Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1897-03-29

favor while adding TO its safety. speed,
comfort and ability to do business. His
plans were very comprehensive, and while
not yet wholly worked out, ne mas
brought about little else than revolution
IN the affairs of the Company. one of'the
first things to engage Mr.. Burts atten-
ton was the Improvement of the road
bed and track and this has been prose-
cuted steadily for more than year, ana
will be continued until the entire line IS
I'm nerfect condition. There was eXpend-
ed in 1895 and 1896 upwards of Sl26WO Tor
the renewal of structures. Many tresties'
some of them long and high, have peeh
filed in solidly with earth and rocks the
aggregate of such work being S'oli HileaI
feet and where such trestles crossed
water courses, stone culverts have been
or are under construction. Nearly three
hundred thousand new ties have been
distributed along the line and put III
Mace. and this work is still In progress
M a number of points. The track mas
been levelled and aligned. where heces-
sary. and long stretches have been PAL
lasted with stone. cnder and gravel iii
the most approved method and this work
&c still going on at a number OF points
along the entire extent Of the line. The
embankment has been repaired at many
points. bitches and general drainage at
tended to, and general repairs or new
work instituted wherever nece; sary to
the permanent improvement of the road.
Coincidert with this work, statifn build
ings have been looked after, several have
ciss of the case required, and improved IA
cilities for the handling of freight put
into effect, including new sidinss at va
rlous points a1d extensions Of those al
ready IN existence. For the greater con-
yenience of the travelling pubic, the OLE
and primitive mode of obtaining meals at
pr. Pleasant was abolished. and commo-
dious and handsome building erected there
with ample dining facilities and there
very satisfactory dinners and luncheon
can be procured by the passengers on all
trains. at extremely moderate prices. This
venture has been in operation for about
eighteen months. and has added very
materially to the comfort of through pas
sengers. A new passenger station was
also erected at St. Marys. and various
other station buildings rearranged. there
by adding convenience TO dispatch Of bus
mess and comforts to the travelling pub
lie. This policy will be pursued as fast as
the increased earnings Will admit of 1t.
There has been very percepuble in
crease in tonnage. especially from con-
Meeting lines by a vigorous foreign pol
icy. which in 1895 amounted TO some 10000
tons. and Notwithstanding the general de-
preston of business throughout the coun-
try. in 1896 it was still increased some $1,000
tons. The local business has also shown
a considerable increase. and there
seems to be a gradual drawing away from
river transportation by the railroad with
its increased facilities and improved
freight and passenger service.
For years there had been demand from
a considerable portion of the travelling
public along the line of the road for an
improved car service. and Mr.. Burt deter
mined to crafty this desire by the intro
duction Of parlor cars on through trains
Handsome cars were ordered from the
Pullman Car Company and delivered ana
put in service. and although the innovation
was a most pronounced one, and its fall
ure was predicted by many. the service
has steadily grown in popularity from the
start. and the cars are frequently filed
TO their capacity. Each Of the four
through trains which run daily be-
tween this city and Huntington now
carries one of these handsome coaches
in charge of competent and attentive por-
tiers. while on the north-bound trains the
parlor cars go clear through to Pittsburg
via the Pennsylvania lines, without
change. while the through train leaving
this city at noon daily transfers a
through car from Pittsburg and carries
It on down. New passenger equipment
has also been added besides a large num-
Der of new box cars. The mail service has
been improved by the addition of the latest
and most modern railway postoffice cars,
thereby increasing the railway mail service
the entire length of the road and branches
by every train. Night trains each way
with a through sleeper from Pittsburg