St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1884-03-14
From Lacrosse to st. Paul and Minneapolis
the running time is as follows:

OF course stops are not made at all these
points, but only at Milwaukee, Lacrosse and
Winona, besides the places where stops are
necessary for coal and water. At other
points the mail is caught up and thrown out
without slackening speed.
Special instructions have been issued by
the railroad officials TO agents, trackmen,
switchmen and other employees, making it
direct personal duty to see that switches,
sidetracks and everything is clear and safe
for the passage of this fast train.
FROM NEW YORK.
The mail matter from the east, which
came in on the fast train, left
New York at 80 o'clock Tuesday night by
the new fast mail train over the New York
Central. At Albany the mail from Boston
and the New England states was put on
board, and at Buffalo, which was reached at
9 o'clock the next morning, the mail from
western New York was taken on board. At
this point the train was switched
on to the Lake Shore & Michigan
Southern road, and Immediately started west
again, reaching Cleveland at 1 ~ p. M, and
Toledo at 5. At the junction near Toledo
the mail from Detroit and Michigan points
was received. The train reached Chicago at
for western and northwestern points.
GEN. GRESHAM TALKS.
In an interview with GLOBE reporter
Gen. Gresham stated that the fast mail train
had only been definitely decided upon for
about two weeks, although the project had
been under discussion for some time previous.
In regard to the time of arrival of the train
in st. Paul, Gen. Gresham said that a good
many people thought it would be much better
to have it get here early in the morning
instead of in the afternoon, but
he explained that such change would not
really be an advantage. 1t would then be
necessary to leave New York in the morning
instead of the evening, which would make a
practical delay of mail for the whole night at
that point before starting. And the same
would hold true as to the starting of mail
trains from important eastern points to con-
meet with the fast mail. In response to
a question whether the fast
mail train would carry passengers, Gen.
Gresham said that this was prohibited by the
department between New York and Chicago,
but that no such prohibition was made be
tween Chicago and St. Paul, the matter be-
ing left entirely with the railroad company.
The only thing insisted upon by the depart
ment was that schedule time should be
made.
A FAST MAIL TRAIN EAST.
General Superintendent Thompson was
asked about the possibilities for a fast mail
train from st. Paul to Chicago and thence
east. He replied that there was no immedi-
ate prospect of this. In the first place there
was no appropriation for it, and in the sec
ond place the demand for it was not so press
ing. Mail which now leaves st. Paul on the
noon train gets into Chicago in time to be
distributed by the carriers on
their first trip the following
morning, which Is all that could be done if
night train were run through in twelve
hours, and it was an easy matter for business
men to get their mail for the east ready for
the noon train. This train also made close
connections with fast trains for the east, so
that very little would be gained by a faster
train between st. Paul and Chicago.