Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1890-01-02
RAILWAYS DID WELL
In the Year That Has Gone, With
Both Freight and Passengers.
A GAIN OF FROM is 1920 PER CENT
With Promise for Almost as Good Earn.
ings the Coming Year.
JOHNsYOWE AND WASHINGTONFRAVEL

In summing up the events of the year, a
well-known railroad official stated yester-
day that there was no business which
showed the great prosperity of the people for
the past two years as did the railroad earnings
An effort was made by DISPATCH re-
porter to obtain some figures about the in
crease, but this was found to be impossible
Every railroad man spoken to about the
matter said the growth of the business was
phenomenal. Among those interviewed was.
Division Passenger Agent E. D. Smith, of
the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad, who said:
"The past year has beea remarkable one.
There never was year in the history of the
railroads in this part Of the country that
would show greater increase in the earnings
of both the passenger and freight depart
! ments. The passenger business surprised
everybody. I cannot vet give the figures,
but think the increase will be fully Is per
cent. In great many districts the increase
in the volume of business over 1888 will be
over 20 per cent. The increase was in both
local and through business. The excursion
business the past summer has also been un-
precedented. suppose the largest excur-
sion trade of the year was after the Johns
town food. On one occasion took crowd
filling % cars into the town. We have been
running large excursions to the seashore for
the past three years, but the last season
broke the record. The midwinter excur-
sions to Washington have also swelled the
phenomenal growth of the business out OF
this vicinity. The number of people carried
this year is greatly in excess of any
year before.
A NEW SOURCE OF TRAVEL.
1.-THE boom in the Washington oil field has
also increased the large army of public
travellers.
From the present indications 1 think the
business will continue to grow steadily.
Next year believe you will see a further
increase. as everything points that way.
The cause of the great number of people
travelling from Pittsburg is due to their
prosperity. The new passenger station also
had great deal to do with it. The station
has only been in use for six months, but its
effect on the business is plainly felt. An
other reason is that we are getting the bulk
of the theatrical business. We have been
making party rates for the past four months
while other roads refused. They thought it
was violation of the interstate law, but
we took the chances. As result we have
been getting the business which stands by.
us. When the other roads refused to make
party rate we gave theatrical companies
this advantage. As a result they are stand
ing by us now for our action in the face of
what the other lines refused to do. All
these things helped the business along"
District Passenger Agent T. E. Watt, of
the Pennsylvania road, said: "For the past
IL months our business has been better than
ever before in the same time. Within nv
territory there are about 200 agents whose
reports every month have shown great in
crease over the month of the previous year.
The growth of the business at East Liberty,
Greensburg, Johnstown, Altoona, Braddock,
ConnellsVille, Pittsburg and the Union
station has been unprecedented.
A BIG SOUTHERN TRAFFIC.
"The Southern excursion business this
winter is contributing its share to the total
A great many Pittsburgers are going to
Florida, notwithstanding the fact that we
have had no winter weather vet. A great
many people have also gone from this city to
the Northern summering resorts. The sea-
shore business picked up wonderfully last
summer. We handled thousands of tourists
who never travelled before. This is due to
the perfect facilities we have for taking care
of them. There is also disposition on the
part of lines making specially of this busi-
ness to offer better inducements to people to
travel"
General Passenger Agent Clark, of the
Pittsburg and Lake Erie Railroad Com
pany said: "The results on our road have
been very satisfactory for the past year. The
growth Of the passenger traffic has been
steady and will continue. 1 should imagine
tha4the population of Coraopolis has been
increased about 20 per cent within a year.
A great many other towns in the vicinity of
the oil fields have also increased in popula.
tiou. and this has helped along our subur-
ban business. The travel to Lake Mackinac
and Lake Erie In the summer was also very
heavy. Chautauqus as usual attracted q
large number OF Pittsburgers. 1 cannot
furnish any figures until the annual meet.
ing of the stockholders in January"