El Paso daily herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1881-1901, 1899-09-30

evil genius OF tQo Wrlter6, UTduoe oh'
articles with suspicion, and destroy
the force of the statements which the!
contain. Articles of this character
are calculated to %eugender bad feeling
| between the people and the railroads
to cast suspicion upon the service
create dissensiops among the employee
and to accelerate the i~rrepressiblt
| conflict between the people and the
corporations. Such is their manifes'
aim, and such Ia the only effect they
| accomplish.
The attacks referred to show on theil
face An utter ignorance OF ra1lwa
economics, q reckless disregard OF plain
facts, and q servile adherence to pre-
judice and inherent wickedness. Does
any sensible person suppose that tne
| railway company would wantonly leave
it's roads or equipment in q dangerous
condttiop-thereby exposing 1t to 9
constant menace and irreparable 1883:
Does anyone suppose that the 0rPora
tion is blind to its " interests: Does
anyone suppose that a railroad would
risk its own valuabie prOperty,-not to
speak of the lives of it's patrons, on q
road wilfully neglected? Persons who
are at all acquainted with railway mat
ters and hose most ignorant on such
subjects usually pose as experts. n
write up the questions with suDllme
faith in their own superior knowledge
know full well that it Is ever so much
cheaper to keep the road n equip
ment in good order than to let 1t run
down. Any farmer, used to agricultu-
raj implements, will tell you that. Some
free access to the public, evolve
from the misty recesses OF
their inner consciousness, the notion
hat it is cheaper for railroads to pay
damages for the destruction of life
than to keep it's property in good con-
dition. But railroad men know full
we'll, from long experience. that the
destruction to their own property,
through failure to maintain it in prop
er condition, entails a loss infinitely
greater than that occasioned by loss of
life due to negligence. Take an ex-
ample: The Southern Pacific operates
over it's road, during the tourist season.
q magnificent, solidly vestibuled train,
known as the ''Sunset Limited" COM
prised of palace cars only, which is
operated at a very high speed, and
with but few stops. between New Or
leans and San Francisco. This train,
or series of six trains In the service,
represents a capital of at least $3.50 900
Moreover, from the name of it's
operation this train would be capable,
on an improperly equipped road, of
effecting q damage of a million dollars
in ten seconds of time. just think of
it! This train carries q great number
of wealthy tourists. with their val@
uables, and in case of An accident, they
would exact enormous damages from
the company; During the worlds fair
at Chicago, in 1898, q train on an
eastern road fell through .
bridge, and the company sustained
an instant, irreparable loss-irrepsrable
account of the loss of prestige to
the road, of q million dollars. Again.
the "Sunset Limited" Ia a YER prof.
table feature of the Southern Pacific,
and one of it's most effective agents in
the fierce strife for overland traffic.
With these facts before US, can W
suppose that the company would dare
to operate such q train, with such a
cargo, over an Unsafe or improperly
equipped roadway? The very fact
the company dares to operate this
train. at such q speed, n under such
is conclusive evidence that
the roadway and equipment are as
safe as money and skill a make
them. Immense self-interests serve to
exact a very high degree of safety and
prudence on the part of the manage
meut. This fact must De self-evident.
Now let US look at the general ST.
of the Southern Pacific system,
on the fair plains of California,
beyond which many people have never
ooked, bus across the long, bleak, and
Utmost impossible deserts and noun
This road Is essentially one of
lesert and Observation-Disclosures which
t stands as before the rocks of Scylla
md Charybidis. 1t has had 10 contend,
rom it's inception, and does contend,
u it's daily experience, with more
pori0t,a nh uSioo1 nhstoo1oc hu az 1aoot |
fifty per cent, than any other great
ystem of the country. These obsta-
les make terrible inroads into the re-
of the company. Such losses
II are almost ruinous. Yet
hey must be met. The road is shut in
n all sides, by sea, deserts, and al
nost impossible mountains. 1t is
to maintain all the roads that
is now possible or profitable to con-
truct or operate between the Pacific
cast and the eastern states. In con-
eserts and mountains, it
as almost i~nsupersble obstacles
D contend Within the shape of appal-
ing grades, impossible mountains, and
laces where it is very difficult to place
tie, or to keep it in position. In the
esert, the fine sand, constantly NOV
d by winds, renders it we'll nigh i'm
ossible to ballast the road. In both
fountain and desert, cratic rainfalls
end to render the tracks unsafe for
lilies, without q moments warming. In
lct the physical conditions in the
and deserts are such that no
egree of human foresight can guard
gainst them. Considered with refer
nee to it's attendant physical condi-
ons and climatic influences, the South
m Pacific is one of the strongest safest,
nd best equipped roads in the coun-
y.
Another obstacle to the maintenance
a high class roadway. on the South
IN Pacific. The company operates
thousands of miles of IA across
eserts and mountains, where the earn
,-n "a nnilo 1noallu LIZ mt cuff