The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1894-01-23
K UMBLE BE, !,
~ OfSthe Rails

The trolley is king. Long live the
trolley. There's no use disputing it.
Electricity in railroading has come to
stay. The steam horse is already an
anachronism. The subtle element
which science can harness but not de-
fine has clutchsd the business of quick
locomotion and daily adds to the tight
ness Of its grasp. The trolley is this
moment reaching out from Baltimore
to Washington; from Wilmington to
Philadelphia: from Philadelphia to
Lancaster and from Lancaster to Har
risburg, In our own bailwick, trolley
poles dot the earth from Csrbondale to
Nanticoke; and springtime will see
them moving on from Nanticoke to
Northumberland and possibly from
Northumberland to Harrisburg, while
on the north only minor legal friction
prevents. au ultimate terminus from
being established at Forest City. Men
now alive may live, will live to SEQ
day when the entire stretch from Bng
hamton to Washington will be busy
with the movement OF an almost con.
tinuous series of electric street cars.
A##
From Carbondale to Gotham
while you wait" may soon become a
Delaware and Hudson motto. 1t is al.
ready ION dit" that the Hudson people
will make quick passenger traffic
agreement with the new Wilkes Barre
and h stern, whereby through coaches
on their road will be whsked off at
Wilkes-Barre to the new Panther
Creek route and landed in the mstropo-
Lis before you know you're there
This, If it materiaizes, will naturally
inspire brisk rivaly. and better time
and accommodations will result on all
the roads,
The fun has begun. Monday marked
the first shipment Of freight on the
Wilkes-Barre and Eastern road. The
road has been carefully inspected and
is believed to be in spick' and'span con-
dton To bs surs, there is bad rem
iniscencs in its construction. Ignorant
and brutal labor was imported from
the south to do its construction work,
and to this day their conduct while ut
this task fingers in the recollection as
horrid nightmare. The owners Of the
road are not responsible, in one sense.
since the employment of this grade of
labor was decided upon by contractors
and sub-contractOrs. But the record
of death by accident for almost each
mile of laid track is significant one.
and one which disappears slowly. In
every other respect the road begins
oper ations auspiciously. Stations are
models of neatness and taste; cars and
equipment are of the best, and the new
ownership, having'no share in the early
mistakes, naturally deserves and re-
ceives the best wishes of all.
tx#
Is the railroad business overcrowledH
Not at ALL There were only 15J ap-
plicants for the position of local agent
and general solicitor at Wilkes Barre,
on the new Panther Creek line G. M
Metzgar, formerly with the Valley at
Dallas. was chosen.
"They say"-how convenient and
how kind they" always ars-that the
Jersey Central people will abandon
Mauch Chunk as passenger terminal
point, in favor of Allentown. which is
the central point between Jersey City
and Scranton. Thus there would be
only two, instead of three divisions
The rumor is not confirmed, but if
true wo uld necessitate :mapy changes
of residence on the part of conductors,
engineers and trainmen generally.
DRIBLETs FROM THE SAND Box:
Erie trnckmel have had daily wages cut
from Sl.2O to Sl.l9.
New Jersey Central engines are equipped
with the steamboat whistles.
One of the neatest locomotives ever built
has Just been finished at the Lackswannas g
shops. She is known as No. 247, and is lit
orally and emphatically up to date in every
particular.
To compete with the trolley line, the
Jersey Central charges only scent fare
between Wilkes Barre and Ashley.
The Reading railroad is cutting Phila-
delphia suburban fares, to keep even with
the traction lines.
The Ontario and Western company pro-
pose to put in bath tubs and start read
ing room in one of the buildings at May
field yard.
Conductor A. Day, OF the Ontario and
Western, has moved into John Mulhol-
lands house, at Jermyn,
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