The San Francisco call., 1909-04-27

ri HEAR" said the old railroadman,
that the minister of the Russian
imperial railways goes over the
state railways disguised as third
class passenger to judge at first hand
how the conductors and train agents
treat the luckless patrons
That's a good idea" replied a COM
muter who lives at Palo Alto. Il think
If some of the railroad bosses in this
country did that it would help out
some
You do, eh?' returned the old rail
roadman. We'll, / wouldn't be in the
boss shoes. There is an engineer in the
Hartman employ who is related to
Hartman himself, and who thought
he would do the oun-alRaschid
act He was spotted, of course.
up comes an engine with the engi-
neer busy with the steam gauge and
notes how Master Smartness was stand
ing by the track watching him do some
tall running into the yards. Out he
lets a Jet of hot water which catches
Mr.. Smartness amidships and sends him
rolling in the dirt.
NO disguises for me with an Ameri-
can railway gang. Not much!'
William Hood. chief engineer of the
Southern Pacific, has returned from his
trip into strange lands. He visited the
Panama canal and was much impressed
with the work and the scenery. Hood
also was struck with the fact that sea-
sickness is not a figment of the imagi-
nation, but reality. Not that the
veteran railroad builder was afflicted
with so ignoble an ailment. In fact, he
boarded the Sultana, E. H. Hartman s
private yacht, sick man, but no soon
er did he feel the caresses of ocean
Io, - nd =
to be so. to the disgust of the chef, who,
seeing the condition of the other dis
tinguished passengers, thought he woula
have a holiday. but Hoods demands
kept him and his staff continuously
busy.
While the other distinguished engi-
neers lay in their staterooms, contem-
plating the wickedness of their past
lives and vowing to be good in the
steamer. Hood was on the bridge in
structing the captain as to the best
way to improve his track.
This track" observed Hood, as he
lurched to the starboard and then to
the larboard and all boards at once,
lis not what ] would call a first class
track. 1t might do for Epes Randolph,
but not for me.
Now, captain, 1 would recommend
that you use 10 parts gravel and three
parts sand for this track. When you
get bank gravel that contains per
cent dust or 40 per cent sand, you
should have it screened or washed. I
will be blessed if 1 ever rode on such
a bad track before. Why, it is almost
bad enough to make man seasick
and reminds me of the Shasta route 20
years ago."
Virgil c. Bogne, chief engineer of the
Western Pacific, was at Oroville yester-
day. From reports received from the
engineers in the field. the track is now
u miles west of Winnemucca and two
miles west of Beowawe. The tunnel
force is making about 16 feet day on
the Spring Garden tunnel, and there
remains a little less than 100 feet of
bench to be put through. About II
feet day is being made on the Beck
wourth tunnel, leaving about 1S0 feet
of bench to be opened. The track is
now at the north fork of the Feather
river, waiting for the completion OF
the big bridge
w. T. Mapes, formerly agent of the
Southern Pacific at Lodi. has been ap-
pointed ticket agent of the ella VAL
ley, Globe and Northern at Globe.
About 100 members of the California
Association of Traffic Agents went tc
Mount Tamalpais last Saturday night
If there had been any fears that the
evening would have been spent in the
quiet contemplation of the stars and
the moon it certainly was dissipated
by the presence of Harry Graham, who
managed most successfully to awaken
the echoes OF hill and vale. The taverr