit " and plans were laid wiiereliy Finnev, when he came to work in the mornini)', was to be killed and his bod)- buried in tlie pit.

There was a man on tiie work bv tlie name of McDonald, a Scotch-Irishman, who knew of the scheme. He, at the risk of his own life, slipped in the nij^ht over to the house of Hugh Allen, where Finney boarded, and told liini of the awful fate that awaited him if he went to work in the morning. Finney was brave as a lion, and was not to be scared. He went next morning, armed to the hilt, and met the men, telling them of the conspiracy, and that he knew of their designs many days before, and defying them, he blufTed them out. He W'as removed from the job and someone else put in his place, and all went on in peace. There are, perhaps, some of the Irish people yet living in Matlison county who remember this occurrence, as several of them helped to build the okl Pan Handle road. McDonald, who gave the affair away, would, no doubt, have suffered the penaltv fi.xed for Finney had he been known to have divulged it. What became of Finney , the writer does not know, but for t!ie remaining years of his existence, from that memorable night, he owes to McDonald, the Scotch-Irishman.

Col. Ninevah Berry was one of the first mail agents on the road. He was elected treasurer of Madison county while running on the road, and John C. Huddleston, while conductor on the same train, was elected treasurer of Henry county. James Blanchard was the first superintendent of the road, and a man of the name of Tinney, who had one '- squint " eye, was the first road-master. All of the older people remember Tinnev. He was a good business man and an imceasing worker. Tinney was a nervous fellow and could not endure tobacco smoke. One time he was coming up the road on a local freight, riding in a caboose. Tom Clark, the conductor, luid a boy, who was a brakeman. and he was a He was smoking a "barn yard regalia," making the air blue with smoke. Tinney drove him out of the car with his cigar, so he crawled up on top, shutting the door and fastening it outside He took a board, placed it over the stove pipe and sat down on it, so the smoke from the stove could not escape. He smoked Tinney until he got to the ne.xt station, when he got down, asking him how he liked that kind of smoke.

In 1869 a proposition was made to the people residinif in Anderson, Monroe and \"an Buren townships, looking to the construction of a line of road from White Pigeon, Michigan, to the city of Anderson. The company as originally organized %vas known as the Grand Rapids, Wabash & Cincinnati Railroad. About the same time a proposition was made for the construction of a road through the county known as the Lafavette, Muncie & Bloomington Railroad, and at a special session of the Board of Commissioners held on the 12th of October, 18(59, we find that a petition was presented to the Hoard asking " that an election be held on Mondaj', November 15, 18(59, for the purpose of taking a vote upon the question of appropriating !i>147,000, by Madison county, to aid in the construction of the roads above named." The election was ordered and resulted in a majority in favor of the proposition. A tax levy was made in accordance with the result of the vote but a number of persons brougiit suit to enjoin the collection of the tax and after a few years of litigation the supreme court decided against the company and the tax that had been paid to the count}' treasurer was refunded to the tax-payers.

Nothing furllier was done towards building the C. W. & M. road until 1874 when another petition was presented to the Commissioners at the March term of that year asking that an election be held in Anderson township on the 2nd of May for the purpose of taking a vote upon the question of donating 128,000 to aid in the construction of the road. At the same time similar petitions were presented from Monroe, Van Buren and Boone townships, the subsidies to be voted upon in these townships being respectively $24,000 in Monroe, .i!8,000 in Van Buren and $7,500 in Boone. The election was held in accordance with the order of the commissioners and resulted in favor of granting the appropriations in ^Vnderson, Monroe and Boone townships. The proposition was defeated in Van liuren township by a vote of 90 for, to 12(j against. There were complaints of illegal votes being returned in favor of the appropriation in Boone township and they were not considered in the count thereby defeating the proposition. Another election was held on December 15, 1874, in Van Buren, but the proposition was again defeated. Aid was subsequently voted in this township, however, and the work of extending the road from Wabash south was begun. The road was completed to Anderson in 1876, intersecting the P. C. C. & St. L. about two miles north of the city of Anderson. An arrangement was affected with the P. C. C. & vSt. L. road by which the C. W. i-^ M. used its track into Anderson, until the latter could construct a bridge across White river and extend its track into the city. This arrangement lasted for several months, or until the C. \V. & M. bridge was completed and a depot had been erected on the east side of the road between Fifth and Sixth streets. This depot was subsequent!}' burned, but as the road was leased at the time b}' the Big Four, was not rebuilt, the passengers and freight being handled at the depots of the latter company.

