Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1891-12-16
PITTsBuRG. WEDNESDAY. DEC. 16. 1891.
VALUE OF SPEEDY RAIL SERVICE.

Now that the Pennsylvania Railroad has
got control of the Allegheny Valley lines,
we may hope with some degree of con-
fidence that the latter will be made OF
much greater service to Pittsburg than 1t
ever was under the old management. The
Courts are by no means a shining success
in the executive management of outside
business. such as running q railroad or
undertakings of that sort. But it must be
said that in the hands Of a receiver, the
Allegheny Valley has hardly been more
sluggish than it was under its previous
crippled management. Though the coun-
try up the Allegheny Valley is capable of
important development, and opportunities
exist for many valuable connections, the
railroad has made little effort to improve
Them The first train, for instance, going
through to Oil City or any point beyond
East Brady does not start until about half
past eight in the morning-near the hour
for opening court-while any one coming
here from the oil regions and northern
part of the State, or from Buffalo, has to
come on train which stops at every sub
urban station near the city for accommo-
dation traffic. The dilatory process of the
law has pervaded the schedule of the line
very fully ever since it has been under the
jurisdiction of the Courts
The importance of good railroad ser
vice to Pittsburg, and for the ultimate in
terest of the roads themselves, is worthy
of more consideration than is usually
given to the subject The mercantile
business of our city depends greatly upon
the surrounding towns. There is much
debatable territory open equally to Buff
faio, Cleveland, Cincinnati and Baltimore,
whose custom can be secured for Pittsburg
by railroad service devised specially for it,
or driven away from Pittsburg by slovenly,
ill-conSidered arrangements.
Pittsburg has good market, and should
be an admirable distributing point 1t
has decided advantages over any of the
other cities named. Its merchants are
abundant in enterprise. But the people
of midway territory must be given
chance to get their news from Pittsburg
by early trains in the morning. Thus
familiarized with Pittsburg newspapers,
they would become acquainted with the
inducements offered for trading in this
town. Again, in coming and going from
our market, they are entitled to a speedy
service, as Time is money: and beautiful
though the scenery be in this part of the
State, life is too short for dallying with it
interminably on slow-poke trains.
What helps Pittsburg will in turn help
the local roads. Buyers coming to the
Pittsburg market swell the roads receipts;
and whether they send their produce here,
or bring their goods from this point, it is
equally dollars in the treasury of the rail-
road they patronize. Some of our rail-
road managers do not seem to care enough
for this. To save few dollars they will
give late and slow service out of and into
the city in place of an early and speedy one
But the great Pennsylvania Railroad does
not do things after this penny-wise fash
ion; so the change of ownership of the
Allegheny Valley is a matter for congrat-
ulation; as would also be the adoption of
the Pennsylvania enterprise by some of
the other roads having their main ter
minals here.
When our railroads help Pittsburg they
will be most efficiently helping themselves.
This is something they can never afford to
forget, though sometimes the less exper-
fenced of them think they can.