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The Owosso Argus-Press April 3, 1923

PERE MARQUETTE WILL ACQUIRE TOLEDO LAND

Toledo, O., April 3 – (By A. P.) – Title to several acres of land in a strip between the Pere Marquette railroad and the Dixie Highway near Erie, Michigan, eventually will pass to the Pere Marquette for yard purposes, it was announced here Monday.

Acquiring the land and constructing yards and shops will require the expenditure of several millions of dollars, it was announced. The Pere Marquette several years ago negotiated an agreement with the Ann Arbor railroad for the use of the latter's yards at annual rental of $25,000. This contract was recently canceled which has caused the Pere Marquette to search for new yard facilities.


The Owosso Argus-Press April 6, 1923

COMPANY TO ERECT NEW ROUND HOUSE FIRST, THEN NEW MACHINE SHOP, ON CALEDONIA SITE

Purchases New Engines, Will Enlarge Ferry System, to Handle Big Through Tonnage to Northwest

The Ann Arbor Railroad company will build a new roundhouse, first, then a new machine shop, on the 17 acre site between Owosso and Corunna, donated by the business interests of the city some years ago. Just when these will be built, is not yet certain, but it will be in the near future.

This was the statement of Newman Erb, president of the road, who passed through here late Thursday afternoon after a trip inspection of the northern end of the line. With Mr. Erb were E. F. Blomeyer, vice president and general manager of the road, and several other officials including S. E. Summerfield of New York, a heavy stockholder and member of the board of directors. George E. Carr, trainmaster, joined the party here and went to Toledo with the officials.

Mr. Erb also confirmed the Flint story that the Ann Arbor would go into Flint before long, and that if it is unable to come to terms with the Grand Trunk railroad for the use of its tracks between Durand and Flint, it will build a new line, paralleling the Grand Trunk main line. There is no chance for the proposed Flint branch to start from Owosso, Mr. Erb said, because of the increased distance.

Distance Governing Factor

“from Durand to Flint is approximately 17 miles” said Mr. Erb. “From Owosso to Flint is between 25 and 28 miles. There are two things to consider. First, that of the original cost of building the road, and second, the cost of operation, afterwards. It would cost nearly twice as much to build from Owosso to Flint and nearly twice as much to operate after it was built.

“In these days of low revenues and high wages, when no railroad is paying its stockholders any dividends, we conserve every dollar.”

Mr. Erb said that the motive of the company is seeking entrance to Flint was that enormous tonnage in and out of Flint might be secured for the Ann Arbor, which he said is the logical road to connect the Toledo gateway with the northwest.

“Flint,” said Mr. Erb, “uses enormous quantities of raw materials, steel and coal, that must all come through the the Toledo gateway.

She also puts and enormous tonnage of finished products for the east and west. The Ann Arbor road, with a Flint branch, could connect Flint directly with both the Toledo gateway and the northwest.

Enlarge Ferry System

“Our ferry system has been enlarged and we are planing on enlarging our dock and terminal facilities at Frankfort and at Manitowoc, Wis. As a matter of fact it is our cross-lake business that keeps the road going. If it were not for this business, we would have tear up the rails and quit business.

Mr. Erb cited the fact that the Chicago, Burlington & Quincy railroad, with the Great Northern and North Pacific, contemplated the acquisition of lines to Great Lakes ports reached by the Ann Arbor, as proof of the soundness of the company's theory that the big railroad business of the future lies in the transportation

of through tonnage from manufacturing centers, and that the Ann Arbor railroad is ideally located for this. Big shippers are now seeking transportation over roads that will permit them to avoid congestion and delay in the centers, particularly Chicago. Shipment over the Ann Arbor will do just that.

The new branch line to Flint will not affect Owosso directly, Mr. Erb said, but it will mean that, as the business of the road grows, it will give employment to more men and division headquarters here, Owosso will benefit.

“We have needed the new shops badly for years and have been very anxious to build them, but things have not broken right for us. We have never been able to pay any dividends to our security holders, and the improvements that have

been made, including the laying of 85 pound steel rails and the purchase of two new ferries, as well as the purchase of new engines and rolling stock have had to be made out of bond issues.

“But we must have a new round house. The present building is far too small. We plan to build a new one as soon as we can on the site given us some years ago east of the city. Then a new machine shop will be built. The large site will give us ample room out there, and the removal of the present building will give us more yard capacity here.

Mr. Erb said that the company had just purchased five new engines, all larger than any now in service on the road. This makes a total of 52 engines the company will have.

“While numerically this purchase increase our engine capacity ten per cent it will increase our tonnage capacity nearly 20 per cent.


Benzie County Patriot April 26, 1923

CARFERRY RESCUES MAROORED LOGGERS FROM LOGGERS FROM FOX ISLAND

Perilous Undertaking For Airplanes Proves To Be Light Task For Ann Arbor Railroad Boat.

