The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1889-12-07
RAILROAD NOTES.

The branch railroad running to High
land Beach is to be sold at auction. The
Central Railroad has been operating it of
late and will make a strong fight for its
purchase. 1t is reputed to be a paying
The Lehigh Valley Railroad has as
sumed work on its long branch from
South Plainfeld to Jersey City. Fifty
thousand dollars worth of track laying
machinery is already on the ground in
Roselle and the work will be prosecuted
during the winter and spring i'll all
weathers. The distance to be covered is
twenty miles and the objective point in
Jersey City is north of the Central New
Jerseys ferry.
The Lackawanna is fighting to keep the
New Jersey Central out of a rich region
at the junction of Morris, Somerset and
Hunterdon counties. The Central already
has the High Bridge branch to near Lake
Hopatcong. Now it projects q line nearly
parallel to the High Bridge branch. from
White House. ten miles west of Somer-
vile. to Morristown, From White House
to New Germantown the line has already
been laid. The Lackawanna's Passaic
and Delaware branch extends from Sum
nit to Bernardsville, and a large force of
men is at work near the latter place
pushing the line to Peapack, six miles
distant, with the intention of cutting off
the Central.
The Chicago limited train makes a run
to Philadelphia every day in one hour and
tifty-nine minutes, or at an average rate
of a little more than forty-tive miles an
hour. There are several "slow-ups" on
the route and at times the speed is a mile
q minute to make up for the deficiencies
in other places. The engineer and fireman
return TO New York the same day and get
d day and u half pay for the round trip.
". ia -. n1antn6 oil jfC aid nff1norr
last week. The directors voted to pay SIX
per cent. interest on the income bends on
january Is. 1t will be the first interest
paid since 1883. The annual report of the
road for the year ending September 80
sets forth that the earnings of the entire
system for the year amounted to S2I, 004,
1867 OF, out OF which there was due to
leased lines worked upon u percentage Of
earnings the sum of 81, 400, 1872. "A, leaving
Ss4, sos, 2T3.2 q as the amount accruing to
the Erie road proper. The working ex-
penses were $17, S54, 424. 9o, leaving Sc, 140,-
S4S.32 as net earnings Earnings from
| other sources were 1876, 504. "a, giving
total net earnings of S1,S17, 1852. 96. The
payments of interest on the funded debt,
liked rentals and various other charges
amounted to 81 ,042,576.5l, leaving a sur
plus for the year OF S7T4, s66. 40.
There is one feature of a railroad mans
| life on some roads which is, to put it
mildly, annoying. 1t is the hardness
with which they are paid their wages
every month. They are supposed to
receive their wages gu the first of the
month, but this never happens. The
paymaster is an autocratic individual
who takes his time in paying wages.
Sometimes he is ready to pay wages on
the fourth or fifth of the month. 1t fire
quently happens that men are not paid
until near the middle of the month.
This delay is a source of annoyance tc
the men and a profit TO the railroad
Shylocks, who lean money at ten and
fifteen per eel interest. It is said that
al law was recently enacted in Massacnu
sets compelling all employers TO pay
wages weekly. If such y thing is posi-
bic in that State, there is no reason why
a law should not be adopted here reguiat
ing the payment of wages OF course, Il
would be a matter of difficulty TO enforce
a weekly payment on big railroads, but i,
would not be SO difficult to pay wage
fortnightly, or at least regularly on ths
first Of the month. The Legislature
might find a way Of making this practi
cable.