The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1894-09-25
~ L AtVkI ma LIZ
A Fast Train Over the
Sunset Line.
WILL RUN DURING WINTER.
Service Improved by Southern
Pacific Officials.
WANT TRAFFIC SOUTHWARK.
Ticket Agents Find New Way of
Cutting Passenger Rates by
Using Scalpers.
WILL RUN DURING WINTER
Want TRAFFIC SOUTHWARK.

The FIVE Southern Pacific officials who
went to Ell Paso. Tex, to hold a confer
ence with other officials on railroad affairs
returned home Sunday. AS a result of
their meeting in Texas some important
business matters were acted on. but these
are kept secret. The only definits in
formation given out concerns an improve
ment in train service by New Orleans, be-
tween San Francisco and New York.
The internal economy of the Southern
Pacific Railroad was con sidered with great
care, and better understanding on affairs
was reached in general. Superintendent
of Track Wallace was present at the meet
ing and gave his views on the mainten-
ance of tracks, while Superintendent of
Motive Power Small was asked for figures
and facts regarding his department.
From San Francisco Superintendent
Fillmore, Goodman. Stubs, Wallace and
Small went down to FL Paso. They were
met there by Julius Kruttschnitt, general
manager of the Atlantic system of the
Southern Pacific, and General Superin-
tendent Van Week, General Passenger
Agent Morse aud Traffic Managers Schrei-
YER and Beim. These Atlantic men went
from New Orleans and Houston to con-
fer with the officials from California.
The main object of the conference was
to take some decisive action whereby the
passenger service, via New Orleans, could
be improved sufficiently to induce people
to travel south instead of over the Union
Pacific and Central Pacific. In COMPARE
son. travel via Ogden does not pay the
Southern Pacific Company nearly so well
as that via Ell Paso or New Orleans. The
Central Pacifi; ends at Ogden, whereas
the southern route goes beyond New Or
leans-clear across the continent. Owing
to Its greater length it has not been so pop
ular for frst-class travel as its opponent
The time was very much longer and all
things being eQual-rates, aceommod4-
tions, etc.-Deople naturally took The faster
and shorter route. This condition was
met by the railroad officials, who deter
mined to introduce a frst-class weekly
service during the winter months.
Beginning with November /, a first-ciass
train will be run from this city TO New
Orleans, and similar train will leave
there at the same time. Every Thursday
until further notice these trains
will leave at both termiui.
1t is claimed by railroad officials thai
the trains will be unsurpassed-west of
at least. The cars will be vesti-
buled and contain two double drawing
rooms and ten sections in each. There
will be a frst-class dining-car. with
service and table to tempt travellers; also
a composite car consisting of baggage de-
partment, barber-shop. bathhouse. smok-
ing room with desks and stationery, and
huffaf Tho vyh oIa frai in ha I,
steam and lighted by PIntsch gas manu-
factured on board from crude oil.
The time from New Orleans to San
Fra ncisco will be seveDiy-seven and
half hours. and seventy-nine hours east
bound because the track is heavier. West
bound from New York to this city The
time will be 1171A hours; eastbound 119
hours. This change will reduce the time
to New Orleans by twenty-nine hours and
to New York thirty-two and a half hours,
and give the same quick service as over
the Central Pacific.
Connection will be made at New Orleans
without an hours delay, passengers being
tran sferred to the limited express of the
Piedmont Air Line for New York.
The ticket agents without exception
feel that there is no combination on pas
senger rates now, although they do not
openly proclaim the fact. For some time
past they have been complaining that
"stuffers" from rival lines, and particu-
larly from the Santa Fe and the Southern
Pacific, bought tickets at reduced rates
only TO catch them cutting. As matter
of course the tickets were Cancelled, in
which case the agent selling them lost the
amount he allowed the suffers"
A way out of the difficulty has been dis
covered, and ticket-scalperS are laughing
in their sleeves over it, because they are
making money fast through the strife
among agents.
THE scalpers are doing all the bust
ness" said leading agent yesterday.
"We get very little out of il now. Ii pas
sengers want tickets at cut rates they are
referred to scalDers, who take them back
to the ticket Office and buy their tickets.
The scalper gets a rebate ana allows it to
them, while his commission is enough to
satisfy him. We get no commission on the
transaction"
From another agent it was learned that
the scalper divides commissions with
friendly agents, who employ him as 60
between between them and the purchaser.
The passenger gets a cut rate anyhow,