The Birmingham age-herald., 1904-04-19
UNION PASSENGER
 DEPOTS COMPARED Facilities Here Better Than Those in Certain Cities B. M. SPARKS STATEMENT While It Is Admitted That a Larger Station Is Needed, Improvements
 Will Soon Be Made to
 Relieve Congestion.
B. M. SPARKS STATEMENT

K Railroad officials claim that the faclli- ties of the union passenger station Tn Birmingham are better in comparison with the size of the station and the city than in ony other place in the south. Whhe 1t is generally admitted that larger sta ton, with better facilities for trans as well as better accommodations Tor the pubic, is needed, still everything possie@ for the public's convenience will De oohe' II ia said by the board of control, or which B. M Starks is chairman.
 At the station there is negro woman in waiting in the ladies' room to render what assistance Is needed She runs er- rands, helps women on and off the trains when they have bundles or children, and makes herself generally useful. There Is an abundance of help of all other kinds.
 The Station Crew.
 Station Master c. E. Meglemry is at the station all day, and at night there is an assistant station master in charge. Inside the gates there is platform lore man day and night. and four switchmei, two in the day and two at nght, who have charge of running the trains on the right tracks after instructions have been re- ceived from the station master.
 There are six gatemen, three in the oas and three at night and two callers wno let the passengers know when trains are leaving Recently Station Master Meg lemry sent to Cincinnati and secured two callers. one of whom speaks six lan- guages and the other four They were secured for the accommodation or the large number of foreigners who come 10 this city and who are unable to speak any language except their native tongue.
 Effort to Relieve Congestion.
 The congestion at the station Is at the ticket office, and in the courtway Wnlcn runs the length of the building on the outside of the gates. An effort IS peing made to relieve the congestion at the ticket office On either side of the pres ent office there is small window. These are to be extended feet, and thus give 16 additional feet for patrons to get to the ticket sellers. The windows Tn the ladies and mems waiting rooms VIII be enlarged. and everything in the ticket office will be moved back feet. The desk of the check clerk will be moved Into the office now occupied by station master Meglemry and his telegraph op- orators, and a small building is gong to be erected for MT. Meglemry and his assistants inside the gates.
 This structure will occupy the space now used by the man who has charge eli contain three rooms, one for MT Meglem- ry, one for his operator and another TOT the man in charge of the gates. By this change the platform foreman will be able to receive his orders without coming outside the track space
 There are six ticket sellers in the office, and they are all kept busy. They will when the windows are enlarged, and they will also be enabled to work faster.
 MT. Stark's Statement.
 Chairman Starks yesterday said:
 'The congestion spoken of so often is caused by loafers and sight-seers hang ing around the station. We are able to accomodate the legitimate traffic at present but the place is always blocked by loafers, and it seems impossible to get rid of them. We are doing all we can to make the present depot accommo- date the crowds. We can't enlarge 1t at present. and every foot of space is be- ing used to the best advantage. There Is not as much track space as there is in some other cities, but there are com pensations in other ways. At Nashville there is a long climb to get to and from the tracks, at Montgomery one gets lonesome and feels lost roaming around the big station with on companions, and Atlanta is even worse off than any of "a