The San Francisco call., 1907-03-29
Gossip of the Doings of
Railroad Men

Henry Avila of the Union Pacific
lives at Berkeley, and he took to task
W. r. Alberger, traffic manager of the
Key Route, for the aggravating. con-
duct of the conductors OF the Lorin
street car in neglecting to wait for
Southern Pacific commuters. The Key
Route boat and the Southern Pacific
boat leave the Market-street slips at
the same time, but the electric line
reaches Lorin about a minute ahead Of
it's rival, and the Streetcar belonging
to the same system always pulls out
so that the passengers of the Southern
Pacific train shall not get the benefit OF
the service, This is part of the Key
Route programme.
The other night Anvila saw a Lorin
street car standing at the depot, and
he and friend caught It
You see." remarked Avila, that
judicious kick does good. I spoke to
Billy Alberger and told him that 1t was
not right to discriminate against South
ern Pacific commuters, and he promised
to attend to the matter. You see he has
done it," and then he asked the con-
ductor, why don't you start?'
We'll, you see," replied the conduc-
tor, I'VE have been broken down all
day, and I don't know when we shall
be able to resume service"
Two gentlemen from Norway drifted
into a ticket scalping office and bought
two steamer tickets. ostensibly for
Seattle, but good only to Grays Har
Dor, and were informed that by pay
ing cents extra on the streetcar
they could get to their destination A
few minutes afterward they met an
other gentleman from Norway, who
told them they had been imposed upon
The three went to the office, reinforced
by a policeman. All the satisfaction
they received was that it was none of
the third party's business and that the
tickets had been Sold at the request
not refunded.
G. W. Fletcher of the Southern Pa
cifc announced yesterday that freight
was being received in this city through
Sacramento to Ogden and through
Roseville. via Chico. to Tehama-
The capture of fifty members of the
Lambardi Opera Company by an italian
agent of a steamship line for their
journey to New York is being made the
subject of a quiet investigation by the
different foreign agents in this city.
The rufnor has been revived that the
practice of paying commissions is
again in force. If this should prove to
De I1S case lnCIC WOQlu OC LlSlIy
war in the railroad camp. The various
agents are pretty well exercised over
the affair, as there was strenuous ef-
fort made to secure these fifty tickets,
and the fact that the prize was cap
tured by practically an outside Office
naturally arouses much comment. 1t is
alleged that the successful agent is
paid salary by certain Eastern line,
over which he routs his business, the
of sole
upon the number of tickets being rout-
ed over this line. and the Legitimate
railroad representatives. as they call
themselves, feel chagrined that the
representative of a transatlantic
steamer should have been able to con-
troll such large party business. 1t is
whispered that an inducement of cut
of about SO was given on each ticket to
secure the members of the opera COM
pany and if this should prove to be
true there will be lots of trouble.
AT a meeting of the Central Passen-
ger Association on March 13 and / the
matter of commissions was taken up
for discussion, and several Eastern
lines declared that unless some radical
measure were taken which would do
away with these commissions they
would take such action as was neces-
sary to protect railroad interests.
]. Fl. Queal, president of the McCloud
River Railroad. emphatically denies the
statement that his road has been sold
to the Western Pacific The report that
it had been sold was circulated about
two months ago. when Queal was in the
East. w. ]. Shotwell, one of the direc-
tors of the Western Pacific, also enters
general denial
II. w. Morrison. general freight agent
of the Rock Island Frisco lines in Ar
kansas, arrived in tins city yesterday
and will be here some time 1t is his
intention to make several side trips
about the State before returning home.