Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1901-04-03
NAMES or our RAILROADS..



Curious Changes In Titles Brought
About By the Public.
TIE fashion Of naming railroads has
changed considerably In the last quarter
Of century. The three and four word
titles have about gone out of styie, and
one word names succeed them. For In
stance, the Santa Fs is no longer referred
to a. the Atchison. Topeka and Santa
Fe, although this Il the corporation title.
The old Chicago, Burlington and Quin-
cy has been contracted to simply Burline-
| ton by the public decree, and the title
Rock Island has replaced thu Chicago,
Rock Island and Pacific.
| Many towns otherwise practically I'M
known are kept before tie public be-
cause they had the luck to te worked Into
a railroad title. For instance, who knows
the real name Of the Monon railway As
. matter Of fact 1t was organized as the
Chicago, Indianapolis and Louisville
road. The little town of Moacn. Ind,
| gave 1t Its popular name. The Wabash
system does not take Its name from the
river, but from q station Of this name en-
| the line.
One Of the most sensible railroad
names was selected for the combination
Of railroads organized In the south and
now known as the Southern railway.
The Southern IL very fitting. a. II enters
nearly every southern state. 1t y also
an economical name.
Another name that strikes you 10 the
CStton Belt. This Is how the St. Louis
|. Southwestern railroad has been mod
ernized. As It passes through one Of
the largest cotton producing regions Of
the United States 1t IL very appropriate.
Because little road up In Nova SEQ
tia with the ponderous title Of the Domln-
ion and Atlantic reached the land made
famous In Longfsllow's poem tourists
have given 1t the title Of the Bvangeline
road, and perhaps this Is more appro-
pirate than the other. 1t - certainly
more picturesque.
A change which must have shocked
the directors was In the case Of the
Cleveland, Cincinnati, Chicago and Bt.
Louis. This was altogether too much
for Its patrons and the railway men, and
some one thought Of the size of the cities
named and called II the Big Four.
Down In Texas and the neiEhboring
states they have q habit OF handling the
railroads without gloves when It comes
to giving names. A favorite plan II to
take the principal Initials of road and
spell them out. Only Q native Of the
southwestern ranches would know Pee
Gee stands for the Kansas City, Pitts
burg and Gulf railroad. Another Texas
road, the Kansas City. Beaumont and
Gulf, IL merely called Ksysee. cutting Oh
tho last part Of It. Sap 10 short and
sweet. It has been contracted from g..
A. p, meaning San Antonio and Arm
sas Pass, one OF the principal lines
In Texas. The New York capitalists
| who built another road thought that Mis-
souri,, Kansas -knd Texas would be .
suitable name. but the Texas people 70
duced it to Katy.
Including nicknames, the shortest name
Of any railroad In the United States II
the Sap, which has already been re-
| ferred to. 1t Is 687 miles in length. 4
little road In Mississippi, the Chester,
Pefryville, Sainte Genevicve aud Farm
ington, has the longest title Of any In
America. This contains no fewer than
q letters, but two other lines are close
to II, the Richmond, Nicholasvills. Irvine
and Beatyyville and the Southwestern
Arkansas and Indian Territory. Thu
Chester line Is only n miles long.-Chi-
cago Inter Ocean.