The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1903-01-27
RAILROAD NEWS.
Eastern Railr0ader Admits
Western Superiority.
They Have Nothing to Equal the
California Limited.
FLORIDA OUT OF 1T.
No Longer Popular as a Winter
Resort.
d. b. Martin Talks of the Golden
State Limited.
FLORIDA OUT OF 1T.

ssTn the conduct of passenger traffic
and fin advertising passenger service the
eastern railroads are far behind the
west. our methods are obsolete, and we
need something to wake us up"
This is what D. B. Martin, passenger
traffic manager Of the Baltimore & Ohio
railroad. said in Chicago when talking
about California traffic. In all things
the east has always assumed spirit
OF superiority over the west, and it has
only been recently that eastern railroad
men would admit that the west had a
decent railway system.
The competition of the Santa F'e with
ITS California Limited is largely respon-
nible for this changed condition Of
things. The Santa Fe was the first Of
the transcontinental lines to really make
G great feature of its Limited equip
ment. it bought the finest cars on the
market. and then advertised those cars
Thoroughly. The result was that the
Santa Fe California Limited was soon
transformed from semi-weel1ly to
daily train, and this year, additional
cars had to be put on to take care OF
the increasing business.
The Golden State Limited Of the Rock
Island has followed the example Of the
Santa FEES crack train, and Is proving
TO be a wonderful success
Continuing. Mr.. Martin said;
"Of course there are exceptions in the
east as to the advertising feature, but
ia passenger equipment, in the general
time made and in the service given we
are far behind western roads we lack
the aggressiVeness which has made Fne
western railroads the wonder OF the age
in passenger service
I'VE have trains in the east OF which
we boast greatly. but they are not TO be
mentioned in the same category with
any of the limited trains which western
roads are running In the California ser
vice. For luxurious appointments, tor
the comfort and the facilities they AFFORD
the travelling public, any one OF these
trains is a perfect marvel, and Cahfor-
mia has almost decimated Florida traInc.
what has been the result to western
roads of providing this wonderful train
service and prosecuting this extraVd-
CANT advertisine-the kind Of extrava-
gance that pays? Take the Rock IS
land for example. BY placing in serv-
ice the Golden state Limited and by
spending large sums in letting the pub
lie know about it, that company mss
gained al a single bound prestige and
traffic which. under the slow eastern
methods. it would have taken twenty
years OF conservative eastern railroad
ing TO acquire.
mo. I 90 not think that combinations
hA ta-lQh4 systems mas AeSoGllGQ NplAAf
petition. We are out for business as
hard as ever. but out for it on legiti-
mate lines. and are obtaining it by i'm
proving the service and maintaining
rates. instead OF by doing up our COM
petltcrs, and thereby gaining an ad-
VANTAGE which at best is eDhemeral.
In advertising methods. too there
has been a wonderful advancement. We
have got away from the cheap adver-
Using. such as the cheap. shabby folder
and the cheap hand bill The class OF
advertising now prepared by the aver
into their homes, and it is sought eager
ly by schools, Gibbs and societies. Many
of the maps, pamphlets and histories is
sued by the railroads are in fact being
used as textbooks in schools. There
are, for example, thousands Of schools
throughout the country in which you
viii find the monthly issues of the