The San Francisco call., 1907-01-22
Gossip of the Doings
of Railroad Men

r. A. Drake has been appointed dis
trict engineer, maintenance of way,
for the northern division of the South
ern Pacific to succeed w. G. Edes, who
has been appointed chief engineer or
the Northwestern Pacific. Drake has
been the resident engineer of the west
ern division, with headquarters In
Oakland He Joined the company in
1895 as assistant engineer on the Sac
ramento division, and remained there
till 1899. He was then made assistant
engineer of the coast division, and held
that position till 1906. when he was
made assistant resident engineer.
In March of that year he was made
resident engineer of the coast division,
and in November of the same year
he was again promoted and appointed
resident engineer of the more impor-
tant division, known as the west
ern division. General superintendent
Palmer has not yet named his Gus
cessor at the Oakland pier.
A bill has been introduced in Con-
gress by Representative Sherman TO
make the maximum passenger fare in
the United States cents a mile for
Interstate traffic. The bill IS. of course.
not pleasing to the operators of West
ern roads, and Will be opposed by
them to the best of their ability. The
does not take into account any differ
ence in population, topography OF the
country, expense of railway operation
or wages.
1t is proposed to make the same rate
effective on poorly patronized branch
lines on roads through the. thickly
settled sections. The railroad COM
panies have already put themselves on
record as being violently opposed to
the measure, declaring that the pas
senger traffic is the least profitable of
their revenue, and that the bill is un-
just in that it seeks to create COM
mon rate throughout the country with
out any regard TO operating condi-
tions They point out. that, notwith-
standing the good times, the passenger
earnings per train mile have not in
creased.
Local passenger representatives say
that the effect of the law an the West
would be to increase the number of
mixed freight and passenger trains
very largely; to reduce the number of
strictly passenger trains and to pre-
vent further improvements in the train
service. both In equipment and sched-
ues The present rate in California,
except in the mountain districts, is
cents a mile. In thinly settled sec
tions, like Nevada and Arizona, it is
4 cents mile. This is also true on
rev DranCn lines IN the west.
The western roads keep the earn
ings per mile of every train in their
service, and no doubt radical reduce
tion in revenue would put a great
many trains in the red ink class.
which would be followed by a discon-
tinuance, or a merging into freight
trains.
at really looks as If we were going
to this city before the end of the
year" remarked a railroad man who
had just returned from that city. The
western Pacific has about four miles
of track laid out of Stockton. and there
are any number of men at work upon
the roadbed. The Western Pacific fol-
lows the line OF the Southern Pacific
almost all the way from Stockton to
Oakland. and. If the builders desired,
they could easily have the road in
operation inside of eight months. II
seems as If all the heavy filling had
been finished and that within the time
mentioned the cars could be running.
II looks like business when YOU see
fat and box cars marked Western Pa
cific on the tracks near Stockton"
J. J. Byrne, assistant traffic manager
of the Santa Fe, who is in the city,
business in the southern part of the
State. He says that the travel into
that section is just beginning, and he
thinks that it will be as large as it
was last year
The Santa Fe is still having trouble
with the Franklin tunnel. 1t will be
several days before the line to Stock
ton is opened.
J. w. McClymond, who represents
the Armour lines, says that the orange
crop in the south is beginning to move
freely. One hundred and fifty cars
Pacific and the Santa Fe.
A. NJ. Cleland. general passenger
agent of the Northern Pacific, arrived
in the city from the southern part of
the State yesterday. He will be here
for a few days. and will then return
III T. &C