The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1908-10-28
Austrian Railroads. Ideal.

don't think the railroads of Austria
can be surpassed anywhere said NJ
L. Sonnenchein. of Prague, Austria,
and to government ownership must be
attributed the excellence of our sys-
tenn. The government now owns every
mile of railroad in the country, and
trains are always on time.
: we have first. second, and third
classes, and the rates for the very best
are below what they are in the United
states. Accommodations in the second
and third classes are good. the only
distinction between the three grades
being in the quality of the furniture.
Any one travelling third class has all
the comforts enjoyed by the average
passenger on a train in this country.
The employees are very efficient, and
they hold their positions for life or as
long as they perform their duties sat
isfactorily. A serious blunder on the
part OF any employe means his instant
dlscharge After a certain period of
faithful service, employees are retired
and receive a pension sufficiently large
for them to live on. This system has
worked well, and has resulted In Aus
tria having the most efficient railroad
men to be found anywhere
The railroad police are a distinctive
feature in my country. and they do a
great work along the line Of preventing
accidents. Every policeman has a post
mile in length along the railroad
track, and he patrols it as regularly as
the policemen in the cities patrol their
beats. The government boasts another
novelty-a railroad regiment. This regf-
ment consists of men who are skilled in
all railroad matters. and in time of war
or other disturbance they take possess
sion of the roads and operate all the
trains in the country.
THE Austrian government also owns
and operates all street car systems,
telephone ana telegraph lines and other
public utilities. The fares on the street
cars are less than they are here, being
generally the equivalent of about three
cents. 1 must say 1 consider that some
of your railroads here offer very made
quate service, especially when the rates
charged are taken into consideration.
Baltimore American.
The Dew-Ponds of the Ancients..
One of the prehistoric methods used
in securing a water supply in sections
where it was impossible to secure it
from natural sources, or where 1t be-
came necessary to live on elevated ter
ritory for defense, was by the construc-
ton of dew-ponds.
These dew-ponds were made by hol-
lowing out the earth for space far in
such pond, then thickly covering the
whole Of the hollow with a coating of
straw. The straw, in its turn, was COW
cred by layer of well-chosen, finely
puddled CLAW and the upper surface Of
the clay closely strewn with stones.
Such a pond will gradually become
filled with water. the more rapidly the
larger 1t is, even though no rain may
fall. During the warmth of a summer
day the earth will store a considerable
amount of heat, while the pond, pro-
tected from the heat by the f1oncon-
ductivity of the straw, is at the same
time chilled by the clay. The conse-
quence it-that during the night the
moisture of the comparatively warm
air is condensed on the surface of the
cold clay. As the condensation DUR
ing the night Is in excess of the evap-
grafton during the day. the pond be-
uence is that during the night the
comes, night by night, gradually filled.
Popular Mechanics.