The San Francisco call., 1908-07-14
Gossip of RaiIwaymen


H. J. Merrick, superintendent of
freight transportation for the New
York Central lines, has made the most
favorable report on the car situation
that has appeared for many months. He
says the number of storage cars on our
system has been reduced from $4,000 to
25, 900 in the last two months, indicating
an increased demand. With present
conditions prevailing, a still further re-
duction will be made in the next few
weeks. Storage tracks on the various
systems are being depleted of good box
cars and special effort is being made
by the mechanical departments to put
all boxcars in good shape.
According to raiIroadmen the Hep
burn law will cost the political man
agements of presidential candidates
about 100000 in the coming campaign.
The law prohibits the issuance or ac-
ceptance of passes under penalty Of
fines from 5000 to $4,000, with possible
imprisonment as well. In former pres
idential campaigns the railroads and
other transportation companies extend
ed pass courteSieS to speakers and
other political workers amounting to
the equivalent of from $750,000 to
81, 500, 900.
The estimate of $500, 900 for campaign
transportation is based upon the trav-
cling expenses of agents of the agricul-
tura1 department of the government,
which aggregated $4,000 during the
last fiscal year, and their number is by
no means as great as the speakers and
other workers that the political man
ayers will have in the field.
Talk about luck" said Bruce Norton
- TTx,|1
Fresno, there is no such thing in the
world for me. I started for Dos Palos
the other morning to get a number of
prohibitionists who were going east to
attend their convention to go over our
line.
81 prepared for the occasion careful
ly. did not smoke for three days and
drank only soda water, though the
thermometer was only 100 in the shade
and Fulton Berry and Charley Cham
bers said I would die, but I was firm.
81 took the early morning train and
there was drunken fellow on the car.
He walked UP and down the aisle of
fering every one a drink of whisky
by the tumblerful. Some idiot came
along and drank with him. He was
pouring out tumblerful near me. The
cars gave a sudden lurch and 1 had a
whisky bath. Phew, how 1 smeltl
L HdQ 10 80 u 1IdCy anu COIL
ing home the conductor made me sit
in the baggage car. Why. was max
ing every one drunk from the fumes,
and smelled like a distillery broken
loose"
Did get the convention party? Not
that time. l had to be fumigated for
a week before I Ventured near Dos
Palos."
Both the Great Northern and the
Northern Pacific have issued orders re-
quiring that all cars on foreign lines
be returned at the earliest possible
time. The roads desire to have equip
ment available to haul the tremendous
crop IN the Dakotas and other western
states.
The first railroad car. shortage in
Texas since 1907 is now reported. The
scarcity exists in miscellaneous cars.
The Canadian Northern has opened
its new line between Parry sound and
Sudbury. This is one of the links con-
Meeting the Ontario metropolis with
the Canadian Northern system of the
west Within a few years this road
will be third complete transconti-
mental line.
The total number of cars of oranges
and lemons shipped to date from south
of the Tehachapi is 26,O1o, of which
| 1926 cars are lemons. For the same
time last year there were 24,703 cars
of oranges and 1928 of lemons.