Northern Wisconsin advertiser. [volume] (Wabeno, Wis.) 1898-1925, 1900-06-21


and ticket agent of the Chicago. Mil
waukee G st. Paul road and published
In the Self Culture Magazine:
To be able to peer into the future,
one must examine the past. Retro
spective views are not always satisfy
ing. but they may be interesting. The
ordinary railway passenger Of today
seldom concerns himself about any
thing but the present. If he finds moth
ing to grumble about in his journey
across the continent he is content with
what has fallen to his lot.
What happened to disturb his equa-
njmity year ago he has forgotten.
He does not find 1t necessary to antici-
pate what may happen to him a year
hence; that is the business OF people
VINO solve the problems of railway pas
senger traffic and their name is legion.
1t is an old story that ever man
knows he can conduct hotel properly.
A. large share of the modern travelling
public feels certain it can run rail-
road, but that fact cen safely be dis
puted, for few of the railway managers
are sure That they themselves know
very much about it. Yet they may
have spent lifetime In studying the
intricacies of the problem. and have
been apt scholars. too.
The foregoing is the preliminary
flourish to an article which is intended
to be as non-technical as the subject
will permit
We Americans began TO build our
railways in 1928. During the worlds
exposition at Chicago in 1898 there
was exhibited by the Pennsylvania
railroad the locomotive John Bull
which was brought from England to
run on the Camden & Amboy railroad
(now a part of the Pennsylvania rail-
road SYSTEM in August, 1881. Most of
the earlier locomotives weighed from
three to six tons. and could draw, on a
level, from fifteen to forty tons, being
less than the equivalent OF one of Our
present style of loaded freight cars.
The modern locomotive of our day
weighs about 100 tons, and hauls from
1900 to 1900 tons.
The first railroad which was operated
for the transportation of passengers
and freight on a comprehensive scale,
was the Baltimore a Ohio. between
Baltimore and Ellicott's Mill (ffteen
miles,, opened for traffic in May, 1880.
At the end of 1885, over a thousand
miles of road were In use In different
parts of the country.
Passenger cars Tor coaches, as they
are usually designated) in early days
were stage coach bodies mounted on
four carriage wheels, and as time pro-
crossed several were Joined together
thus forming train" BY 1884 con-
fidence IN the railways had been
established, and improvements IN
passenger equipment were begun.
The stage coach body was placed In
service. These coaches would hold
from twenty to thirty passengers,
sometimes seated on board seats rum
ing lengthwise OF the cars and some
times crosswise.
During the first ten or fifteen years
these coaches We're supposed to be
heated in winter by stoves at each end
but usually the passenger roasted II
he sat at the end, and froze II he sat in
the middle OF the car.
Candles were used to illuminate the
interior. There were no screens at the
windows, no spark-arresters on the
locomotive and no toilet accessories.
Coupon tickets (meaning tickets
good for passage on more than one
road and baggage checks. were un-
known; and IL the journey was long
one the passenger had to transfer from
one train to another at intervals. and
at the terminus of each line purchase 4
new ticket and pick out his own bag
gage and attend to its transfer In the
same manner that luggage is still
handled in some foreign countries.
Every year. however. has shown
great progress in the safety, speed and
comfort of railway travel.
Hand brakes 70 assist In the stopping
20 trains were introduced as early as
lsis. Twenty years later the airbrake
was patented, by which power from the
locomotive is transmitted through hose
simultaneously to the brakes OF all Che
cars In train-a wonderful in
yer ton.
In 1865 the coaches were connected
by patent eouplers, another measure Of
strength and safety.
Dozens az other improvements were
made in rapid succession. some OF them
originating in the fertile brains Of rail-
way official and employees. other sug-
rested by passengers with equal alert
-alpds
Ventilation was improved by increas.
.ag the length and height OF the
coaches; windows could be opened ant
closed wholly or partially; curtains
and screens to protect Il from the SUM-
rays streaming through the window
were provided: mems and women
toilet rooms were made separate: Lei
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