Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1906-01-15
Patrons Object to Railroad Com
mission and Commissioner
ketchum Investigates
PASSENGER HELD FOR FREIGHT
Crtcizes the Service on
the iowa central's Story City Branch,
and Trainmaster Mccarthy Promises
That 1t Will Be Arranged Satisfac-
factoriiy-ketchum Talks.

RallrOuu commissioner IN. -.
Ketchun, of this city, was called upon
Saturday night about 9 O'Clock by a
branch of the Iowa Central, who COM
planned that the service given them by
the railroad company needed invests
CATION. Mr.. Ketchum accompanied the
committee to the union station to in
yestgate into the conditions. He found
that the train due to leave at g.: 10 was
still standing at the depot, with two
cars filled with about fifty indignant
passengers from all along the line.
They had been in the cars three hours,
and still had no knowledge OF when
The tram would go.
The Story City branch patrons have
not been satisfied with conditions for
some time. They claim that the even
Ing passenger train out of the city is
held on the least pretense, and that
they never can depend upon its leav-
ing time. When asked about the con-
ditions as he found them Mr.. ketchum
said:
Il went to the depot Saturday night
and found two well-filled cars, con-
tanning about fifty passengers, all anN-
ious to get to their homes, some hay
ing to travel Several miles overland
from their respective stations to their
homes in the country. OF course they
were anxious to get started.
II with Ira
master J. e. Mccarthy, who happened
cause of the delay was the waiting of a
car of horses from train No. 81, due
here at about 2 p. M, which was re-
ported seven hours late"
Mr. Ketchum was asked If the COM
mission would recommend holding the
evening train, No. SO, for such a length
of time for such consignmentS and re-
piled:
1--WE certainly would not. We
would rule that trains of that class
should be run on schedule time as
nearly as possible, waiting a reasona-
BILE length of time for passengers from
similar or higher class trains. No. SO
is a mixed train, to be sure, but it is
nevertheless a passenger train of the
second class, and subject to the rules
of a first class train, especially when
carrying the United States mails, and
should be run on schedule time. The
schedule should be so made as to ham
die the freight business of that class
train, and keep the train ON time. The
public has only the schedule to gov
ern it. 1t expects to be at the depot
on the schedule of trains, and the
movement of trains should in turn
meet the public. 1t is alike important
that all should be on time,
and in this l refer to first class and
mixed or SECOND class trains carrying
passengers alike.
'Mr. Mccarthy, the trainmaster, as
sures ME he will so arrange in the fu-
ture as to keep the Story City train
on time as nearly as possible, and es-
pecially on Saturday nights he will see
that the train leaves on it's schedule,
as Saturdays are the big days for traf-
f1c on the branch. He recognizes the
Importance of this, as the company has
large and appreciative business from
the branch, and he will do his best to
reciprocate. Therefore I feel that Mr..
Mccarthy will see that the Story City
train service will be satisfactorily ar
ranged in the future"