The morning call., 1891-10-24
ALONG THE RAIL.
A New Explanation of the Train
Agent System.
Blind Guesses Anent Wilder's Abseuce-An-
other Extension to Bryant-A Special on
the Fast Mail Time.

The train agent system inaugnrated some
months ago by the Southern Pacific Com
pany entitled "An act to increase passenger
receipts" is not dead, but it is diving fast,
and within few weeks the old order of
things will be resumed. The force Of COL
lectors has been reduced from twenty-five to
thirteen, these remaining agents having
charge of the Southern overland trains
Nos 10 and 20-as far south as Bakersfield
the Los Angeles express trains-17 and
1S-tO the same point. and the Oregon
trains-15 and 16-as far north as Ash
land.
On the Central Pacific overland and sew
eral other trains the collectors have been
taken off; and it seems that in discontinu-
ing the system the company is doing just
what it Intended to do when the men were
put on six or eight months ago. Eastern
roads have done the same thing always
taking the collectors off, however, aftar a
few months trial. For this reason it has
been generally thought that the schema was
a bad one, or at least that it posses sed no
advantages over the usual methods of col
lecting fares and tickets. An off 'er of the
Southern Pacific exp plained yesterday that
this was all mistake.
AhO lOdo, odiu lE, uoCo Stlo SOllOCtul 10
a permanent check on conductors. They
are Used rather as temporary example.
Here is the whole thing in ten words: A
collector takes run where the conductors
Teeeipts have been 500 day He (the col
lectoD runs up the returns 10 $3.50 per day,
ana keeps this up for say month. Then
the conductor is allowed to take the run
again after being shown what it has paid
the company under the collector This com-
parison inspires in the conductor an amoi-
tion to keep the returns mp to a notch where
the collector left them"
ANENT wILDER's ABSENCE.
About two weeks ago Division Superin-
tendent a. ID. Wilder of Oakland left for an
Eastern trip. The Oakland pa ers had to
say something about his departure, and so
they gTavely announced that Mr.. Wilder
had been ordered to New York by Pres-
dent Huntington for consultation con-
corning the proposed change in the local
system.
Two days after this appeared something
more had to be said, and so the two leading
sheets OF Athens agreed that Mr.. Wilder
had been ordered East for promotion. Fol-
lowing this came prediction as to the pO-
siti0n which would probably be rendered
him, an essay on his fitness for the General
Managers chair, diagnosis of his ability as
a railroad man generally, and in conclusion
a close analysis of his private character.
which, by the way, was found beyond re-
pThacn.
The funny part Of the whole thing is that
Nr Wilder has not been ordered East by
President Huntington aud will not sea thai
gentleman during his stay, unless by acei-
dent. He has not even gone TO New York,
but to Racine, Wis, for the purpose Of
visiting relatives. However. il the Oakland
papers persist in publishing railroad news
here is an item they would do we'll to co py:
Assistant Division Superintendent Th0mp-
sOn want IN PnTt Costa ypStardaVH
READY FOB ANOTHER EXTENSION.
The California and Nevada RtiirOad is
about ready TO open up another extension
of its track. On or about the first the ope-
ration of the line out as far as Bryant,
station located on the Moraga ranch, will
begin. The grading is done and the brldg-
ing Is nearly completed. BRYANT, the new
station, is about three miles beyond the
present operated line at 0rinda Park. The
extension will give the road line ABOUT
twenty-three miles long. In the spring
work will be started on the extension to
Walnut Greek, which is ten miles from Bry-
ant. The progress OF the road, under the
energetic management of Mr.. Grant, has
been steady during the year. 1t Is some
what interesting fact that the road has
franchise from tid6 water to BOdie.
Messrs. Gray and Curtis, of the Southern
Pacific Company, are absent in Southern
California. They are accompanied By
Messrs. Morgan and Spyers. Boston bank
erS, who will return East shortly.
c. +. Tavlor, formerly OF the Northern
Pacific at Duluth. Mimi, Is visiting friends
in this city.
ANOTHER SPECIAL CAR PARTY.
c. c. Craine of the Vanderbilt lines will
start another special car party East to-
night on tho fast mail. This time it is the
private car ''GEassmere," which il is pro-
posed to run on the same time as. that
made by the John Mackey party - four
days, twelve hours and thirty minutes
the fastest overland run ever made.
w. f. Boyle, Excursion Agent of the At
lantic and Pacific, brought in 159 tourists
yesterday from New York, Chicago and
points in New England.
E. }. Wangh. City Passenger Agent of the
Rock Island, who has been in Chicago for
several months, returned yesterday.
Il. NJ. Yerington, General Manager of
the Carson and Colorado and the Virginia
and Truckee roads, is in this city.
General Passenger Agent Goodman of the
Southern Pacific, has returned from a trip
to Los Angeles.