Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1904-08-11
MECHANICS OF
SOME RAILROADS
interesting Discussion in a Local
General Agents Office This
Morning
ORIGIN OF THE NICxLE PLATE.
How Some Of the Big systems Of
America Came to Receive Well
known pseudouyms.

The conversation In the Burlington
office this morning turned to the origin
Of railroad nicknames following Jimmy
Davis remark that he had heard an
eastern man cali the salt Lake Route
the Saints and Angels" IN bet you
don't know how the Nlckle Plate got It's
name hazarded General Agent Nesen,
as he obviously examined a gift cigar
ere lighting It. Apparently there were
no takers. for Neslen went on to en-
tighten the crowd. "Wel, William II.
Vanderbilt unwittingly gave II that
name In this manner" he affirmed
calvin s. Brlce undertook TO parallel
the Lake Shore and thereby bring the
Vanderbilt forces to terms, The out
come was that the old man had TO
buy the road as a matter OF self proteo-
tIon, and when the question OF price
came w Brice's figures 80 staggered
Vanderbilt that he exclaimed In horror,
why your road must be nickle
plated and the Nickle Plate II has
been ever since"
Al this iuncture a tourist endowed by
nature with n long chin 'Shisker ana
winning smile, and who was IN the Of
fee asking for an extension Of his tick
ct home joined In the conversation.
That's old he remarked, but ! bet
YOU don't know what lire Is known as
Delay, Linger and Wait Wen, rs
years ago we used 10 kick on the dila-
tory transportation service on the Della
ware, I.ackawanna and Western and In
conspauence the ID. L. & w. got the
nickname. Il has improved since then.
however. and the nickname is practical
ly obsolete"
That's pretty good. dontcher know"
clipped IN an Englishman. You know
we English are tidy bit OF ways our
selves. Some Johnny In Punch once
when there was an accident on the per-
manent way of the London, Chatam N
Dover called the railway The LONDON
smashem and Turnover and really the
name has chung to that line ever since
don't think It's hawf bad you know.
But cawnt see why they call one Oh
your roads the Katy, really
soliclting Agent Darke went on to
enllehten the foreigner while some wag
propounded hard conundrum to the
westernera. (which line Is called the
coffee. Cakes q Cream THIS proved
IA be the Chicago, Columbus a Indians
Central. The next one was the Bran
DIV and soda" At this question the
Fnslishman pricked mp his ears hed
three tries and went out. subsequent
environments proved that this pseudo
nvm belonged to the Buffalo SOUTH
western prior to its absorption py the
Erie. o,,.,,o,or
Needless to say only Burlngton
man could get of the cruel conuhdru,ll,
(which road used to be known as tne
,rry and push?" Somebody SAID thar
II must be the Salt Lake q ogden un.
IN Inc cat was out OF the bag ana u
became manifest that the G. r. l. r.
was the target ,,-.,,..io,,
Upon the bringing into the discussion
OF he Omolal Guide the nicknames
came thick and fast In due order the
pennsy. the Panhandle, Mop, BIB Four,
Maple Leaf. Glover Leaf Monon inc
scenic Route. The Overland, the sun
sot. The only Way, The 500. Little
Giant. Cotton Belt, Nypano and other
wollknown titles were forthcoming
Just when the search was getting IN
terestlng the telephone rang ana the
session Of the Fraternal ORDER Oh
Knowledge Seekers adjourned.