, 1879-02-19
THE ROCK ISLAND.

at At3o'clock all the members OF the Commit.
test oxecpt Mr. Mason, waited upon President
Riddle. Of tic Rock 1slanl RaIlroad, to whom
they wcro introduced by Mr.. Witllrow, General
Solicitor OF the Company. III response to qucs-
t!ons from tho Committee, Mr.. Riddle said that
he kept M separate account Of the earnings anil
expenses of lila sleep!ng.cars, which wcro owned
by thr Company, and run simply for the accon-
mediation OF tho public. Tic road extended
from Chicago to Davenport md Peoria, In I'LL
nois, With MI extension to Council Bluffs. The
rates were sl.5O for double berth for ono
night, So for section, aNl sj for statcrootn.
The Company lla,1 twelve OF these cars alto
got,ier, nts.l ran four In Illinois regularly every
night, although they kept two extra ones On
hand for spccinl OCCASIONS fnstcad Of employing
The Rock 1slanl llatt Its regulnr train conductors
look inter tic running ol te sleeneEs, the coll
lcctng Of tickets, ETC., although, uf course,
furnishing QUO porter to each cir to- mako up
the beds, Gle.
Mr.. Thompson remarked Tint this was q say.
iinE IN favor Of the Rock Island as aganst Nj.
Pullman OF about $500 month, Hgur1g rut,-
duttors' salaries at an average ot SOS per
month.
III response to some questions from Mr.. hut
tGrworth, Mr.. klt!llo said he charged $3.50 from
Chicago to Council Bluffs, part III the trip BE-
luz performed in daY-car and tic remainder
n sleeper. For full section they charged,
Mr.. Pullman tor lie through Trip. a. to
thu cost OF his cars he statud
tint some wcrc built Just after the War,
mud cost from, sl5,oo0 to $4,000. 4
on s s'atc is q to ssa s ssve s alF' a wpu vss 5s
figured up tile Atprccntl0n iii valuc Ut the ours,
out supposed they could build car now for
from sl2oO to $13,o0o. Some Of tllo cars had
eecn run ten years, md ta TINT time they had
1tni rRft1 f,ttt
enrrlca passengera In these slecEmrs for less
tainn they uld many classes Of freight. Tie
Investment, ba thought, charging fair propor-
tson for cxpensc, did not yiulu tho Company i
Tie public, Mt.t wouldn't ruiz them II its com
pcttora didn't. Tile Cumpany adopted the
principle that, II ttcro was my money In run
Mug sleep!lEcars, II would have It, RiIl, II not,
t!ul IL would run then, aa cieuply "a It could.
Mr. Dntterw0rth asked how the Company
came to fix un 5l.50, ant Mr.. Riddle replied TINT
lie supposed It was bcrausu Mt. Pullman started
out VIII. great Gelat to charge 81, a'Il the Rock
lslnllu Thought It could do better tlnn thli n,l
charged $1.5o. Tic COMPANY also ran diuinG.
cars, alltl ran behind oil them, too. Generally
speaking. hts iaea was
TO ACCOMMODATE TIE PUBLIC
whether the Company tnat.u or lost. Very often
the cnrs Ind tu run With very few passengers uu
inalIs cars. ns hG knew FROM actual observntinn
When lsc went to New Yuri lust year hv tuok
l,ts wife, paid his fare, mud they were tile only
pusecngers on the trip.
Mr.. Butterworth remarked that 1t tho Rock
Island hal entered Into contract with Mr.
Pullman, Str. Riddle wpl,Il probable hnye had q
pass instrad Of hceing obliged to pay Ills fare.
Mr.. Riddle smiled, uni tntitnatcd tl,ut tint
would nrobablo havo been thu ease.
Mr. Thompson, BY way Of parting question,
asked Ar. Riddle whether, OH tie whole, the
Rock Island made or lost on Its slecpIng-ears.
Mr.. Riddle replied tint tllr Company lost
somcthin. III tho actual running Of the cars, but
II felt tEnt by running them it brought business
which otherwise 1t would not get. Taking into
consideration the weight Of tGu. cars, however,
nlld the expense. n,Ml tho queston Of d fair
interest On The Investment, fto should sar tho
Cumpany was tosfng money,
THIS Was Atl tho Committee could learn at
this point, anil It accordingly returned to Mr..
pullinans otllcc. Mr., Mason had not completed
Ills rcrort-in (Rct, lad unly blocked |, out, n,l
w1s waiting ior The clerks In the olIlcp to copy
oil ccrtnln figures md number Ut tabular
statements which lo desired to Incorporate in
the document. 1t was therefore decided not to
ATTEMPT 10 present tile report to the Committee
until it returned TO Springfield, nnl Tic states
lnen'a intGnt'un was, when tho reporter dropped
out Ut the circle, to leave for tlc Capital bY the
night traln, arriving there this morning.