The Dallas daily herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1887, 1880-10-21
q OUR LAND LINES.
RECORD OF OLD AN NEW ROADS
Number of Miles Built this Year
Where the Builders Are-Prtce OF
Rails-On n General Reduction
Of Passenger Hntes-rhe
Description of n London
Palace Of an merican
Railway King.

Albany & Lebanon Branch, from Albany,
Or, eastward to Lebanon, rs miles. East
Line.& Red River. Extended westward TO
Black Jack Grove, Texas, ID miles. Gauge
feet, New York & New England --Ex-
tended from Wat rbury, Conn, west by
south IL miles. LexLggCn Il Big Sandy. =
Completed from Huntington, w. Va, west
ward to Ashland, XIV, l6 miles Spring
field, Eningham & Southeastern Complet-
ed from Switz City, Ind, westward TO Efling
ham, ILL.,. IS miles. Guage feet. Wscon-
ain IL Minnesots. The track from A DboLts-
ford, Wis, has been extended westward 10
miles. Utah IL Northern. Extended north
ward to Dillon, Mon, 81 miles. Gauge 3
feet. This is total OF 1877 miles of new
railroad, making 1856 miles thus far this
year, against 2,507 miles reported at the
same time in 1879 l,d22 miles in 1873, ], 5i9
miles in 1877, LAO miles in 1876, 003 miles
in 1876, 1,lS0 miles in 1874, 1887 miles IN
1873, and 5.l47 miles in 1872. Missouri,
Kansas & Toxas,-Noti-e is given Of spe.
cial meeting to BIO held in Parsons, KSnsas,
Nov II, TO act upon proposed increase OF
the capital stock of the company to the ex.
tent of SO, 000, 900 in addition to It's present
capital, for the purpose Of securing An extern
sion of the company's lire to the Rio Grande
river and the city of Mexico, and TO Fort
Smith, Ark. Also TO take such furthar ac-
ton as may DO deemed desirable in regard to
the execution of a mortgage to cover and re-
tire existing indebtedness and to and in seour.
ing tho extensions above referred to. And
also TO act upon any other matter which may
be brought before the meeting touching the
condition and welfare of the company.
A sensible and timely communication ia
sent TO the Railroad Gazette, which says: -
Having noticed in your excellent paper one
or more articles upon the subject OF gener.
al reduction in passenger rates as means OF
that branch of the railroad service, l beg
leave to state q few points in connection with
the matter. AT the outset, | desire to say
that after an experience of twenty-five years
in the passenger service am firm believer
in low, uniform rates az n means of not only
increasing passenger revenue, but us also a
means of developing the country and help
ing all branches Of tho railway service.
But before such rates can be put in force and
be made profitable, the manner of conduct
ing the passenger traffic must be radically
changed and many reforms inaugurated.
Special rates must be withdrawn, commits
sions abolished, the issue of free passes
curtHiled, a more uniform system of trans
portation of baggage must be had and an
entire revision of the through ticket system
inaugurated. All of these are now serious
drawbacks upon passenger revenues and to
continue them with reduction in rates
would BIO simply suicidal. / think it would
astonish tho public, and in fact many rail
road managers, if they were made aware of
the low net rate per mile actually received
by the leading railroads If this country for
the transportation Of passengers. The facts
are that If one.half of the money that is
squandered by tho different roads of tho
country in more than foolish expenditures
was given TO the public, the cry for lower
rates would be NJ once ilenced. | doubt il
any body Of mon in tho country, having
charge of such immense interests, can show
such lack Of ordinary business capacity as
those having charge of the passenger traffic OF
the several railroads of this country. There
is an entire lack of faith among them, and
in many instances an entire lack of honesty.
This Is strong statement, but, believe, is
fully borne out by the facts in the case The
local traffic Of the roads is subordinated to
the through, and the latter is rendered almost
vaueless by the tax put upon il in the shape
of commissions, useless advertising, free
passes, etc, etc. Atthis present writing pas
senger rates from and to many of the large
cities are in a completely demoralized condi-
ton and the harvest being reaped by the
soalping fraternity and other outside agencies
was never so large as now"
The Denver & Rio Grande Extension
The Denver Tribune in long article on the
Denver x BIO Grande road thus describes
the extensions which that company is build
ing and their present conditions
"The Rio Grsnde is at present engaged in
constructing extensions in seven directions ;
from Alamosa to Silverton from San Anto.
MO to Santa Cruz, New Mexico; from Canon
City to Silver Cliff; from Leadville to Kok-
ONO from South Arkansas to Gunpison .
from Poncha to Maysville and from Malta TO
Eagle River. These extensions aggregate
new track 4a6 mills in length. For the rea.
sons that II has to be accomplished in the
face Of great natural difficulties, through an
exceedingly mountainous region, and will
open aud make of easy access u region of
vast mineral wealth beyond the continental
divide; for these reasons the extension TO the
San Juan has aroused n more genera! and
lively interest than the others. While the
public has been casually informed by the
press of the progress of this extension, no
opportunity has been afforded till the present
Tor presenting an accurate and intelligent ac-
count of the work on the san Juan Branch.
The train which conveyed the Tribune rep
resentative through the parks and over the
peaks of the San Juan mountains Monday,
and stopped above the Los Pinos Canon, al.
most under the shadow of the towering Cha.
ma, was composed of the first passenger
coaches which have mounted the height.
heretofore considered impossible for teams
end over which no trail has ever been fol
lowed"
A Four-Footed Signalman.-Th engineer
OF train near Montr al saw a large dog on
the track. He was barking furiously. The
engineer blew the whistle at him, but he did
not stir, land, crouchingslow he was struck
by the locomotive and killed. There was q
bit of white muslin on the locomotive and /,
attracted the attention of the engineer, who
stopped his train and went back. There Law
the dead dog and dead child, which had
wandered upon the track and had gone 10
sleep The dog had given the signal to stor
the train, and had died at his post.
a superintendent of tree culture has been
appointed forthe st. Paul, Minneapolis &
Manitoba railroad Mr.. Leonard Hodges,
and 1t is reported he has contracted for $780,
600 trees. Most Of the roads west of The
Missouri, and probably most Of those west 81
tho Mississippi might find profitable work
for such an officer, as their supplies of ties
and timber are likely to become dearer And