The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1897-10-20
PHYSICAL FEATURES
OfPennSylvania railroad System stamp
u the Model Road OF the Country.

- s--~ ~ ANN
New York dispatch: The public in
telllgence generally confirms the state
ment that in It's physical features the
Pennsylvania railroad system is the
model railroad OF the country Al the
same time, there are many points IN the
excellence which this great corporation
exhibits in the care and maintenance
of its property which, being Of tech
meal nature, are beyond the cOmpre-
hension of those not directly versed or
skilled In such matters.
At any rate, II IL certain that no rail-
way In the world can exhibit a roadbed
and permanent way which approaches
so nearly to perfection; nor with II as
an eXemplar need American railroad
managers admit Of any inferiority to
the lines OF Great Britain, where traffic
10 so much deaseF and where the main
tenance OF high speed by trains neces-
states the closest attention to the road
bed. The Pennsylvania management
has, in fact set the standard for this
country, one to which other railroads
endeavor to approximate, tn many cases
with success, though this rivalry has
not yet resulted In placing the Pennsyl-
vania in an inferior position in such re-
speots.
The company was, indeed, one OF the
first In the country TO recognize the i'm
portanCe OF the subject as well as to
adopt and constantly adhere 10 policy
Of giving the public the best possible
service in point of sread safety, and
convenience, and under the successive
presldencies OF Edgar Thomson,
Thomas A. Scott and the late George Il.
Roberts. as well as under the adminis-
tration of its present executive, Mr..
Frank Thompson, has built up an or
gaHIzatioR which for efficiency Is with
out parallel among corporations OF its
class. iri,2sG
Bradstreet's says that these remarks
are suggested by the details which come
to hand of the recent annual inspection
of the PenHsyivania's track. This duty
is performed every year by the appro-
PIRATE officials of the company, and COW
ers every yard Of the track between Jer-
sey City and Pittsburgh, including the
branches OF the system, and Is conduct
ed in the most minute and palnstaking
manner, The returns Of the inspection
Just completed show that the property,
despite the hard times" the decrease
OF business and earnings in the past
three years, and the consequent en-
forced reduction OF operating expenses,
Is at the height of excellence.
In fact, few railroads in this or any
other country could with safety or
without deterioration OF their plant
have iRaugurated such sweeping ecoRe-
mics as the Pennsylvania inaugurated
and carried out during those trying
years from 1893 to the spring Of 1897.
Its ability In this respect was q striking
tribute to the admirable condition of the
property, though It must be noted that
the reduction of outlay was, in the
main, the result of q cutting down of
the permanent Improvements which 1t
has been the policy of the company to
effect as part of its annual expendi-
ture for maintenance charged In whole
or in part to operation. Some large and
important work of this kind, notably
the change of grade and elevation OF
the tracks OF the New Jersey division
through the city of Newark. have con-
sequently been delayed, though the
prospects are that 1t and other opera
lions 4 the same character will be soon
undertaken and pushed to speedy con-
Clusion
1t Is, however, a lesson In practical
railroad management OF the most in
structlve kind to learn that this great
corporation has not allowed Its prop
erty to deterorate or even to stand
still during the period OF uncertainty
and unfdvorabie conditions In railroad
traffic.