Las Vegas daily optic. [volume] (Las Vegas, N.M.) 1880-1908, 1904-11-15
The Railway Com
missioners To Meet
The National Association
Opens Its Sixteenth Annual
Meeting in Birmingham,
Ala, Today

Ala, Today
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. Nov, l5t-The
sixteenth annual meeting of the Ma
tional association of railroad com
missioners opened at the city hall in
this city today, practically every
state of the union being represent.
ed. In addition there are present
many members of the interstate com
merce commission. The convention
will be in session three days. The
following matters will be taken up in
the order mentioned; Grade cross.
ings, classification of operating and
construction expenses Of electric and
steam railways, railroad taxes, and
plans for ascertaining fair valuation
Of railroad property, uniform classifi-
cation and simplification of tariff
sheets, railroad statistics, legislation,
safety appliances and block signals,
rates and rate-making, and delays at
tendant on enforcing orders of rail
way commissions.
In conjunction with the meeting
there is being held a convention of
the Southeastern Railway, Land and
Industrial agents association. AT the
conclusion of the joint gathering at
the end of the week the most OF the
visitors will leave on an excursion to
Mexico City, by way of New Orleans.
Wreck in Shoemaker Canyon.
1t seems that the head-end collision
at Shoemaker switch Sunday night
was caused by the fact that Engineer
Boomer, whose engine, No. 931, col
lided with the 912, Engineer McCans
at the throttle, overlooked a signal
flag The result of the coming to-
gether of the two iron monsters was
their derailment, also five cars we're
ditched, besides the breaking Of the
bone OF the left arm of Engineer Nc.
Cans, which painful accident was
mentioned in The Optics railroad de-
partment last evening.
After the Hobos.
The railroad companies are deter
mined to break up the custom among
employees OF taking money from va
grants for transportation. and recent
iy have inaugurated a system which
will soon weed out all employees
caught off guard.
The hobo detective. with just a few
dollars In hts pocket. Is the bait the
railroads are using, and among the
first to be caught was a negro porter
on the Santa Fe, who was fired at
Barstow. says the San Hernardino
Sun. He had been approached by a
fairly well dressed Fellow who wanted
to get to Kansas City, and struck a
deal with the porter. who accepted
SIS to see the man through. They
got as far as Barstow, when the port
er got his walking papers which came
80 suddenly that it made his head
swim. Freight trainmen are also in
danger, as the railroads are more de-
termined than ever to break up this
practice.
The Texas corporation to control
the terminus of the Denver Short
Line or Santa Fe Central railway has
been organized with C. r. Morehead
Of FL Paso as president, A. B. Fall
Of the Pass City, general attorney
and a full quota OF other officers. The
survey for the extension
Of the road from Torrance, N. NJ, to
Ell Paso Is now being run and the
work OF construction will begin in
two months. Three million dollars
will be expended in completing the
link between FL Paso and Torrance,
will give direct connection and
fas; time to Denver.
Industrial Agent Hill of the Santa
Ee is conducting meetings In Texas
for farmers in the interests Of diversi-
fled farming. The object Of the work
Is to convince the farmers Of Texas
they should not confine their
crops to cotton and rice. The Santa Fe
has held meetings of this kind for
the farmers at the following points
along its lines in Texas: San Angus
tine. Center. Jasper. Kirbyville and !
Weatherford. s
The Mexican and Interoceanic rail- s
roads have invented a new scheme ]
10 circumvent the ticket scalpers. On c
December | these two roads will dis I
continue selling round trip tickets i
rom Mexican points 10 points In the (
United States. The treatment Is he I
-oic but the cure certain. Represen- :