The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1897-08-04

station. L consider this the most remarka.
BILE performance in the way Of trsin-dis-
patching that has come to my notice over
single-track, mountain road.
Thanking you for the interest that you
have manifested in making the inquiries
you have in regard to the method adopted
by us in handling the Christian Endeavor-
j. A. FILLMORE,
The following letter was sent by Mr..
Fillmore to the uperintendents OF the
road at Oakland, Sacramento and Og-
den, after the work was done:
Gentlemen;-I wish to convey to you,
and through you to the men on your Divi-
sion In every branch of the service connect
ed with the movement OF trains, my ap-
probation of the valuable and efficient SER
vice rendered in the movement Of the Chris
tian Eudeavor specials over your respective
Divisions. The conditions were more un-
favorable, probably, than on any other road
in the United States for the handling OF 80
large a volume of traffic in 30 short space
of time; still, trains were handled in 30
satisfactory manner that there was not
| complaint from even one passenger that has
| come to our notice, nd l am happy to say
no one was injured In the slightest degree,
not even a scratch.
was much surprised to learn when we
commenced moving the special trains that
| the eyes of all eastern railroad managers
| and railroad men generally were watching
us with great interest, and many OF them
| expressed grave doubts as to our ability to
handle so large crowd in so limited a
time for so great distance over single
| track, mountainous road, without serious
| delays, accidents, ETC. Such thing as
failure to perform this service In an expedi-
| tious and creditable manner never occurred
to me, as 1 was confident, after having
| taken the question up with each one OF you
and ascertained the manner in which you
had arranged to handle the business, there
| could be no possible chance for accidents,
and no delays except occasionally where
| we might have large number OF people in
| some train to feed at mealing stations, and
to do the necessary icing, watering and in
spection Of cars
1 understand that on many of the lines
| east of our connection the passengers in
these trains were not given an opportunity
| to take meals en- route and but little or no
attention was paid to the icing and water
ing of cars. On our line each train was
taken care Of, as far as feeding, icing and
watering are concerned, in fact, in all re-
spects, the same as ii there had only been
one train sent over our road
To show you the anxiety OF some OF the
eastern railroaders, enclose you copy OF
letter received from Mr.. w. G. Neimyer,
our General Agent at Chicago. And to il
lustrate further 1 will refer to converse
ton that took place between Mr.. James
ger Agent, and the General Secretary OF the
Christian EndeavOr Society, who has wit
messed the handling Of large crowds Of peo-
pie in the East, but not under such condi-
tions as exist on our lines. The gentleman
became 80 solicitous about the transporta-
ton of his people over our road with safety
and dispatch that he asked Mr.. Horsburgh
if he might not be allowed to give our Oper-
ating Department some points in the
movement OF these trains. Mr.. Horsburgh
f,t,if nrtc I'D hot hnQ oh QuH nn1
privilege and finally asked him why he
did so, to which the Secretary replied, in
good faith, that it was the general talk
throughout the East, and he had begun to
share in the opinion, that it would be i'm
possible for the Southern Pacific Company to
handle 80 large a crowd coming to US bunch
ed at Salt Lake, where the Christian Endeav-
orers had remained over from twenty-four
to forty-eight hours and that this was the
firm belief of nearly all railroad managers
and railroad men in general.
l consider the work that we have accom-
plished on single track of nearly 800 miles
in length through desert and mountainous
country and over ferry boats, unprecedent-
ed in the history Of American single-track
railroading, and it shows very conclusively
to my mind that we could take care of al
most any number OF people that might come
to US by handling them under the system
inaugurated for the movement OF the Chris
tian Endeavor trains.
l wish to make special mention of one
particular instance that has come to my
notice in the movement Of trains during
the period of this great rush, that has struck
me very forcibly as showing what can be
done when man puts his mind wholly
upon his work:l Train Dispatcher +. A.
Edinger, Of the Sacramento Division, start
ed train No. 8 from Sacramento one hour
and fifteen minutes late Qate from wesO
with twelve cars, and it arrived at Wads-
worth, 1888 miles distant, after having met
eighteen specials, no two at any one station,
an average Of one every ten and half
miles, but one hour and thirty minutes late,
Notwithstanding the train had to pick up
car OF fruit at Colfax and set out a sleeper
at Reno, involving delay of thirteen min
utes at the former and nineteen minutes at
the latter station.
consider this very extraordinary work
in train-dispatching. Had No. 3 been a
light train and running over level road, it
would not have been 80 great q feat, but 1t
having twelve cars-a full train-and be-
hind time and climbing a grade ranging
from 90 to ZIG feet to the mile, exemplifies
that Mr.. Edinger is most painstaking man
in his position.
There may have been similar service of
this kind performed just as worthy OF COM
mendation, and, IL 1t should come to our no
tice, the person entitled to the credit will be
duly accorded same, but no equal perform.
ance having been brought to our attention,
l am impelled to make special mention OF
the splendid work OF Mr.. Edinger in this in
stance.
The Western and Sacramento Divisions
are entitled to the further credit OF having
handled many Fourth-of-July specials and
the Christian Endeavor specials from Port
land, Los Angeles and Mojave, also special
trains conveying people from adjacent towns
to Sacramento to hear Mr.. Bryan speak,
and fruit in refrigerator cars over the noun
tain as far as Bocs during this period. This
in addition to the usual heavy local passen-
ger traffic on regular trains during the Sd,
4th, 9th and 9th OF July.
Our General Manager, Mr.. Kruttschnitt,
and other officials OF the road join me heart
lily in expressing congratulations and thanks
to each and every employee connected with
the successful movement Of this enormous
hnsineaa