The first president of the C. W. cS: M. road was Mr. A. T. Gardner, of Michigan, a gentleman of the highest probity and moral worth. He had been very active in his efforts to complete the road to Anderson, and he had no sooner seen the work accomplished, which was early in May, 1876, than he was taken suddenly ill of fexer and died at the .Stilwell House (now Doxey) after a very brief illness. His remains were taken to his Michigan home for interment on the first passenger train that was run over the road between Anderson and Wabash, and were accompanied as far as the latter city by one hundred of Anderson's business men and prominent citizens.

The Southern Extension

It was the design of the original company operating the C. W. & M. to extend the road as far south as the Ohio river, and into the city of Louisville, Ky., but nothing was done until 1890, when work was begun on the extension. The work was pushed with all possible vigor, and in May, 1891, it was announced by the company that the road was open for traffic from its northern terminus, Benton Harbor, Mich., to Louisville. Ky.

The C. W. &. M. division has thirty-one and one-half miles of main track in the count}'. It does a large business both in handling freight and passengers, and is said to be one of the most prosperous lines of the Big Four system.

The agitation of the construction of this road was begun in 1870, but owing to various circumstances the work of building the road was not begun until 1875. At the September term, 1871, of the Board of Commissioners, Colonel T. N. Stilwell, the first president of the road, and its most active promoter, presented a petition numerously signed bv prominent citizens and tax-payers, asking the Board to order an e'ection for Anderson township, the same to be held on the 21st day of October, 1871, for the purpose of taking a vote upon the subject of appropriating money " to aid in the construction of the Anderson, Lebanon & St. Louis railroad.'" At the same time a petition was presented to the board by a number of representative citizens and taxpayers of Stony Creek township, asking that an election be held on the same date in that township, for the purpose of voting a tax of 20 per cent, on the ta.xable property of the township, to aid in luiildiiig the road. The Board ordered an election held in each township, which resulted in favor of granting aid to the road. The construction of the road was begun at Anderson, but on the refusal of many to pay the tax voted, the inability of the company to raise other funds necessary to the accomplishment of the work, together with other obstacles that were continually arising, very slow progress \vas made in carrving out the designs of the original promoters of the road. The management of the road changed hanJs several times, and was finally completed to Brazil, Ind., in 18U8, by Harry Crawford, sr., of Chicago, who had act[uired a controlling interest in the stock.

In 1894 an etTort was made to extend the road to Muncie from Anderson, but after tiie right of way had been secured and a large portion of the road graded, work was abandoned for want of funtls and has not been resumed up to the pre>ent time. The road has six and one-half miles of main track and a mile of sid^-track in the county.

So far as the benefits derived from the road by the localities through which it passes in Madison count}- are concerned, they have fallen greatly below the public's expectation. The road thus far has been a disappointment and from the present outlook the hopes entertained for it by those most interested, will never be realized, although those who are controlling its

Lake Erie And Western' Railroad

This road runs through Pipe Creek and Monroe townships. It was constructed in 1875-6, and was known originally as the Lafayette, Muncie & Bloomington road. It has fifteen and one-half miles of main track in the county and is one of the most important lines of the sj-stem to which it belongs.

This is a private corporation and was constructed in 1892 under the auspices of a number of manufacturers and others interested in providing better shipping facilities for the numerous manufacturing establishments at Anderson. The purpose of the company was to build a road that would girdle the city, but up to the present time only about three miles of track have been laid. The road begins at a point south-east of the intersection of the Big Four and Pan Handle lines and runs round the cit}-, its present terminus being west of the city near the Cathedral glass works. The president of the company is Mr. C. P. Garvey, who is also president of the American Wire Nail Co., at Anderson ; W. T. Durbin is treasurer, and \\'. L. Finch, secretary.

It will be seen from the foregoing that Madison county is amply provided with shipping facilities. There are but four townships in the county the territory of which is not touched or traversed by a line of railroad. These roads have contributed their share in the wonderful development of the county. They have demonstrated to manufacturers and business men generally, seeking a location, that Madison county is not isolated from the world.