Omaha daily bee., 1889-04-28
BUZZlNGS.

SGli -ubsbTuCtlOh 10 w bS pA1iSus NhOh "
great railroad company decreases its revenue
81, 1851, 1881 in one year, and S2660o0 in three
months, something is the matter. 1t invites
investigation especially when the interests of
fiourishiug city and the surrounding coun-
try are injured or retarded
Such is the case with the Union Pacific,
Omaha and certain sections of Nebraska. 1t
looks as though the man Immediately in
charge of the operation of its trains is not
versed in the important bearing they have
on the commercial interests OF the country
and the revenues of his company.
When }. II. II. Clark was general mana
ger that official succeeded in ''knocking the
bottom out of things" through his failure to
supply the business public with necessary
train facilities to build up local travel and
trade, and develop the resources Of the
country along the line Stage lines and hv-
cry stables were then powerful and success
full competitors for local business that ought
TO have gone to the company.
When he left, ana Galloway came, the
night trains on the South Park road, between
Denver and Leadville, were withdrawn. This
gave Denver the mumps and that road
showed decreased revenue Of nearly
1858, 900 in 1884. In 1885 the consequences
were even worse. At the same time livery
''rigs" were powerful and in demand on the
Omaha e. Republican Valley railroad.
In 1856 the Leadville trains were restored.
Denver recovered, and the South Park road
increased its freight and passenger earnings
500, 900 in that year. In the month Of June
Mr. Kimball aud others succeeded in inaugu-
rating a system of local passenger trains
from Grand Island, Beatrice, Stromsburg
and Norfolk, reaching Omaha in the fore
noon as one train, and returning at night.
This resulted in an increase of sl4l, ,9l2 in the
freight and passenger earnings of the Ne
braska branch lines in 1886, against a de-
crease of sl5,920 in 1885.
The system (since broken up) was success
full from the start an average of 1900 pas
sengers month was handled, and on the main
line, these local passenger trains earned
about 90c per mile. The cost was less than
SOC per mile. These trains were not only
profitable to the country but they threw
open the daily trade of the surrounding
country to business men of Omaha. The
freight and stock trains were also run at
convenient hours for the Omaha and South
Omaha markets. The effect on the two
cities were magical. The years 1886 and
1887 were the quietest in our history in their
developments, not only to Omaha and South
Omaha, but to the entire district covered by
the operation of these trains. Omaha at
once became a trade and travel center
BUSINESS, wholesale and retail, was on tn Q
rapid increase, money was plenty, among
the retail dealers especially, and Omaha
then began to assume metropolitan proDor-
tions-all because the policy of the company
was to make Omaha accessible to the people
of the surrounding country, enabling them
to visit the city in the forenoon and return
to their homes at night.
This splendid system has been emascu-
lated and Omaha is no longer accessible
to the people on the branch lines
as trade and travel center,
and the country west of Omaha is shut off
from the city and its trade. So far as Nor
folk Lincoln, Stromsburg, Beatrice, Wahoo,
David City and other places on the branch
lines are concerned, the present inadequate
train service makes it impossible for the
business men of Omaha to reach out and Sc
cure their trade. No service at ali is better
than the present. 1t is iniuring the company;
it is njuring Omaha, and it is decreasing the
packing operations of South Omaha, as
shown by the latest reports from that extern
sive market. The Kansas City express ac-
commodities neither Omaha nor Kansas
City. 1t should arrive in the forenoon and
leave at night. The tram from Norfolk Q50
miles from Omaha) requires thirtysix hours
and upwards for the round trip over the
Union Pacific. Over the Elkhorn Valley
road it is an all-day wait at Omaha and about
eight hours on the train. The towns and
cities in the Elkhorn Valley, between Omaha
and Norfolk, are thriving and prosperous.
On the Union Pacific, business is dull. If
General Manager KImball will instruct his
subordinates to arrange permanent and
convenient schedule, so all local trains can
reach Omaha in the forenoon, and return at
night, the stimulating effect on the revenues
OF his company, on Omaha, South Omaha
and the surrounding country, will be imme-
diate in its result He is familiar with the
growth of the suburbs around Cincinnati and
Chicago, and the interior cities Of Ohio and
Illinois. and their superior train facilities,
both freights and passenger.
Permanency and convenience in train
schedules are essential as in everything else,
and with such as the one indicated the road,
the people ana the city will prosper, and for
all time. Omaha will be the principal ''trade
center'' of the west, on account of its acces-
sibiiity TO the people of the surrounding
country.