Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1883-09-11
THE TEXAS RAILWAY ENGINEER
An Overscer of Six Thousand Miles OF
Track-rhe Posscssor of Free PASSES
and a Good SALARY.
halfway Agc.l

Inc state OF Texas mas state raft
way engineer. Other states have rail-
way commissioners who wrestle with
the abstruse and complicated questions
of rates, receive and reply to thee COM
plants of disgruntled individuals who
want all the railways coniiscatei be-
cause they have had To pay few cents
more than they feel like paying, aud
make themselves as useful ana orna-
mental az circumstances will permit.
But IL has been left for the Lone Star
state to invent an Office and supply an
official to help the railways take care
OF their own property. The statute
which creates the office defines his du-
ties and provides among other things
that:
He shall twice each year, and at
such other times as he may deem ID
necess AIRY, carefully inspect the rail-
roads ia tile state and keep himself in
formed of the condition of the same
and OF the manner in which they are
operated, with Il special reference 10
the SAFETY and proper accommodation
of the public, which inspection shall
include the condition of the roadbed,
track and bridges, character and con.
dition of ears. Station-aouscs, plat
forms and other facilities incident TO
transportation OF business. should
such Inspection indicate non.compli-
auce with law on the part Of any rail-
rCAd, such Noncompliance shall be
presented, in proper ard official form,
To the Encouragement, who shall pro-
coed 20 investigate and enforce the
penalty for deIeilctlon according to
the existing statutes, or rs may be
hereafter provided.
NynrlI san,f1 that ~ a road apn,.
panies of Texas are so busilv occupied
in being 'grasping monopolies, soul
less corporations and all the other
wild beasts Of the menageria neglect to
look after such uninteresting practical
details as the condition of their tracks,
the safety of their bridges and the gen
eral fitness of their rolling stock for
effective service. Ii Is well known
that matters of this kind are apt 10 be
neglected by the management Of a
railway. and the lhoughtfulness
shown 10y the Texas legislators in pro-
viding IA man to look after such things
aud paying him for it, too, is worthy
Of all praise.
There arc some 1000 miles of track
III Texas, and some hundreds of miles
in bridges. TO inspec, these twice Il
year, counting the year 10 be 800 days,
viii make an average of forty miles
per day. This Will require pretty
rapid walking. The average tramp
can count ties to tile extent OF twenty
miles q day when he is obliged TO, but
to cover forty miles can only be done
under the inspiration o. Official duty
and salary.
That the legislators OF the Lone
star -iale intended their railNav en-
xrrt. 81 fAnt 81
$3.50 miles Of track is evident from
their action Ia regard TO passes. 1t IL
Jrle that he Is allowed 10 accept
passes from the railways OF the state.
The statute states this in plain and
positive terins---a unique ami most re-
rl0rkable fact. The effort of the legis-
latures generally is 20 prevent other
people from accepting passes, and III
thai of Texas 10 deliberately enact
that an oAlcer may receive them
SHOWS a tendency to plunge into new
and untried paths which is positively
reckless.
But lest the state railway euginee
should be tempted to spend lils 30
days in luNuriant lolling upon til,
cushioned seats OF coaches, instead o
doin.; his forty miles per day, INSPECT
ing tracks asa climbing over bridgaS
10 see that MUS and bolts are all right,
the statute provides that the state Is t
receive credit for any travelling he
may do on plsses. We have heard
descendants Of the pilgrim fathers, il
whose eyes it is said il cent
is as large as cart.wlIst!
tut surely New England thrif
never got things down 10 quite 80 flu,
II point as that. Just how thes
credits are to be figled ia case tn,
passes should he used now and then i
not entirely clear. The state canno
claim more thau cents Il mile, he
eaGse that rate is fixed by law. But
whether the railway engineer Nigh
not ride second class and yet turn il
vouchers based on first class rates, OF
rake ad "antagc Of cut rates between
competing points is not clear. Tn,
probabilities are that the frugal Law
makers have taken special care t,
make such provisions that the stat,
viii get credit for every mile OF rail
way riding done 10y her engineer a
the full rate OF 3 cents per mile, ant
mat in order TO get his clean salary O
q SS,Wo per year without any dtduc
tons on account of riding on puss, n
must do his 1000 miles of Inspecting
on foot.
As Just intimated, the salary at
tacned TO this new and unique otfie,
Is SSoVo per anuum. When it is re
.menoered that quite recently some o
the newspapers of New Engian,
state came out in favor of paving il
railway commissioners salary OF S. !.
oou, on The ground that SO maoniflcen
stipend would lift them above tn
temptation OF being bribed hy tn
wicked railways, ii Will be seen tina
the state railway engineer of Texas i
even more than ineorruptible. 1t /
true that the managers of some of tn
lines OF railway in that state receive.
SlO,00O 60 $4,000 per year, while h
has to manage all Of them for $500
and turn in vouchers for his transpor
tation on passes But then n grea
many things are true in this world
and yeO we get along somehow.
In q speech ut Des Moines recent,
Gen. Weaver, the Greenbacker, is re
ported 10 have said: ~ am charge,