HISTORY OF CLAY COUNTY	57

Bridgeton, of practically ten miles, which was utilized in hauling the
product of the Mansfield brown-stone quarry in the year 1891, to the
“Big Four” track at Carbon. This building stone failing to give satis-
faction abroad, the work of quarrying it was suspended, as was, also,
the operations of the road. Subsequently, the track was sold in satisfac-
tion of claims against the company, and bought by Harry Crawford, who
used it in construction of his own road, appropriating, likewise, the grade
of the Ft. Wayne, Terre Haute & Southwestern between Bridgeton and
Carbon. The transfer of the Chicago & Southeastern from Crawford to
the “Big Four” was made the first of March, 1906.
	The Central Indiana intersects the territory of Brazil and Van Buren
townships, a length of 6.34 miles, with 2.56 miles of side-track, a total of
8.90 miles, of which the valuation for taxation, including rolling-stock,
improvements, etc., is $53,985.
	The Southern Indiana Railroad, known, also, as the Walsh road,
intersects the western border of Lewis township, of which there is within
Clay county 4.96 miles of main track, with 13.31 miles of side-track, a
total of 18.27 miles, valued for taxation, including rolling-stock, improve-
ments, etc., at $127,380. The Indianapolis division of this road, as pro-
jected and located, crosses Clay county on a practically central east-
west line, of which the road-bed, or grade, was constructed from Black-
hawk, Vigo county, to the Eel river crossing, near Bowling Green, in
1904-5, when all further operations were suspended.
	The Chicago, Indianapolis & Louisville Railroad, known more gen-
erally as “The Monon,” extending from Wallace Junction on the main
line, in Putnam county, to Victoria, Sullivan county, crosses Clay county
from the northeast to the southwest, intersecting Washington, Harrison
and Lewis townships. The survey and location of this line of road was
made in the fall of 1904. An election was held in Harrison township on
the 24th day of January, 1905, on the proposition to vote a subsidy of
$37,000 in aid of its construction, which was carried by a majority of 34.
	The road was built in 1906-07, completed in the fall of the latter
year, the first passenger train between terminals making the run on the
first day of October. The length of this line is 47.2 miles, of which 13.1
miles is within this county, with a side-track of 1.15 miles, a total of 14.25
miles, valued for taxation, including rolling-stock, etc., at $95,105.

Electric Transport ation.
	The Terre Haute, Indianapolis & Eastern Traction Company operates
the only electric railroad within the county, which practically parallels
the Terre Haute & Indianapolis and the Indianapolis & St. Louis lines.
As a continuous, through line, this road went into operation in the month
of January, 1908, the first passenger car arriving at Brazil on Saturday,
the 18th day of the month. That part of this traction line between Terre
Haute and Harmony had been previously built and operated. ‘In 1893,
the Brazil Rapid Transit Company, composed of George Van Ginkel, of
Des Moines, Iowa, and John D. Sourwine, of Brazil, built not only the
first trolley line in Clay county, but the first interurban electric railroad
in the United States, from the west-side corporation line of Brazil to
Harmony, by way of Donaldsonville, which was extended tbe succeeding
year (1894) to Cottage Hill Cemetery; a total length of 4.4 miles. Six
years later the Rapid Transit Company sold to the Terre Haute Electric
Company, then engaged in building the road from Terre Haute to Brazil.