Omaha daily bee., 1903-03-24
FOR WORLDS FAIR
General Passenger Agent Of B 4 n. Dis
4 USE Arrangements for st. Louis
|CsE FARE AND A THIRD Is PROBABLE
Every Preeaution VIII he Taken TO
Prevent Return Enas Of Tickets
Failing late the Hands
OF sealpers.

General Passenger Agent John Francis
Of the B. q NJ. has returned from a two
weeks visit to Chicago. where be has been
familiarizing himself with all the phases
Of the EIkins law and with the proposed
rates TO the So. Louis fair. Speaking Of
the latter. be said:
mo positive step has been taken By the
roads In regard 10 the rates that will OBJ
tain during the fair. but things have so
shaped themselves In the last month a. to
make It q certainty hat reduced rates will
be given
First. the injunction against s~ealpers
handling the return ends Of tickets sold In
connection with the exposition has been
made permanent. During the Chicago
fair the ~scalpers. through their manipula-
ton and handling Of these stubs. made
havoc with the regular passenger business.
Passenger tariffs we're demoraliEsd BY these
return portions. TT make Il doubly sure
that nothing OF this sort would obtain dur
ing the St Louis fair q bill has been
passed By the Missouri legislature which
practically denies the ticket scalpers the
right to do business in the state, and the
city council Is now contemplating similar
action in the matter.
The giving Of rates for the Chicago fair
was an experiment. Nothing Of 30 great .
scops had ever been taken up BY the rail-
roads before and some mistakes we're I'M
doubtedly made. But It was an experiment.
and nov We all know what we are doing.
Probably . rate OF a fare and a third. with
reasonable return limits. will be given dur
ing the time Of the st. Louis fair. Then
there will be better rates given from time
to time for special days and during portions
OF the fair. OF course, I do not know any
thing definite about II, but that Is my opin-
ion and Is about right"
The roads interested mostly in the st.
Louis fair rates are meeting in St. Louis
today 70 discuss the rate proposition and
what they decide viii probably hold good
during the fair unless the different roa1a
get to fighting for the business.
Splendid Souvenir Number.
The current issue Of the Railway Age.
published under date OF March 20, IL the
annual engineering number. II partakes
Of the nature OF q souvenir in honor of
l the annual convention Of the American
Railway Engineering and Maintenance OF
Way association. which has just concluded
its deliberations in Chicago. But the paper
with about 400 pages contains more than
q very full stenographic report Of these
proceedings. The illustrated and feat
ure articles In this issue Of the Railway
Age are more elaborate and extended than
have ever appeared In a single issue Of any
railway publication. In an editorial article
the Railway " discusses the important
question Of the relation between the in-
crease In trafac and the increase In faeili-
ties for handling 1t. comparing the figure.
on twelve important systems for 1897 with
those for 1901.
Expansion of the Rock Island.
It Is probable. according to q local Roel
Island ofaciai, that the announcement vii
be made this week Of the absorption Of tbs
Frisco by the Rock Island. By this now
the Rock Island. or the Greater Rock Island
as Il probably will be called. will become
the dominant railroad in the southwest
South from Kansas City the states Of Mis-
souri,, Oklahoma, Indian Territory. Arkan
sas and Texas will be gridironed with th'
track Of the new system
The Rock Island will have 1900 miles o
its own track and $500 miles Of track be
longing to the Mexican Central under IL
complete control, making a total OF almos
1900 miles in the system II will rul
trains over its own tracks from Chicago q
Omaha and Denver, to 81. Louis. Memphis
Hot Springs, Ark, Kansas City. FL Paso
Galveston and Mexico City. The Rocl
Island also bought a half interest in tn
Houston 4 Texas Central. which gives 1t
line from central Texas to Galveston an
one to New Orleans. Two lines will b
given the company into Mexico and to Mex
leo City as soon as the line from Brady &
Spohord. Tex, nov building by the Frisco
IL completed.
II Ia probable that President William 3
Leeds Of the Rock Island viii be succeede
by President Yoakum Of the Frisco upoi
the e~onsummation Of the deal. During tn
entire time that the deal has been vorkin
oat President Yoakum has held the uppe
hand. and IL was through him that the Roc
Island was forced to buy ont the 'Frisc
entire. giving 40 per cent OF Rock Islam
preferred and 90 per cent Of Rock Islan
common In addition to $40 a share for al
OF the s2T. 900. 900 Of common stock OF tn
Frisco.
Utilize old Boiler FIues.
The B. 4 N. railroad has completed
fence from Omaha to Lincoln along its rtgh
Of way IN which the fence posts are mad
OF old boiler hues. This fence IL built |
pursuance Of the Hill policy Of allowing o
waste In railroad work and VIII prove