The Birmingham age-herald., 1907-07-03
BUSY DAY AT NEW TERMINAL STATION First Days Ticket Sales Were
 Unusually Large SPECIAL RATES SOUTHWEST Queer Questions Are Presented at the Bureau of lnformation-one
 Woman Wants to Be Sup
 piled With a Cook.
SPECIAL RATES SOUTHWEST

:, practical demonstration of the fact that the new terminal station was a necessity to Birmingham is shown by the enormous business transacted at both the railroad stations yesterday and Monday. Nearly all day long yesterday the new u Il station was crowded with people, nearly all leaving the city for some point on the railway map, while the Louisville and Nashville station was also crowded mC t of the day.
 ' Homeseel<ers tickets to Texas and the territories were on sale yesterday and added greatly to the regular traffic, but even without these rates the business would have been about as much as the ticket agents and the station officials could handle. As it was all hands were overworked and when night came lot of weary mortals welcomed the period of rest. All day long the new down town city ticket offices were busy and made such big sales that the new ticket men wore smiles that wouldn't come off and acted as if they had been in the local ticket-selling business for sev- eral years, instead of two days.
 Large Ticket Sales.
 Inquiry was made yesterday at all the offices as to the amount of the first day s sales and the result was surprising. The Frisco office took the lead on initial sales, reporting $1127 for the first day. City Passenger and Ticket Agent H. E. Osborne was very much gratified at the showing and also at the increased im- portancc of the local office, which has necessitated the appointment of an as- sistant to Mir. Osborne in the person of J R. McGregor of Memphis. MT Me Gregor Is well known In Birmingham as he lived here for several years be- fore accepting a place in Memphis.
 City Passenger Agent M. Coxwell Of the Southern railway, reported a total of S779 in ticket sales for the first day. Jack W. Johnson of the Seaboard Air Line re- ported $443.90, and Hugh F. Latmer of the Queen and Crescent reported $9SS.
 Like Christmas Times.
 At the new terminal station yesterday the scene was like Christmas times in activity, except for the weather, and the new officials and their numerous assist ants were too busy to sit down for min ute. Station Master Lee c. Jones is get ting everything about the new station Tn fine shape and the passengers are being handled with ease and rapidity. The sta ton officials look trim and up- p-to-date in their fine new green uniforms and all like IneIn except, one man who SalQ they were mighty fine, but he wouldnt dare go on the street with his uniform on, as he would attract too much atten- ton.
 Little remains to be done by Station Master Jones to get the new station in frst-class shape. Yesterday he had boards put up at the ends of the tracks and they will show the numbers of the tracks for the information of the passen- eers. Among other things necessary to be done right away are the placing of big wall clock, the building of some lockers for the uniforms of the men while off duty, and the placing of big gong for starting the trains.
 Queer Questions Asked.
 The bureau of information is about the best institution of the new station and the best patronized. L. H. Reynolds is the chief of the bureau and his assistant, MT Brooks, handles the work at night Both men are experienced in railroad work and are generally well informed. MT. Reynolds said yesterday that this was his first experience as a bureau of in formation but that he was too tired after his first days work to laugh at . the queer questions that were fired at him.
 T believe I answered, or tried to an- swer, 10,Oo0,oo0 questions yesterday" he said, and everybody asked about every thing under the sun. l didn't object to replying to questions about railroad travel Or about the city but when they got out side my line l had to call hat. One old man came up and asked: What time does the o'clock Illinois Central train leave here?' l told him if he'd come back fin about four months l could tell him the sanswer. But what fiabbergasted me was tthe lady who called up on the phone and lasked me if could send her a cook Now, lwhat do you think of that?''