Omaha daily bee., 1902-05-20
MILEAGE BUREAU FOR OMAHA
Office for Sale Of New Script Books to Be
Located Here.
NORTHWESTERN FAST TRAIN MAKES TRIP
other Cbicago-Omnha Lines Announce
They VIII Not Undertake to
Meet Northwestern and
Rock Island Cuts.

Twelve railroad systems Of the transmits
souri, country have now adopted the inter-
chsngeable mileage scheme and the loca-
tion Of the general Offices for the bureau
has been secured for Omaha. This last fact
has caused a wall OF regret to rise up from
officials Of railroads with headquarters In
Kansas City and also from the newspapers
Of that place. but as far as the new insti-
tuition itself lie concerned all the lines are
glad to get it at last.
The script book system, planned by Cen
eral Passenger Agents Francis OF the Bur-
lingtoh, Lomax Of the Union Pacific, Blu
chsnan Of the Fremont, Elkhorn & Mis-
souri, Valley and Nicholson Of the Santa
Fe. will be used and the books will be
placed on sale July / at all Offices OF roads
concerned. Between now and that date the
bureau will be established here and Messrs.
Francis, Buchanan and Assistant General
Passenger Agent Fort Of the Union Pacific
have been appointed an executive commit
tee in charge OF this. This committee will
select the bureau agent. find Offices and
start the thing running and will also con-
tinue to have supervision over the affairs
and expenses Of the bureau till the expira-
ton of its term, one year hence. The COM
mittee expects 10 determine upon an agent
this week and will secure Offices in some
AIALNNo bAoNh ~ NhuN1 NadN
enlargement ct any time will be possible.
TIL twelve main systems involved include
about fifteen more proprietary lines. There
are still some roads left in this territory
that have not entered the arrangement. II
10 expected that the bureau business will
enlarge TO an enormous extent with the
passing OF a few months. At FIRST the sales
OF books will be slow proportionately, for
their existence will not be so generally
known and their method understood. So
half a dozen clerks may be enough 10 tide
the agent over for n few weeks. But as the
sale increases the force will OF necessity
be increased, and by the time the outstand-
ing lines find what an advantage 1t is and
discover that they must have 1t in order 70
compete with the others the business still
more.
General Passenger Agent Francis Of the
Burlington has Just returned from Kansas
City, where the meeting at which the
scheme was adopted was held, and he II
we'll pleased at the prospect. This scrip
interchangeable mileage plan has been his
idea for some time. Said he: II fee
certain that In a comparatively short time
our bureau will be doing as large a business
as any in the country. That will mean lOt
or so clerks before long. We certainly hav'
the travel out mere. and as soon az thu
benefits OF the system become widely known
every general traveller will use the books.
The systems cooperating in the bureau
are: Union Pacific, Fremont, Elkhorn
Missouri Valley; the Nebraska and Missouri
lines OF the Burlington. Kansas City
Omaha, Chicago, 81. Paul. Minneapolis
Omaha: Denver & Rio Grande. Gulf. Kansa
City Southern. Atehison, Topeka & SAINT
Fs; western lines of The 81. Louis & Sal
Francisco. Colorado & southern, ST. josef
q Grand Island.
Fast Time 90 Chicago.
The one topic Of general discussion Of
railroad row is the Chicago a Northwestern
passenger train which left Union static
here at 8 o'clock Sunday night and lowe
into Chicago at Z o'clock Monday morninl
Though all railroaders knew that the tim
could be made easily enough no one though
II would be, and the movement OF tn
. Northwestern In establishing this servic
was so sudden that people had hardly real
lied the significance of the announoemen
before the train itself had gone.
AZ yet no other railroad has taken an
steps TO duplicate this schedule, nor eve
TO equal that OF the new Chicago. Roc
Island 4 Pacific train, which also starte
Sunday and which does the journey 1
twelve hours and a half. At present N
best time from Oman to Chicago over tn
Chicago. Milwaukee q ST. Paul road is mad
by No. 4, which goes the distance In foul
teen hours and a half. No. /. returning