Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1900-12-04
MAY SHELVE TICKETS
Probable Conductors Will Eventu.
ally Collect all Railroad
Passenger Revenue.
MUCH MONEY WOULD BE SAVED
One of Most Important Items of
Expense So Beers Com.
ing West.

Railroad tickets may become relics
of the past. A movement is said to
have been started among several of
the big railroads of the east and cent
trail west to work out plan whereby
the tickets may be abolished entirely
and the train conductors made the
gatherers of all passenger revenue.
The general scheme is many-sided,
and passenger officials in expressing
their views on the matter have point
ed out numerous flaws and virtues.
Within the last year or so the finan-
cial powers behind the railroads have
complained that too much money was
being spent by the passenger depart
ments. and the movement started by
the railroads is solely fer the sake of
economy.
1t is estimated that every year the
railroads of the nation spend $50. 000,-
600 in order to save $50, GOO. The cost
of printing tickets on the so-called
safety paper has come to be one of
the most important items of expense
Large sums of money are spent by
every road in protecting its tickets
from manipulate by scalpers, but
with little success.
The roads spend the millions yearly
to keep the tickets out of the hands of
the conductors. Even with all the
precautions-"spotters" and other
preventives-unscrupulous conduc-
tors find ways for personal gains.
free Rides for Beers.
Considerable interest is manifested
among officers of the roads operating
west from Chicago ever the reported
coming immigration of 600 boer fam
lilies. Agents of several of the west
ern systems have been instructed to
watch for the arrival of the Afrikan-
ders in New York and furnish them
with free transportation to whatever
points west of the Missouri river they
desire to reach. Representatives of
the Santa Fe, Burlington, St. Paul.
Northwestern, Rock Island. Northern
Pacific and Great Northern lines are
particularly active in preparing for
the coming immigrants from South
Africa.
Receives More Big Engines.
The Burlington has received three
more big engines, 1898, 1894 and
1885, from the Baldwin Locomotive
works, Philadelphia. They are built
after the style of the 1891 and 1892,
which have been in commission for
some time. They will carry 900
gallons of water in the tanks, 1000
more than the older ones. They are
equipped with electric headlights and
have all the latest Improvements.
The new engines are to be used in the
fast mail and passenger service an {,
the road will then have five of the
finest engines that ever ran a mile.
The Burlington road has begun the
laying of a spur track across First
avenue at the foot of Seventeenth
street to tap the new yards of the
Empire Coal company.
The mass meeting of citizens in |
Davenport yesterday adopted a reso-
luton urging the city council to
adopt the ordinance providing for the |
elevation of the Rock Island roads |
tracks in the business district. The |
company has volunteered to make |
the change, but progress has been
blocked by some of those holding
property contiguous to the tracks,
holding their property will be dam
aged and asking TO be compensated |
for the loss they claim they will suf-
fer from the elevation.