The Detroit times., 1909-06-02
BETTER SERVICE TO.
sT.L0U|SPR0MIsEO
Wabash Will Provide Late Afternoon
Train That Will Make Good Con-
nection at Fl. Wayne, Ind.

Better train service between De-
troll and St Louis. Mo-. is practically
assured as result OF the conference,
Wednesday morning. between officials
OF the Wabash railroad aud represent
atives of the Detroit Board OF Com.
merce. What the board desires most
in the way OF increased facilities at
this time is a fast train leaving De.
troi: at about $50, reaching 81. Loul ;
the Eext morning. Such train WAS
formerly run by the Wabash road,
but vas taken of three or four years
ago.
President Delano, OF the road. look.
ed favorably on the suggestion and
agreed 10 divert any contemplated ex-
penditure for improving The service
between Detroit and Chicago to bet
tering the Detroit-St Louis service. II
was the sense OF the board members
prese mt that the present service via.
the Wabash between Detroit and Chi
caEo is satisfactory.
II the suggestion OF the Board CT
Commerce is adopted. the $50 fast
train will run only between Detroit
and Fort Wayne, Ind. At that point.
II is figured, the train would overfako
train No. 3. as ii is known, leaving
here at $50 and reaching Fort WaynS
FIVE and one-half hours later This
train is a local TO Fort Wayne aud
would remain so. but makes faster
time from Fort Wayne on. IL would
there pick up passengers from the
5: 80 fast train and carry them through
10 ST Louis. This would constitute
practically a through service.
Such train would mean much for
Detroit business men. II they wished
TO go west they would not be obliged
TO depart without first getting the
days business out of the way. And
business men from ST. Louis and cit
les en- route would similarly have a
whole day in which 10 transact their
business before boarding the train for
home. In the matter of mail service IL
would be a big improvement. Under
the present arrangements. unless a
letter is mailed before 2:45 p. m. 1t
Will not reach ST. Louis until the fol-
lowing afternoon and will probably
not be delivered until the morning or
the next day. and a large proportion
of firms correspondence Is not post
ed until after this hour
As an argument in favor OF the res
toration of this fast train it was point
ed out that Detroit's population has
increased about 90 per cent since the
train was taken of. If il is restored,
the board will not be content with Sc
curing a train only one way. Just as
soon as the feasibility OF the plan is
demonstrated. 1t will ask for a CORE
spending service from st. Louis TO De-
troit
In its efforts TO secure these i'm
provements. the board made 1t plain
that il is not looking out for the per-
sonal convenience OF business men.
hut thex are desired for the purpose
Of bringing the two great municipali-
tics closer together in a commercial I
way and for opening up the possibilt- I
les OF the vast southwest for Detroit 4
10 a greater extent 4
han they are now open.
Those present, representing the +
.oad. were President F. A. Delano.
Chicago; General Traffic Manager W.
:. Maxwell, ST. Louis; Henry Miller, /
and general manager, /
ST. Louis; J. ID. Mcnamara. general 1
and ticket agent. st. Louis; !
). G.. Woman. assistant TO the prcsi- /
lent, Chicago; Supt. j. Sim. Detroit:
E. H. 3. Gull. division freight agent, /
Detroit, and A. T. Wolfschlager, ras- |
5engSI agent, Detroit.
The BoarC Oh Commerce was repre- |
by President Sumner, John r. |
Russell, George II. Russell, T. II. Simp-
son, j. T. " hitehead, Andrew Green.
Jr., ]. l.. Hudson, z. II. DOYLE. S. G.
I.oonaid. c Leidich, Frank Standart,
James Inglis, Harry 5. Taylor, j. B.
+. A. Holmes. Secretary
Charles B. Sawyer and j. B. Van
vechten. manager of the transporta-
ton bureau.
The conference was held in the
board rooms. The dinner that had
been planned for the railroad officials
was called Uff, as the party had other
important business to look after and
ueeded the time