Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1910-01-21
Looker-On In Iona

iowa Falls, Jan. 21.-lt gives the
reader an idea of the "congested traf-
fic" in Iowa, to learn that in the e. II.
u. & p. r. r. yards were one day last
week nearly 300 carloads Of grain
billed to eastern points, which have ac-
cumulated at this point simply because
the Rock Island has not motive power
enough to haul them to their destina-
ton, as fast as loaded at points north,
and west of here. At the illinois Gen.
trail yards the writer is told that cattle
have been in the stock yards for four
days. because the engines and crews
were handling coal to prevent a fam
inc" in many towns west of here. Every
one asks why are all the passenger
trains late on all roads. Here's bit
of personal experience probably fair
sample of what is going on all over
the country. We boarded local pas
senger train reported forty minutes
late, running distance of thirty miles.
1t was an hour late when it arrived.
Two stations west, we went on to
sidetrack and waited fifteen minutes
for freight train. Two stations
further on we came up to a train load
of coal and we followed after them for
ten miles so they could get over the
road sooner than if it had stopped,
backed in on a sidetrack and then fol-
lowed the local passenger train. Re-
suit, fifty miles from starting point this
local passenger was nearly two hours
late.
The Illinois Central Railway is now
dispatching trains both by telegraph
and telephone. Using the latter as each
order is written out as received. Then
the operator receiving the order reads
1t thru the telephone to the dispatcher
spelling out each word This seems a
slow way of doing things, but tele-
graph operator tells the writer it is
quicker work even spelling it back,
than to take an order by telegraph and
repeat back. To an outsider listening
In the waiting room 1t seems wonderful
the knowledge of the condition of af-
fairs that dispatcher hundred miles
away has of everything in the yards
and concerning the trains. He knows
the number of cars ON the sidetracks,
what they contain and when they ought
to be unloaded. In one case con-
ductor wanted help against No. g."
ahead of 8. Stay where you are was
the order, there's no room for you to
pass at Nextown, 80 is on track. No. 2
and No. 5 will use the passing track"
Then evidently he asked when those
two coal cars would be unloaded, hur-
ry EN- up so 81 can pick tn; i up. OF
course we only heard what the agent
and conductor talked back but we
could supply the questions from the
answers. If that dispatcher had been
on the spot with a monstrous magni-
flying glass he wouldn't have known
more of the condition of affairs in that
yard.
An old story is that one day in
large city union station a man ran
down the pavement fifty miles an hour
to catch train just leaving, only to
have the gate shut before he arrived,
and then and there he remarked ID
that train" Behind him. close second
came very stout woman also on the
same Grand Taking in the situation
and hearing the remark, she turned to
the profane individual politely saying
thank you sir" And some of the pas
sengers in an Iowa railroad depot the
other day thought thank you" A
travelling man about five minutes be-
fore train time stepped up to the ticket
window with the remark ticket for
Nextown." The agent was doing some
thing at the desk and paid no attention
to the request. The wouldbe passenger
waited for few minutes then laid
down a dollar With a bang and said
sharply ticket for Nextown." The
agent calmly looked at him, said
nothing but kept on arranging home
things in the desk drawer. again The
man outside of the window waited for.
say three or four minutes, @hen the in
coming train whistled, the agent got
up and sold him ticket for NextoWn
And then the outgoing passegers heard
some language. The travelling man
called that agent every thing above
and below. He used swear words that
would prevent this account if printed,
from going thru the mails. If that
agent would come out he'd give him a
dollar just to smash his - face
Only the necessity of getting on the
train checked che eloquehce of the trav-
cling man. Meanwhile the patient
railroad agent said not word. He only
closed the window as the engine ratified
by The travelling man couldn't report
him, he had not opened his mouth. OF
course we were all shocked and ter
rlbiy ashamed of the travelling man. He
really ought not to have used such
language.