Birmingham state herald. (Birmingham, Ala.) 1895-1897, 1896-08-14
NEWSPAPER ON RAILS.
Station Agents as Reporters-Chicago, Bur-
ington and Quincy Road Contemplates
Publishing Daily Papers on Its Trains'

St Joseph, No., Aug. 11.-(Special to
the Chicago Reeord.)-Railroad men IN
this city are much Interested in the re-
port that the Chicago, Burlington ana
Quincy road is getting ready to publish
newspapers on its regular passenger
trains.
The first intimation of the existence Of
such a scheme came from remark made
by one high in authority in the machin-
cry and motive power department. This
information met with so prompt and Wig
orous a denial from headquarters as to
lead to an investigation and the conse-
ouent discovery of additional facts Which
tended to confirm the original report and
threw considerable light on the nature Of
the general plan.
The fact that the great dailies of New
York, Chicago, st. Louis, Kansas City
and the far western cities generally find
themselves equally at home 1000 miles
away first suggested the idea OF news
paper that should not only be circulated,
but published in dozen different states,
and that should not only have ITS
morning. evening and special editions,
but it's hourly editions for the twenty
four hours of the day. the first going TO
press in Illinois and the last in Montana,
Colorado or on the Pacific coast, or vice
versa.
Elan OF Inc railroad newspaper
The plan of the railroad newspaper"
as outlined by an interested official, con-
templates the installation of a complete
publishing plant on the fast through
trains. The plants will be placed in steel
cars of twenty tons capacity, made for
the purpose.
The "press cars" will be longer, wider
and more strongly built than the largest
and latest model of railway postal cars
having lofty ceilings to permit of the
storage of paper and other supplies as
well as the most delicate springs invent
ed for the protection of machinery and
to facilitate the work of the operators.
Each car will at the outset be equipped
with not less than two typesetting ma
chimes, which will be kept going eqN-
stantly and supplied with double corps
of operators, and also will have COM
plete outfit built with view to econo-
MIXING space for stereotyping; an I'M
proved perfecting press and compart-
ment especially arranged for the conNen-
fence of the editor and his staff.
Light, heat and power will be furnished
from the engine, except the gasoline for
hea ting the type metal.
One of the most interesting features of
the plan is the method to be adopted in
gathering the news and delivering 1t on
board the cars. Telegraph and cable
news will come through the usual
sources, but as each and every town
along the line, however small, is to be
lenfGSenIeQ IN the NEWS COldllldS, II 10
evident that the force of local reporters
must assume the proportions of an army.
The apparent difficulty and enormous
expense thus confronting the projectors
of the enterprise is overcome by a very
simple arrangement ON the part OIL the
railroad company.
Station Agents as Reporters.
Each station agent along the route
from Chicago west will be required to
cover the field represented by his own
locality put the news in condensed
form and deliver 1t to the local telegraph
operator one hour before the ARRIVAL OF
the press train for Immediate TRANSMITS
sion by wire to the editor in charge OF the
car of that particular date ~,
These dispatches will then be edited,
stefeotyped and the paper sent to press
in time for delivery at the station whence
they came, with a full report of the local
news of the day, literally up to the hour
of going to press"
When the system shall have been
brought to perfection each car will be ac-
companied by telegraph operator, Wnen
both Geographic and local news VIII pc
received in the car by the met hod OF over
head wire already successfully tested In
the east.
Papers for stations for which no stop is
made will be delivered through the United
States mail. as other papers and letters
are now delivered There will thus be
nothing in the operation of the press car
to prevent the ELI or other fast trains
making schedule time or the prompt de-
livery of papers al their destination.
Ii will, of course, be understood tina on
leaving, say, the eastern terminus, large
supply of papers for which the news up
to that hour had been put into type,
stereotyped and printed, will be taken
aboard, so that but one page. or at most
two, will have to be made up and printed
for Zach successive edition thereafter.
There also wiz be division supply de-