The San Francisco call., 1908-08-23
Gossip Of RaiIwaymea

Pedlech, that Hartman is catching
fish at klamath lake. He is wise
man. There is nothing so conducive TO
repose Of mind as fishing. and I have
found that after wrestling for a week
at the ticket counter of the Santa Fe
trying to sell overland tickets / need
repose like Hartman.
II concede that Hartman is great
railroadman. But did Hartman ever
try to sell ticket by the Santa Fe
to Los Angeles?
That's the test of true greatness,
and i am not afraid of contradiction,
when l observe that / could walk all
around Hartman selling tickets" and
the handsome ticket agent of the Santa
Fe ran his bediamonded fingers through
his coral curls.
Il am going fishing on Sunday and
have provided myself with 1,4O0 yards
Of clothes line. some clothes pins. sew
eral hooks and eyes, a basket of cham
pagne and a doctor.
when it comes to luxury let me
tell you that the Santa F'e men take
no back seat to any Hartman man. no
sir, not even to Hartman himself"
According to the report of the Ameri-
can railway association in it's last fort
nightly bulletin there is noticed con-
siderable decrease In the number of idle
freightcars. The figures represent
the condition of traffic on August and
show by comparison with July %. the
date of the last previous report, 27 ,059
more cars in service. The number of
idle cars was reduced to 2S1.621, which
is the smallest since December "a. The
fact that the Improvement was in man
ufacturing states showed that 1t was
due to general business Improvement
rather than to crop movement.
In some of the most important crop
sections the car surplus Increased, the
crop movement apparently having as
sumed no large proportions at the date
of the report.
1t is understood that the plans for
the depots and building on the Califor-
MIA end of the Western Pacific are in
the hands of the company's architects.
and that they will be artistic. COM
modious and modern. The telegraph
men are at work putting up the wires
and a large force of men is employed
from Oakland to Berry creek hallastfng
the road and getting ready for traffic.
All indications are that the Western
Pacific intends at an early date to
commence running trains. Work is be-
ing prosecuted vigorously in Nevada,
and track is being laid rapidly toward
Humboldt Wells. There has been
little more track laid in California.
X,
piercing the Sierras for a tunnel is go
Ing forward satisfactorily.
On the return of w. H. Watts of the
Utah construction company. from a trip
of inspection over the line of the West
ern Pacific with Virgil G. Bogue, A. A.
Robinson and ]. o. Osgood work will
be started on building the new South
ern Pacific line between Rocklin and
Colfax. The FIRST contract let to this
company is for 10 miles ending at Col
fax, and when this work has been we'll
started the contract for the rest of the
distance. 20 miles, will be let. It is un-
derstood that Watts has given orders
for the assembling of men and teams,
and when once started the task of
building the new line will be rushed to
completion. This means the expendi-
ture OF several thousands OF dollars in
Placer county.
William Hassinger of the passenger
department of the Southern Pacific is
gentleman with shapely feet and
pair of lovely shoes, which he pur-
chased for $3.50.
"Just look at these shoes" he said
to his fellow clerks Don't they make
my feet Look real swell? Those feet,
eh? Well. don't you fellows wish you
had them. that's all.
A telephone call came for Hassinger
telling him that as he had been ad-
vertising the shoes so literally a hand
some pair of slippers awaited his ac-
ceptance-
Hassinger dropped all work and
started for the store. He came back
with crestfallen look and since then
has been christened slippery Bilr' by
his coworkers.
Colonel George G. Fraser and his
faithful nine left this morning for
Vallejo, where they will play star
engagement against the local baseball
nine. Colonel Fraser's prowess is now
displayed from rear seat on the
bleachers, for since his nose prevented
ball from going over the fence he
has, like all great commanders, alb
stained from exposing himself on the
firing line when his pitchers are in
the box.
"I heard" remarked j. W. Nicely
monds. that 1t was difficult for an
Englishman to see the point of a joke.
but I knew one who could not even
appreciate the weight of one.