The Saint Paul globe., 1901-12-15
NOT LIKELY TO HOLD
ST. PAUL-CHICAGO TIME SCHEDULE
AGREEMENT HANGS BY A
THREAD
FASTER TINE Is DEMANDED
General Policy of All the P1oads In
terested Has Reen to Pre-
pnre fer "a Quicker
Service.

agreement between the Twin City-Chi-
cago roads, the general opinion in local
railroad circles is that within a short
time the time of the run Will be lowered
and the agreement come to naught.
This. opinion grows out of the fact that
the foaas between here and Chicago
have for the past few years kept up a
continual policy of improvements in the
matter of roadbed, and it will be strange
if an Improvement in the matter of time
is not made.
There is no doubt at all, the local rail-
road men SAY, but what every road run
ming between the two points is capable
of making much better time than is
made at present.
The Milwaukee and the North Western,
of course, have the advantages over the
other roads in the matter of distance,
but the Burlington, Wisconsin Central
and Great Western will not allow these
to get all the business, or even q
considerable proportion of it, because
they cam make better times THESE long
er lines can make faster time, and they
will do it, if it is necessary, say rail-
road men who are familiar with the sit
uation.
The Northwestern road was the pio-
neer in better. car service between here
and Chica go3.aand as a result there are
no finer trains anywhere in the country
than run between here and Chicago. Sew
eral years ago this road began to put in
a doube-tTacll system and to eliminate
grades as far as possible. 1t has pur-
sued a policy of consistent .betterment,
which has been followed by every one
of the five roads running over the ground
between the points in dispute.
The North Western began to put on
larger locomotives, to heat its cars with
steam and light them with electricity
and today it has, as have the other
roads, giant locomotives that; are capable
Of attaining q speed Of eighty miles an
hour. In putting on these engines to run
at this rate OF speed the officials of the
road saw that it was necessary to have
the roadbed in condition to warrant the
fast time, and it has been overhauled
until there are today five stretches of
roadbed between here and Chicago that
are unequaled by any in the country.
The Milwaukee road has been the most
active in following this lead. The re-
ports last issued show that the company
spent over 81, ,OC0 in betterments on the
La Crosse division, from La Crosse TO
Portage, and over 100000 on the River
division, from Portage to Minneapolis
This road is also practically double
track system all the way between here
and Chicago.
There has been a systematic policy of
betterment upon every one of the five
roads between her and Chicago, and the
local railroad men say that i'll view of
these circumstances an agreement that
keeps the present slow, poky schedule
in existence is not likely to be lasting,
and some so even farther and say that
it is not even practicable.
The short 'line roads are naturally go
ing to make better time, and the longer
line. roads are going to meet any cut
in.stime made by their competitors, and
the natural result will be a much short
err time schedule between Chicago and
st. Paul, 2ards it will probably go into
effect shortly after the first of the year.
-4#s.s :. s.a 80. ~ i--------'< : 49, ----'<.s;:.,
ggsaMANY IszRILRoAD i ,LI.F,l MEN r EsIGN.
Abolition of Commissions and Anti
~ Pass Agrecla ents Responsible.
freight ARID passenger agents Of rail-
roads are sres:gning in large numbers to
engage in other business. During the past
few weeks no fewer than twenty promi-
I4ent solicitors OF the transportation COM
paffies haVessevered their connection with
fle''rail ways to follow more remunerative
lines. These designations are caused prin-
+, cipally by the recent pass agreement and
by the abolition ofrcommissions
Among those who have recently quit
their positions are the following:
William Dodd, general agent for the
passenger department of the North
Western road in Chicago. Will engage in
the printing business.
F. H Lord, travelling passenger agent
for the Rock Island in Des Moines. Iowa.
Will cast his fortunes with a tourist COM
pany.
N. Board, general agent for the North
Western system in Atlanta. Ga. Former
TaS cictra ranE oar rant POI too
line in Chicago. He will lla vice presi-
dent Of railway supply company.
Thomas Quill, travelling passenger
agent for the Great Western road, head
quarters in Columbus, Ohio. He will be-
come a general agent for an insurance
company.
James A. Davis, industrial agent for
the Santa Fe, headquarters in Chicago.
He will be traffic manager for a mercan-
tile firm. Mr.. Davis will be succeeded by
Wesley Merritt, now freight agent for
the same road for Southern Kansas.
William c. Stanley, commercial agent
for the Rock Island in Kansas City. He
will retire Jan. l to become traffic man.
ager for a wholesale grocery company.
Mr.. Stanley has been in railroad work
twenty-one years, and has represented
the Rock Island in Kansas City fourteen
years.
Many of the agents held on until they
became satisfied that the railways would
not increase salaries commensurate with
the work. Wien the officers of the East
ern roads promulgated their recent anti
pass agreement. forcing these solicitors
to pay their fares, it was looked upon
as a scheme to get rid of the agents on
the excuse that transportation companies
would soon discharge their travelling rep
resentatives on the ground of expense of
railroad fares.
SOME SANTA FE FIGURES.
Tables Showing Increase in Business