The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-12-09
PAY OF RAILROAD MEN
THE REDUCTIONS NOT SO EXTENSIVE
AS HAS BEEN UNDERSTOOD.
General Passenger Agent Fee Tells
Something of Alaska and How to
Get TheFe-GeneraI Notes.

The extent of the reduction of wages
of railroad employees" said a local official
has been greatly exaggerated. THE re-
ductions were not so general or so deep as
In the year 1877. During the recent de-
pressed times many of the roads made no
reduction and others only in certain depart
ments. On but few roads were the wages
of trainmen, especially engineers, firemen
and conductors, cut In 1877 both the Penn
sylvania lines and the Cincinnati. Hamilton
& Dayton reduced wages, and restored them
in about year. During the last three
years neither of these roads made any re-
duction, and train crews on the Indianap-
oils Belt road are getting the same pay
they did in 1899. In some cases where re-
auctions were made, as with the Big -Four,
1T is claimed that higher wages were then
being paid than by other railways, and in
the train service, and shops and offices of
most CT the roads the men are making
about as good wages, or receive about the
same salaries, as they did four years ago.
AS business improves l think that on the
roads where any reduction was made there
will be an advance in the near future. No
men know better than do railway officials
that road loses nothing by paying it's
men WE'LL But the point / wish to make
is that there has been a great exaggera-
ton as to the cutting down of pay of rail-
road men, and that investigation will show
that in no line Of business has the pay been
more commensurate with the service rem
dered during the last three years of depres-
sion than to men in the employ of rail-
roads. There has been great surplus of
men fitted for clerks in railroad offices; in
many cases women have taken the places
of men, and in that department reductions
have been more marked and more seriously
felt. This was largely due to the fact that
the heads of such departments were anx-
ious to make favorable reports of econo-
MIXING. / do not look for any advance in
wages, but think that business improves
and the roads get into better shape finan-
cially there will be a rise in wages in the
way of equalization with the departments
where no reduction has been made"
A Heavy Alaska Travel Looked For.
Charles s. Fee, general passenger agent
of the Northern Pacific, spent yesterday in
the city calling on District Passenger Agent
Turner, whose health he reports much i'm
proved. Mr.. Fee states that the outlook
for very heavy travel to I<londike in the
early spring could not we'll be more prom
Using. At his headquarters three hundred
TO four hundred letters are received daily
asking for rates and other information. The
letters come from persons contemplating
going there in the early spring. He states
that there are but two direct routes to
Alaska, one via Puget sound the other via
Seattle. These are the shortest routes, and
rates are lowest. Mr.. Fee has been twice
to the Klondike gold fields, and says no
one can imagine the extent of Alaska or the
Yukon river until after making the trip.
Not only for gold-seekers, but for tourists.
it is one of the most wonderful trips
that one can take. Alaska contains six
hundred thousand square miles. The Yukon
river is second only to the Amazon, the
largest river in the world, being from six
to sixty miles in width and two thousand
miles long. He says there is much nonsense
being published about other routes but all
are back doors to reach the Klondike, the
expenses by other than the Puget-sound or
Seattle route being much greater and much
more time required to make the trip. Mr..
Fee states that the passenger business on
the Northern Pacific for a few months
past has been very satisfactory. The road
bed and equipment is at the highest stand
ard and never before in the history of the
road have it's trains been run SO near on
schedule time as now. He says that daily
few people start for Alaska, going as far
as they can, that they may be ready to
take advantage of any way of reaching
the Klondike.