The Evansville daily journal. [volume] (Evansville, Ia. [i.e. Ind.]) 1848-1862, 1854-12-04


We do not know that any respectable edl'
tor should complain that the "dead head"
system, 1. {, passing gentlemen over fa'l'
roads for nothing, has been partially stop !
ped. The whole system had q tendency to-
place editors on par with less meritorious
fellow.citizens, who were granted free pass.
es the same as If. like the editor. they had
earned every pass by about dozen careful-
ly concocted editorials. not including a full
account Of his trip, and compliment to
every man on the railroad, from the superin-
tendent down to the latest received "experi
enced brakeman" just from the wild boys
of Ireland. For our part, If after fighting for
our. Spilroads down here, and for every prin-
ciple contained in railroads, including the
right of way, the increased value of lands,
the improvement of everything touched by
railways--urging individuals and towns
aud counties to subscribe stock, aud
stalking the reputation of paper, editor and
devil, on the success Of certain roads-if,
we say, after all this, the directory Of any
road touching Evansville, don't offer to pay
Us for travelling over the road whenever it
suits our convenience, knowing as they do .
complimentary editorial is to follow-we'll
be blasted if we want to be by any "desd
head" system put on level with interested
directors or their friends or the Presidents
friends. v e are for preserving the indepen.
dence of the press. We are able to assist
in building up railroads, and we are willing
to devote time, experience and what ability
We have, to prosper all such enterprises
but we beg Of railroad directories not to put
US on anydead head list, if we must comps n ion
in consequence with the dead minds and
souls of corporation favorites of day.
It'll a well known fact that only about one
editor probably INDUCES in dead head pass
to dozen other persons, while nearly every
editor repays the road with more than an
equivalent in an editorial about his trip. An
Investigation. on the New York and Erie
passing free would pay to the amount o.
$4,000 per annum, il charged as usual
less than one hundred were connected with
the press. On the New York and New
Haven railroad, out of STA free passes, only
IS were held by members oil the press. The
fact is, editors are too much tied dow n to pen
paper, and. scissors, to have much opportu
nifty for travelling.
We do not mean 70 say in this article, WI
care biz more than four dollars for tue Ia,
levied upon our little carcass on recen
trip from Terre Haute to Evansville, but
is suggested TO our mind that the case OF tn,
editor Of the Mobile Register and ourseif il
somsphat similar, and we give II anyhow jus
as a matter of curiosity. He says:
"Once upon a time. we were for four o.
five years earnestly and laboriously engage,
in writing up a railroad project Of vital in
D terest to the community. II was hard up
\ hill work. Its advantages hpd to be portray
ed in all sorts of lights TO suit all sorts o
omprehensions-the careless and apafheti ii,
. rich citizen had to be shamed into somethin!
9 like public spirit-the fears of the timid, IN,
. hostility Of the interested, ard the letharg]
OF the drones Of society, all had to be over
come. We wrote whole volum Is of edito
i rails. helped the cause out Of our misersbl!
II paid earnings, considerably beyond on
e means, we pulled and argued, reasoned an
r wrestled, and finally the road was finishes
= and is now a great benefaction to the town
g Among The first resolutions passed by tn
J. Board Of Directors after the trains wer
r started, was that "the editors OF newspaper
I, should not ride free upon the rails" w
= took this as Z settlement in full. and charge
the rides we did not get, to the account {
i the ingratitude Of the soulless corporation.