The Birmingham age-herald., 1905-02-26
RAILROAD WORLD.

It is said that the Erie railroad ia steadily but significantly providing att tractive positions in its service for men connected with the Baltimore and Ohio, of whom President Underwood gained a thorough knowledge while he was general manager of that road,
 W. B. Johnston, advertising representa- tive of the Queen and Crescent with headquarters in Cincinnati, says that more than 1000 tourists are arriving weekly in Havana, and that all of the hotels are crowded to their capacity. MT. Johnston has just returned from a two weeks visit to Cuba.
 Executive officers of lines interested in traffic to and from southeastern states gave hearing recently in St. Louis to representatives of shippers from St. Louis and Chicago. Cincinnati, contrary to ex- pectation, was not represented, The cities named want further concessions In rates to the southeast, which they consider nec- essary to compete on more equal terms with New York. Boston and Philadel- phia. The subject matter will probably be referred to traffic officers to work out.
 Four charters have been granted in
 
 phis to Pensacola. The Governor some time ago rejected a fifth charter, which was sent in by New York parties, and it Is believed that sixth from Memphis will meet the same fate on the ground that the territory Is already fully cov- cred by charters, which have been pre- viously granted blythe state.
 The New York Commercial says:
 The St. Louis. Brown lille and Mexico. or "the Gulf Coast Line, as B. r. Yoa- kum prefers to call it, has put into effect novel scheme whereby the employees of the system will become more closely affiliated with 1t than any other line in the country. It is expected that the plan will be d preventive of strikes.
 It is a plan that MT. Yoalsum found working satisfactorily upon several rail roads in France and he decided to intro- duce It in this country. Therefore 1t Is being first tried upon MT. Yoakum's Texas line, where 1t is thought it will be highly successful.
 In brief, 1t Is to provide a homestead for every employe on the road, from president down to section men The details have proven so alluring that al- ready Q majority of the men on the line have taken advantage of it.
 The St. Louis, Brownsville and Mexico is built through q section of southwestern Texas which the agricultural commits sioner of California pronounced to be more fertile and better adapted to fruit and truck growing than any other section of the United states. So q great syndi- cate was formed by MT. Yoakum to de- velop this maiden land, and the first step was the building of a railroad, which at the present time covers more than 200 miles of territory. In the brief time the lands have been on the market excep- tional strides toward development have been made, and in order that railroad em- ployes might grow up with the country, MT Yoakum and other directors of the system decided that the men under them should become landholders How the plan will work is best told in Mir Yoakum's own language He says
 'erhe syndicate owning lands along and tributary to Chat line will sell to it's em- nIoyes five or ten acres of ground, as they may desire. supplied with water, on fair valuation as to price, to be paid for within ten years, with a fair rate of interest. It will fully provide for the protection of the employees, that In the event of the death of an employe who has availed himself of this offer, or should he be killed in the service of the company, the land is to be deeded to his wife or family. in fee, without any TUT | ther obligation on their part. This in- sures the employees homes for their fani- lies upon land which can be made pro- ductive and profitable. If any employe diseontnues service with the company either upon his motion or otherwise the company will refund all money paid upon the land, and interest thereon at the same rate per annum as charged against him.
 Plans similar to this are in effect upon some of the roads In France. but have never been tried in this country. It IS believed this will bring to the company s service high grade men and such as VIII become and make good citizens or the communities in which they are located, and tend to establish the closest relations betweep the railroad and It's employees The seaboard Air Line has ordered 250 steel underframe gondola cars of the Pressed Steel Car company, under specil- cations in part as follows
 Capacity ,opu0' 'ps Length .............,,.,,,....''''' .a9 IL ' IT. Width .......,...............,.,,. IL # ln' Height .....,..............,,... it. A In.
 SPECIAL EQUIPMENT.
 Trucks .......,...,.,.., Diamond archbar Air brakes .....,..........,..We Westinghouse Couplers ........,..,,.....,....... io"ef Journal boxes ..............+,,,,.Sy .Symngton
 Cincinnati, New Orleans and Texas Pa cific has issued orders for t-.e beginning of work on the proposed new shops at Somerset, Ky. according to press re- port from Chattanooga, The ground for the buildings has already been graded
 Extensive additions to the criminal fla cilities of the seaboard Air Line are being