The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1888-07-30
ON RAIL AND CROSSTIR.
Local ana General Gossip in Railway
Circles.

Local ana General Gossip in Railway
Circles
The total number of railway employees in
Illinois last year is officially stated as 4S, 500
and the wages paid to them aggregated the
immense sum Of S27, $4,000.
France, Great Britain and Germany each
have five miles of railway to every TO- 900
inhabitants, Austria three and one-half
miles, and Russia a trihe less than two
miles On the other hand the United States
has twenty four miles to every 10000 in
habitants
At the recent reorganization Of the Lees
bur and Lake Region Florida road, J. F.
Richmond of Okahumka, was elected presi-
de IT. and it is his intention, the Sumterville
Times says, to push the line through with
that energy and vim which he puts into
everything he takes hold Of. He speaks
hopefully Of the line, and says that plenty
Of capital can DO secured to commence
work as soon as the requisite amount of
land is donated by the people who are in
terested in the construction of the road.
The Rome and Decatur railroad, which
has been in course of construction for some
months past has been completed from
Rome, Ga, to Alfalfa, Ala, distance of
about sixty -fve miles 1t is projected to
extend on to Decatur, Ala, seventy five
miles to the northwest of Alfalfa, and 40
miles from Rome. This new road is owned
by the Richmond and Danville railroad
company, aud will be operated by that cor
poration. The work of construction be-
tween Rome and Alfalfa has only recently
been finished.
The total railway mileage of the world at
the commencement of 1887 is estimated at
800, 800 miles, an increase OF IS, 100 miles
since 1882 This would indicate an average
yearly increase of nearly $4,000 miles. OF
that total the United States had 1873 900
miles against 1914, 300 miles in all the rest
of the world. To-day the railway mileage
of this county is not less than 1874 900 miles
and probably is greater than that of all
other countries combined. In comparison
with our own immense system of railways
the mileage of the other great nations ap-
pears very small Thus, for the date re
ferred to, that Of the European countries is
stated as follows: Germany %, 800, France
20,800 Great Britain 10, 400, Russia =, 100,
Austria 14,GO0 So Great Britain with its
dense population had only aboat one
seventh the railway mileage of the United
States.
The Central railroads inspecting party,
which started out from Savannah last week,
was in Louisville KY, Friday, and is now
in Cincinnati. From there they will go to
Pittsburg, Columbus, Cleveland Buffalo,
Altoona, Harrisburg, Philadelphia, New
York, Boston, Patterson, Baltimore, Wash
ington, Richmond, Norfolk and other
points along the southwestern coast, reach
ing Savannah in about two weeks The
party consists Of Z L. Anderson, train
master OF the Port Royal and Western Caro-
lima, and w. A. Staub, assistant master
mechanic, Augusta; J. B. Stevens, track
supervisor, Macon; f. II. McGee, assistant
master mechanic, f. d. Arden, engineer,
q. N. Eldridge, engineer, Savannah; w.
H. Lathrop, engineer, g. D, Smith, con-
ductor, Macon; w. D. Martin, track super
visor, Smithvile The party were the re-
cipientS of much attention at the hands of
the Louisville and Nashville officials in
Louisville, and were afforded every facility
for inspecting the various car shops, offices,
etc, Of that read. They went over the
great Ohio Falls car works, the largest in
the United States, turning ont twenty-five
cars per day on an average.
The sleeping car porters have recently
started up new scheme, which operates
very successfully for them. To illustrate
it the following is taken from a railroad
journal: Sam B. Webb, passenger agent
of the Central railroad, is no longer ia
vorite of the sleeping car p0rters. A few
nights ago, while en- route 70 Savannah by
way of the Georgia Pacific railroad, Sam
took sleeper. As was the usual custom
the porter gave Sans shoes fine shine
Sam is not tho least selfish, but be m kes it
rule never to pay sleeping car porters,
and certain othor little bills. The porter
never received any fee, bus he did not for
get it. 1t seems that all the porters have
entered into an agreement that, for every
person who fails to fee them for shines,
they must cut four deep notches on
each shoe heal. After Sam returned to
Birmingham, while in conversation with
several ticket men, lie remarked that he
didn't see why it was that the sleeping car
porters never shined his shoes. One of the
agents asked Sam to show the heels of his
shoes. This he did, and it was then dis
covered that there were four deep notches
cut in each heel. You never pay the
porter, do youf asked the agent Mp
replied Sam. Well remarked the other
agent, they all have you sppoted. You
see, they Lave your shoe heels marked
They know you sam has since bought a
new par Of shoes. Ask him about the
notches" The above extract has been veri-
fed by several well-known travelling men,
who say that the porters have all entered a
trust