The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1898-06-20

| car gate system. by which II sought to ac-
| con,plish, and has successfully accomplished
! results-which are absolutely necessary Tor the
| protection of its revenue and the safety OF Its
| passengers.
ny personal inspection of tickets by train
gutcmcn at entrance 10 the train at stations
where tickets are sold. we are enabled TO sec
| that every passenger Is provided with traps
rcitfticn, and by the use and complete con-
| trol OF these car gates, when cover the steps
" the platforms of all coaches, our patrons
| have conveniencos and security which they
woulu not otherwise enjoy. There Is protection
from sneak thieves. the rowdy and rabble Gle
! mcrt which coDgrcgatos at every station upon
the approach OF passenger train and crowd
Into the cars. purloining articles of wearing
apparel, small parcels. satchels, umbrellas,
anything they can lay their hands on, ios,l,ns :
water coolers. hindering insress ana cgress
OF passengers, etc.
Without the gates anybody can get on or OH
q, any station, or when the train is going
slowly prior to stopping or Immediately AFTER
starting.
Under the old system passengers left the
train In disorder and entered II IN the same
way This led to blockades on the platforms
aud IN the aislos OF the cars and ncommoded
passengers.
All OF this Ia charged by the car gate sys-
tom. We Row unload passengers speedily.
with order and regularity. and then permit
passengers who are going on the trains to en-
enter who has not ticket, and consequently,
numbers of people who are not going on the
train are now precluded from. entering the
cara and blockading UP the aisles. Uiwior the
oil system the latter rushed off at the last
moment just when the train was about to
start. or had started, and injury to life ana
limb resulted Men and women were Grip
Piled for life, and the railroads had to bear
the blcme for these acts on persons who had
not contributed one cent to the railway S rcvc-
nue..
The statement has been made that the gates
are not a protection to life and limb. but,
rather menace to safety. Let us what
the facts and the authorities say upon this
subject.
(Read letters of the Travellers, Aetna and
Preferred Accident Insurance companies.)
tRelate the story OF the gated trains at Ala
media, Gall
(Read statement of accideIts.)
Aside from the examples and authorities Just
cited, the interstate commerce commissions
statistics for the year 1898 tand this is the lat
est report We have from that body shows
that during that year, from all causes, G135
people were killed and 33.IiS were injured, "a
total of 39.SSi. The list is not classified. con-
se2nently, we can not tell how many of these
actfdouts are to be traced to unprotected plat
FERNS or the absence of gates, but it is fair
to assume that if on the twenty-sx roads just
referred to there were go killed and injured
from boarding, jumping or falling off trains,
10 rer cent of this number could be properly
charged TO such causes. Also, if this is true,
would it not be an act of humanity for our
legislators to pass laws compelling all rail-
ways to adopt the gate system?
II the unprotected platforms of 30 per cent
OF the railway passenger equipment of Amer
lea today is not an ever present danger TO life
and limb. why is it the warning keep off the
platform Is posted so aonspicuously upon
every car door?
One of the greatest annoyances from which
the Scuthoin Pacific suffered before the gates
were put on the negro. 1t is VIGOROUSLY a
fact that our colored friend in the country
VIII work hard all week and on Sunday will
Invest part OF his earnings in a ride OH the
cars it he can find train that will accommo-
dato him.
Sinerlar to relate that for every darby who
is going on an excursion, thera are fifteen to
twenty-five others who go down to the depot
to him off
Under the old system they would gather in
and around the cars and depots to the annoy
anco of everyone, and never attempting to
III, We out OF the way of danger until the train
was in motion.
white line on platforms. City ordinance
very large proportion OF the local travel
upon the line of the Southern Pacific, through
the states of Louisiana and Texas, is compos-
ed of negroes
1t is well understood that n negro is some
what timid in the matter of purchasing rail-
way tickets. and will avoid, whenever it is
possible. what to them is somewhat of trial
IN going into a railway depot or to a ticket
Office window for the purchase OF a ticket.
They prefer. in majority OF cases to pay
their fare on the train, and in the case of
short runs from station to station to take
thelr chances OF the conductor overlooking
them. Many white people are the same
Eliminating the question of frauds, incident
to cash fare and ticket collections under the
oid method, must insist that too much i'm
poltapce can not possibly be placed upon the
gate system on account of the safety it pro-
Vldes Tor the protection Of passengers who are, |
oy TINS system, prevented from boarding or
leaving the trains while in motion, or from
set'lhg on or Off trains at other than station |
Platforms once the train is ready to leave a |
station all gates are securely fastened, and
IL Ii impossible for passenger to board or
way lessenng the risk Of accidents.
IL mas been repeatedly contended that tho
yates work hardship to pagsenger3 boarding
~ ~, ran III recurring them TIC stand exposed
70 tne elements longer than under the old
sSflem will say that, after thorough ill.,
speciion of the laily reports OF train caten,nn
II u can Dr. certified that there is no unncces-
sary or unusual delay in the handling of mas
sehgeis OF to our trains at stations by the
oleraton OF the gate system. True when tho
system was ;irst inaugntaeG. the same daily
tepoIts snow that 1t took some little drilling
loi ire first few months, to make our local
patrons understand that they could be admit
t ,or 70 our trains only on condition that they
were provided with tickets However thav
soon fell into line. Notices were published IN
me papers, placards conspicuously posted nj
all OF our stations and other points of van
tage whore the public could see them. mil
tocay' 1t is well understood that messenger,
thl' not get on trains without tickets and Tho
protests are daily growing fewer wy
VIC ciaim for tho gates that the running of
our uhlns are facilitated through the nrnner
al,n ~ stematic handling of passengers at sta
lions ana that the grievances of those who
I'm; ;',l iuln OF the system are. in many eases. |
itn,9siNery, or, If not, they have, in ma
!uu."V OIL cases, arisen from causes over which
ths company has no control
GU VIII near many people carelessIy assert
thdl tney are prevented from entering the
t t az the way from five minutes 10 tif
wen minutes at every station This is sIninlv
ho. ro'oons' for the reason that if it he true
.neth WoGld be mere time Consumed IN sion
p,hb al stations than is required to make ths
run over the entire division, WV
Three fourths TO a minute Tho o,oro d.
required in a stop '"se '''ne
fiso, u" against This complaint. cur reuo,ts
s s1n tlai not III single instance, in the two
~ YEARS these gates have been in operation
, ia. me failure OF train to reach It's destI
n"uoH on ume being attributed to the nres
om.e OF mo gates. Tho contrary has been our
,s,nnL't'enoc, FOR many detentions al STA
s s,ons mat used to arise are now avoided