Evening star., 1898-10-20
PRODUCT OF EVOLUTION
D. B. Martin Discusses the General Passen-
ger Agent at Detroit.
Wide-Awake Railroad Man of Today
Had His Beginning in Stage
Coach Days.

| At the forty-third annual convention of
| the American Association of General Pas
| senger Agents. now in session at Detroit,
| D. B. Martin of the 3. and o. railroad de-
| livered an address, in which he discussed
the evolution of the genius now known as
| the general passenger agent.
Mr.. Martin said in part
In the incipiency of transportation, when
| intercommunication between cities and
| states was confined to the fiatboat or OK
| team, but little mental force was required
| to organize regulate traffic; it adapted
| itself to the measures at hand; but when
| the trail through the forest widened into
| macadamized highways, when the flatboat
| gave way to steam, and through the dense
| forests and over the wide prairies the
| sound of the whistle announced the coming
| Of the steam engine, rolling, twisting and
tottering over the primitive strap iron rail,
then competition between steam and water
transportation began, soon followed by a
demand for intelligent management and
profitable utilization of passenger traffic, re-
quiring and expanding into complete sys-
TEN.
That there has been an evolution of the
general passenger agent a gradual growth
and development, is self-evident. You will
recall how the scientist in these latter days
has written much and pondered more upon
the theory of evolution, which, to state
terseiy and simply, is but a gradual unfold
ing of successive stages of growth. So in
the progressive commercial world, that
which is best adapted to meet exigencies
which produce the largest results from the
lowest expenditure. whether ii be man or
system, survives; the inefficient or inferior
must perish. Now, If We would mark the
evolution of the general passenger agent
,, from the germ cell, we must follow along
the lines which ante-date even the railroad.
We will ascertain it had its Initial, its rise
its growth and development to the present
kGsA
ward surge of progress; may we hope its
maturity has not yet been attained, but
with each new development in the field of
scientific transpor- alton becoming more
prominent and potent factor.
When the Philadelphia and Baltimore
Eastern Shore line post coaches in 17ss
We're advertised to rur twice a week, from
Phiiadel- hia to Baltimor. on q schedule
OF pounC and FIX shiilrGs from
f.-l.aoeiphif to the S'.sQu snanna river
and from that poin = Bal :pe re q fur
ther distance q thirty seven miles, With
cut additional cnar"c. note the germ
cell; the N4ci-zc- tSetiua O. the nCoern
passenger agent for tno gratis carriage
from the river to Baltimore was to meet
water competition. The combination of
water and land transportation through
which the packet boat and the stage coach,
although of separate ownership and dis
tiDct lines became concentrated into one
continuous route, was an enterprise orig
mating through the activity of their pas
S6ESSr manager, out, mere We note In his
second cell the absence of an ingredient
which, on account of its slow growth and
imperfect development, causes a large pro-
portion of traffic decentralization, viz:
Want of confidence in each other" for
their arrangements, although complete
were carefully guarded by the announce
ment that while goods were thus carried
they were not warranted against robbery
or damage, and all baggage was at pas
senger's risk"
Another cell was formed; another growth
developed-when in the first quarter Of our
present century the canal, primarily con-
structed for moving freight, found ii ad-
vantageous to compete with the stage lines
for passenger traffic. and an inducement
was offered by including board and lodging
in a rate of four cents per mile, while spe-
cial fare of three cents per mile would
be charged without beard. clearly demon
strating the formation of a rate cutting
system, existing In the bud and developed
into the marvellous growth of today.
That the comfort of his patrons was early
considered by the passenger agent as an
incentive to travel IS seen later in the le-
port of the Baltimore and Ohio railroad
when in 1893 it was officially suggested