The Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1877-1885, 1884-02-09
TRACK TALK.
Vanderbilt at L0ggerheads with Cable
and Porter.
VANDERBILT AND CABLE.


The Chicago papers of Thursday con-
tanned an interview with W. Fl. Wander
bllt, in which he made bitter attack on
President Cable. of the Chicago, Rock
Island & Pacific road. He claimed that
Gable was making bad failure as presi-
dent. and that the interests of the road
were being seriously injured by his con-
nection with it in that position. This
attack was made from the fact that Gable
has worsted Vanderbilt on several ocea-
sions, in the railroad fights that have
lately taken place. Yesterdays Chicago
Tribune contains an interview with Mr..
Cable, in which he replies to Mr.. Wander
bits attack, at follows:
IAN l have to say" said Mr.. Cable, lis
that do not care what Mr.. Vanderbilt
says about me. am not managing the
Rock Island in the interest of Mr. Van
derbilt, or any other one man. | am
managing the road in the interest of its
stockholders, and as far | can learn, the
stockholders and owners of the company
are well satisfied with the way in which
the affairs of their property are admins
tered. The greatest harmony exists
between the directors of the road and
myself, and no steps have been taken by
me without their consent and approval
As | do not manage the property to help
Vanderbilts interests, cannot expect to
have his approval, and he is welcome to
his criticism. This is all care to say
about the matter"
Mr.. H. H Porter, director of the
Rock Island, and formerly president of
the Chicago, st. Paul, Minneapolis s.
Omaha, was also interviewed, and he
heartily supported Mr.. Cables action, and
fully explained that Vanderbilts ire was
aroused. because he could not use Cable
to further his own ends.
NAV w. L. AitcH, WHO ulu 81 uluCu W
effect the introduction of standard time
among the railroads of this country, is
now interested in another scheme. which
will, if adopted, prove as beneficial to the
railroads as did his other innovation. At
present the railroads of the country use
the following signals on trains Hand
and lamp, bellcords. whistle. stationary
and fixed and torpedo. The trouble at
present is that while all the lines are
using these signals there is vast and
dangerous variety in their use among the
various roads, so that signal made at a
junction, where two trains, one going
north and the other east for instance are
expected to pass will be interpreted in
two different ways by the engineers of the
trains in question. This misunderstanding
has led to many accidents, and Mr.
Allen has, therefore. submitted plan TO
the general superintendent of all the lines
in America. whereby one uniform plan
will be used by every road. so that the
engineer or brakemen of one line will not
err when he sees signal OF another road
The best performing locomotives, as
the engineers say, are those which pick
a train up quick" The engines that run
the fast trains reach their highest speed
within three miles of a starting point, and
and locomotives that cannot attain a
speed of mih per minute within four
miles cannot handle the train properly,
and need not be expected to make fast
average running time.