The final scene of the rescuing of the ten starving people marooned upon Fox Island shifted from Northport, the nearest point on the mainland to Frankfort, when car ferry No. 5 of the Ann Arbor tine broke through the ice to the island. She brought the six men and one woman together with the aviators and newspaper men had landed on the island carrying a supply of food and whose planes had become disabled, adding four more to the stranded party.

The band to workers had been on the island since last November in tie employ of the Zapf packing company of Traverse City. The company had left supplies sufficient to carry them through an ordinary winter. But the belated spring taxed too heavily their food supply and the unfortunate people have been subsisting upon frozen potatoes and beans and had only a couple of day's rations of these.

Because of the poor food, mutiny broke out In the camp about a month ago. Last week three men made the nearly impossible trip to the mainland and reported the conditions existing. Immediately an airplane from Selfridge field was dispatched to Northport to carry food across. This plane came to grief while landing on the Ice in the bay. Two more planes were sent which made the island and carried enough food to relieve the famine, but these carriers of the air were put out of commission and their return made impossible.

There were many conflicting stories and here little credence was given the seriousness of the affair until help was sought from R. H. Reynold, superintendent of the marina division of the Ann Arbor company. Mr. Reynolds immediately sent car ferry No. 5, one of the largest ice crushers on the lake to the rescue of the starving colony. She returned Sunday night with the members of the island band and the others who had sought to relieve them. They all maintain that never did anything no thrill them as the sight of old No. 5 heaving into view.

The survivors of this terrible experience left immediately for their homes on Traverse City Sunday night. The aviators and newspaper men left on the No. 3 for Manitowoc, on their way to Chicago.

The wires, both telegraph and telephone were kept hot requesting news of the rescue, as the predicament of the marooned band had been reported country wide. The first news of their safety was sent by radio to Frankfort and then telegraphed to all parts of the nation.

The Toledo News-Bee Aug. 28, 1923

THE ANN ARBOR APPEAL

Decision of the City Law Department to appeal the Ann Arbor grade crossing is a just one. The appeal should be promptly taken and therely prosecuted.

The citizens of Toledo realize there is a principle at stake and they want a decision from the court of last resort before they give up the rights to which they believe they are entitled.

If Judge Martin's decision is allowed to stand railroads, thru a series of leases and contracts, will be able to circumvent any great elimination program that a city wishes to adopt. Tracks can be laid at will and the already dangerous grade crossings can be increased without number. For under this decision, the railroad is made the sole judge of the necessity of additional tracks. Some lawyers dispute that point and claim the courts are the sole judge of the necessity.

Be that as it may, but from the evidence submitted in the case the necessity of additional tracks to the Ann Arbor did not appear. The Pennsylvania railroad however desire additional tracks as the Pennsylvania uses and own the tracks that are labeled Ann Arbor.

There is no desire to hamper railroads in their natural development. They are necessary to a city. But the city is far more necessary to the railroad and with a growing city and a growing volume of railroad traffic every precaution must be taken to reduce the toll of accidents at grade crossings.

If laws do not meet the changing conditions and if railroads are permitted to brush aside programs for grade crossing elimination adopted in good faith by cities, then the laws will have to be changed. But in the meantime the city should prosecute the appeals in this case to the highest court. Let the citizens of Toledo have the final word don the question of law.


The Owosso Argus-Press Sept 12, 1923

BOX CAR IS BURNED IN ANN ARBOR YARDS

A box car filled with supplies, including car seats, standing on a siding in the Ann Arbor yards, was destroyed by fire shortly after 9 o'clock last night. The loss is estimated at about $800.

The origin of the blaze is not known, although it is thought possibly a spark from an acetyline torch which was being used near the car late in the afternoon might have ignited something in the car and that it smouldered for several hours before breaking out.

The whole car was ablaze when the fire department arrived. None of the other building were endangered, however.


The Owosso Argus-Press Oct. 30, 1923

ANN ARBOR FREIGHT TRAIN IS WRECKED

Ten Cars Are Ditched at Shepard; No One Is Injured

Ten cars in a freight train, on the Ann Arbor railroad, were derailed in a wrecked at Shepherd at 5:30 o'clock this morning, according to a report received at division headquarters. The wrecker was dispatched at once to the scene.

The wreck was caused by a broken truck on one of the derailed cars. No one was injured, but the track was torn up for some distance. A new track was built around the wreck and it was expected to have it open for traffic by four o'clock this afternoon.

A. Little of this city was the conductor in charge of the train and George Raymond was the engineer. He also lives here.

The cars derailed were; one car each of apples, limes, shingles, lumber, sand, and two cars each of wheat and oats and one empty car.


The Toledo News-Bee Nov. 1, 1923

BURGLAR ESCAPES COP'S BULLETS

Burglars attempting to break into the offices of the Ann Arbor R. R. at Elm and Seneca streets on Thursday night made their escape with securing any loot when frightened aay by police, called by residents of the vicinity. Patrolmen Probst and Graham responding to the alarm, saw one man run away from the office. They fired four shots at him before he escaped.

Nov. 9, 1923 Pennsylvania Railroad carries 1,700 marines in five special train to University of Michigan  football in Ann Arbor.