The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1896-01-02
IN THE RAILWAY WORLD.
Transcontinental Travel Over the
Sunset Limited Route.
CAUSE OPPOSITION IN THE NORTH
Tho Popular Route From the Atlantis
to the Pacific Claims Attention.
Headlight Flashes.

For many years the railroads Of the
North have enjoyed monopoly Of the
transcontinental travel from New York
and the East to California and the Pacif-
ic coast, and up to within three years
ago the per centage Of this business via
the Southern routes was so Insignificant
that the Northern lines had begun to feel
that they had a claim on this traffic and
proposed to hold 1t for ever more. Mean
time the various Southern and Atlantic
coast lines awakened to the Importance
of their advantageous position in the
competition for transcontinental trade
and preparations were commenced look
ing to the capture of at least share of
the travel across the continental, which,
by the way. had developed to enormous
traffic the past few years. With the same
time or perhaps faster time than that of
the Northern lines from the Atlantic to
the Pacific. improved equipment and con-
veniences and superior and far more beaut-
iful scenery-why should the Southern
route not be able to enter the field and
capture class Of business which pays u
handsome revenue even at the expense OF
running Special trains Of grandeur, com
Tort ana all the elegance or swell hotel
life.
In the summer Of 1894, when % per cent
OF the travel from the East to the West
was controlled by the Northern transconti-
mental routes, the Southern Pacific COM
Peny conceived the idea OF introducing n
feature In Southern railway travel and
service with view or diverting travel
via the Southern gateways. AS a result
the celebrated Sunset Limited train
familarly known as 'Morse's pet" ia
honor OF the energetic general passenger
agent of the Southern Pacific, was inau-
gurated to make the trip between New
~ ynrfc Anpn ,n.lr
me initial trip was made In the early
fall of 1894 and the service was continued
throughout the winter until last spring.
The limited" was one of the finest trains
ever run in this country and built express
ly for this service. The success of the
first seasons experience was more than
gratifying as the compilation of the win
ters transcontlnental traffic showed that
30 per cent of the business was carried by
the Southern route. Encouraged with this
most flattering result the Southern Pa
cific determined to further accelerate and
improve the service this season and to-
day, after nearly three months operation
of the tri-weekly Sunset limited" train
the report shows at least Is per cent in
crease over last seasons travel Wit the
Southern route, and the Northern lines
forming the transcontinental route are
bestirring themselves less the table might
be reversed and their per centage show
VI. 2 per cent at the end of the present
season Their marked opposition to the
southern route was manifest at various
meetings recently held for the purpose of
considering this all important question
and view of using every effort to regain
this coveted traffic.
Early last fall the lines forming the
most direct route through the South from
the East to San Francisco held a meeting
in Atlanta, Ga, for the purpose of putting
into. operation n quick schedule from New
York to San Francisco. These roads We're
the Pennsylvania from New York to
Washington: the Southern from Wash
ington TO Atlanta; the Atlanta and West
Point from Atlanta to Montgomery; the
cry TO New Orleans. and the Southern
Pacific from New Orleans to San Fran
cisco.
These roads. by connecting their trains,
maintaining close connections and short,
ening their schedules to high standard
OF speed, conceived the idea of making
the grand sweep Of trunk line connections.
thus forming through line from New
York to San Francisco through the South
The Southern Pacific was ANXIOUS to
form such an alliance with these con-
nectons from the East. and General Pas
senger Agent Morse promised to take up
the schedule of the famous "Sunset limi-
ted train and run II twice week on
alliance. and since September tho new
schedules have been in operation. The
success of the undertaking has been
which was obtained.
General Passenger Agent Morse Of the
Southern Pacific, in an. interview while
set limited" fed nv the Eastern con-
nectons at New orleans, has been carry
ing from thirty to sixty rnssengers twice
the Santa Re has been doing. well to get
thirteen passengers on the through trip.
One reason why the route through the
tho one through the Northern prairles.
Is that the trains can run through with
greater. REGULARITY In this section, due 10
ter by fearful billiards. and snowstorms,
such as they have out in the Northwest.
PRECEpTs FOR PASSENGERS.
Some wholesome precepts for passen-
gers in regard to leaving trains are con-
tanned in the following syllabus Of de-
cision by the supreme court of Indiana
in the case Of Ida w. Parks VS.. the To-
ledo. ST. Louis and Kansas City railway.
says the Railway Age:
/. 1t is the duty of a common carrier to
stop Its trains and provide station plat
forms within easy reach of the car steps.
and 1t should have a servant present to
assist a passenger loaded with bundles to
descend from the train in safety. yet there
can be no excuse In all this for a lacy
passenger to attempt to leave the tram
= The dis,nay and fright of a female
passenger lest she be. carried past her
home will not justify her in deliberately
walking from a place of safety to that or
8, A passenger acquainted with the side
tracks and station whore she desired 10
alight, incumbered with packages which
hampered her progress and freedom OF
movement. was In no condition TO risk the
danger so apparent as an attempt 20
alight from a moving train. what nignt
have been comparatively safe for an I'M
hampered woman to do was dangerous Tor
her. =,
4, The act of leaving a moving car y
per Sc and the passenger. II
thereby Injured Except In rare cases., ~
guilty OF contributory negligence ana can
not recover.
HEADLIGHT FLASHES.
The Choctaw, Oklahoma and Gulf rail-
road got its first train of the week through
Sunday night. The track near Wehota