The San Francisco call., 1910-03-16
Gossip of RaiIwaymen
(NOP" LYMAN met a man a few
nights ago who had no respect

for the passenger service of the
Southern Pacific. Pop has always
been treated well by the s. p, and
couldn't understand how any one could
knock the service.
Lyman and Sam Booth were waiting
for a certain train at Tracy when 1t all
happened. Another train pulled in and
Pop" said: 1--WE had better take this.
We can beat the other in by at least
an hour" They took the train and
after running a few miles were tied
up for two hours waiting for local
trains to get by. The train was one
of those that had been detoured around
by Portland, and Pop" was beginning
to feel piqued when John Stone, dis
trict freight and passenger agent at
Sacramento, happened by with a banjo
player
This is the way the Southern Pa
cific entertains its passengers that have
been delayed said Stone.
Yes" remarked a gray headed pas
senger in the crowd, I'VE have had that
banjo during the entire trip. When 1
left the east l had a beautiful crop
gray
Pop" sympathizes with the stranger,
all right. but he refuses to think that
the Southern Pacific is to blame for 1t
all
March 2s has been set for the hear
ing of the complaint of the associated
jobbers of Los Angeles against the
Southern Pacific by the railroad COM
mission. The testimony will be taken
at Los Angeles, and Seth Mann will
argue for the traffic bureau of the
merchants exchange, which has inter-
veneJ in the case.
Unique among railroad schools is that
which has just been established at AL
toona, Pa, by the Pennsylvania road,
the management of which has arranged
with the Pennsylvania state college to
send professors to Altoona two days
week to give instruction to apprentices
employed in the railroad shops. The
plan with which the Pennsylvania Is
experimenting is to educate apprentices
along the lines of work which they are
following, with a view that this in
struction will result in their becoming
better and more efficient workmen.
From the ability shown in the school
and with the records In the shops the
officers can determine upon the fitness
of the apprentices for advancement.
The membership of the first class will
be composed of apprentices Of the
fourth year who have shown ability
in their work and a disposition to
better their education. 1t will be op-
tional with the young men whether or
not they will take the course, but after
entering the school attendance will be
compulsory. The first class is to be
limited to 80 apprentices. The course
of instruction, while not definitely de-
termined upon, will. in general way,
consist of the various elementary prin-
ciples of mechanics, mechanism and
materials and simple computations
based upon these subjects.
J. w. HALEY has been appointed a
commercial agent of the st. Louis, Iron
Mountain and Southern. with head
quarters at Lake Charles, La, the po-
sition of commercial agent at Alex
andria, La, having been abolished. u
w. F. Schmidt. general western agent
of the Missouri Pacific, reported for
duty Monday morning. 1t was his
first trial with the crutches. however,
and he took an early boat home, not
wishing to get in with the usual
crowds.
c. F. DAILY, vice president of the New
York Central lines. who has been visit
ing here for a few days, left Monday
night for the north.
The Santa Fe system has extended
the use of the telephone for train dis
patching over its road from Denver to
Pueblo, Colo. The officials of this road
were among the first to recognize the
advantages of the telephone for dis
patching Telephones have been in
stalled over approximately $50 miles
of the Santa Fe lines. and 1t Is planned
to extend the equipment on other Sec
tions of the road as soon as possible.
There are about 40 telephone stations
on the 120 miles stretch between Den
yer and Pueblo and here telephone
equipment and Gill selectors supplied
by the Western Electric company have
lately been installed Heavy traffic is
carried on over this single track d.
vision. There are in the neighborhood
of 25 to 80 trains day. and in the
handling of these trains there are ap-
proximately 75 regular meeting points.
This section of the track is used jointly
by the Santa Fe and the Colorado and
Southern railways. The dispatching.
however, is all done from Pueblo by
the Santa Fe
1t Is estimated that the installation
OF telephones on this division will ena-
BILE the dispatchers to handle the same.
amount of work as previously in about
90 per cent of the time.