Las Vegas daily optic. [volume] (Las Vegas, N.M.) 1880-1908, 1904-02-16

comparison 10 that In foreign coun.
tries.
In an article In a recent number Of
Harper's Weekly By sydney Brooks, a
well known English writer. some in.
teresting points Of difference between
the English and American raiIroad
are brought oui and exception is TAX.
en- 10 the prevalent view that gu own
are superior ~ those of the mother
country.
The writer says
English and American railroads
may be contrasted. hut they cannot be
compared. They have practically no
points Id common, and there II really
very little that either a teach the
other. In the United States, outside
% New England. railroads were built
to open up what was virtually a virgin
country They preceded the towns,
instead III following them They were
subject 10 no board 81 trade require.
ments. no legal restrictions. and In
stead III having To buy land, II was
as often u not given ID them The
people wanted them, and wanted them
Al i hurry
Every English railroad wa 1
finished undertaking before ii began
operations. and the anplest precaus
tlof.s mi It'd safety of the travelling
public were insisted On from The very
beginning Every American railroad
on the other hand, was bnilt iii the
most unpretendlng fashion, and It's
improvement left TO the chance Of the
future, Again. the American roads
have enjoyed practically no fxIty Of
tenure compared with the English
they have been subjected m every
sort III wildcat competition and black.
mailing legislation and they are only
Just beginning. thanks to amalgama
ton. 10 find their feet. Their equip
ment Is far behind that of the Eng.
lish lines. In England there are IS
locomotives for every roo milcs of
railroad. and In America. ~: aG7 pas
sengar vehicles per 100 miles In Eng
and. and IS in America 1851 freight
.ars per 100 miles In Enlgand. and
My 71s In America An EmglIah com
,anys receipts from passengers NM
iot far from allalling IL receipts
rom freight; In America the goods
rafic brings lii three times as much
the passenger. All this helps 10
mphasize the lack Of any common
tandard hy which The SYSTEMS OF the
wo countries a be compared. Dis
ances and tho vast disparity between
BIC resources and relative growth of
lnginnd and America are the primal
OF their differences. America
1886 miles Of track to the Eng
22,0Ts American railroads de-
end for their profits mainly on two
rcdominating factors-big loads and
'ng hanls, Theirs "a a wholesale, the
nglish a retail, business.
And yet, though comparison Is
impossible. IL exists and
in fact. especially 10 far as
,neerns the English and American
ode o travelling. 1t Is still, 70 my
Ind. an open question which mode
the more comfortable. One osclI
ties between the two systcms In q
ate 81 painful INDIGESTION, with views
iat vary according 10 the experienced
each Journey Al present the Eng.
sh aystcm has my vote Nothing, al
ny rate, could have been more
moothly and easily managed Than a
rp made q short while ago n Birm
Ny companion and myself
1ok q hanson from our doorstep aud
rove g Elston Station with ihe bag
age on top Al The station Tie an.
Guilty was not to get waited ON, but
|, prevent more than one porter from
Bits services upon usi IN three
after Diminishing the hanscm
q had bought the tickets and had
ound and wore seated IN nh empty