Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1889-01-24
A HEAVY DECREASE,
How the Local Traffic of the P.
R. R. Has Fallen Off.
AGENTS ANNUAL REPORTS.
A Large Increase in Through Busi-
ness Offset by the Other.
THE CABLE CARS THE CAUSE OF 1T.
President Roberts Threatened to Take Off
Several Trains.
AGENTS ANNUAL REPORTS.
THE CABLE CARS THE CAUSE OF 1T.
ALL STATIONS LOSE 25 PER CENT

The annual report of District Passenger
Agent Watt, of the Pennsylvania Railroad,
for the year ending January 81, has just
been completed and sent to Assistant Gen
eral Passenger Agent Boyd at Philadel-
phia.
The report shows the total number of
tickets sold, their value and the comparison
between 1888 and 1887, at every station be-
tween Pittsburg and Harrisburg. The total
sales at the Union station for the year were
STA, ,S97 IS. This includes the main line of
the Pennsylvania Railroad only, and has
nothing whatever to do with the branches
or Western roads. The sales at the Fifth
avenue Office for the year amounted to S242,-
O67 70, an increase of about S24, 900 over the
previous wear. The increase at the Union
station amounted to S25, ,44O so. The largest
gain at any point, in proportion to the num-
Der of tickets sold, was at the Fifth avenue
Office. Nearly everything sold at that office
is on through business. The total cash
value of Pennsylvania tickets sold at both
Fifth avenue and the Union station was
1856, ,965 %.
A STARTLING ADMISSION.
An official of the company, who was in
the city few days ago, said the ticket sales
out of this city for the year would have
amounted to more than 81, ,0O0. 900 if it had
not been for the introduction of the cable
cars on Fifth avenue. The gentleman
stated that the commutation business be-
tween the Union station and Torrens had,
within the past three months, fallen off
trife over 25 per cent. AT every station to
which 4S, so and 50 trip tickets have been
sold the annual reports will show big loss
to the company as compared to the business
of 1887. This, too, in addition to the large
natural increase in business to and from
other stations.
The gentleman further stated that Presi-
dent Roberts would probably take off four
of the accommodation trains now running.
The officials claim that the loss is too heavy
to stand, and, unless they get back some of
the traffic they have lost, they
WILL ABOLISH THE TRAINS.
On the occasion of President Roberts last
visit to this city, several months ago, he
stated that they were losing money on a
number of trains, and were just running
them as an accommodation to the public.
This has been verified by.a number of Of
fcials and employees who are not afraid to
say SO.
Colonel Watt, when spoken to yesterday,
admitted that there had been great falling
off ip local passenger business, but said it
would not be nearly as much as 25 per cent.
He stated that the novelty of the cable cars
has now worn of, and the Pennsy's old
patrons are coming back.
1t is expected that the reports for the
month of January will show further de-
crease in the business to East Liberty. A
traction railway official said yesterday:
eff the Fifth avenue company can take
away 25 per cent of the traffic, what will the
Penn avenue line do, after it has been in
operation a month";"