Wausau pilot. [volume] (Wausau, Wis.) 1896-1940, 1903-09-01
Riding on a Rail. /"
The old song with a refrain:
= OIW oOHS VIII a TUT al q
BLESS me: this is pleasant,
Riding on a rail''

me Olu song Win a rofrall:
BLESS me: this is pleasant,
Riding on rail-
is not suited to present everyday con-
ditions. 1t has come to pass that
days journey by rail can only be taken
at great peril to life and limb. Scarce
a day passes now without its railway
accident of some sort, and frequently
there are more than one on the same
day. Travelling for pleasure no longer
exists for thoughtful persons, and
travelling on business has become so
dangerous that it would be wise to
tranact business by telephone when
ever it is feasible. The general public
has not as yet, become fully awakened
to the dangers of travelling by rail. We
lived for long period during which,
railroad accident was so rare an
occurrence that the chance of one was
not thought serious enough to be Sc
riously considered. The change from
that condition to one IN which train
smashing has become common thing
has been gradual, and we find it hard
to realize that the old conditions of
travel no longer exist in this country,
and that on the contrary there is not
anything which the ordinary either
finds it necessary to undertake that
Is one tenth part as dangerous to life as
a railroad journey. When we all be-
gin to fully realize this fact, travel by
rail will have a falling off that will sur
prise the holders of railroad stock very
unpleasantly. The railroads have not
kept up with the demands the public
has made upon them. Old and dilipa-
dated railroad tracks, road beds, bridges
ard culverts have been neglected and
nave gone from rotten to rottener, and
the number and efficiency of railroad
employees have not kept pace with the
increase of business, because the com
panies have been at their wits ends to
find money enough to pay dividends
upon watered stock, and build such
new lines as seem absolutely necessary.
And altough hardly day passes
without some railroad smash up being
recorded in the daily papers, there are,
no one can tell how many, that the
papers do not learn about. Railroad
employees are not permitted to speak
of those things. Every one who has
tried to get particulars of railroad &C
cident from employees of the road
knows how fruitless it is to attempt it.
Quite recently the writer was delayed
at a town in westel:: state state Cor several
hours on account of what the station
agent said was "washout." The ex-
pected train in fact, did not come at all
that day, but another train going in
the opposite direction went as far as
the "washout' and returned with the
belated passengers. This train we
took, and from the passengers, many
of whom were seriously injured, we
learned of derailment of the train,
the killing of one man, the mortal
wounding of another, and a general
smash up. That evening and the next
day we read the daily papers carefully
but there was not one word about that
smash up in them. 1t happened in
country place, and the papers never
heard about it until it got so old that
they were all ashamed to print it.
No, 'riding on rail-" is no longer
pleasant" 1t has become too hazar-
dous for that. Thoughtful people will
avoid it whenever they can. Then, in
order to encourage travel the roads
will be made more safe, and run more
carefully, and gradual decrease in
number of accidents will gradully
restore public confidence, and people
will once more be able truthfully to
to sing:
"Bless me this is pleasant,