Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1910-12-04

ended in the addition to surplus of the tidy
sum Of $5.OS9, 457.
BY such a demonstration of earning
power during time when all was by no
means sunshine for the other roads, the
question is squarely raised as to whether
the Erie has not turned a corner and en-
tered new phase in its existence. Handi-
capped. II is true, have been its managers
by the lack OF working capital but by strip
ping clean every bone and making every
dollar do one hundred cents worth Of
work that difficulty has been largely
overcome and improvements effected which,
under the circumstances, are little short Of
marvellous. Judging from the way earnings
have been running during the last few years
the back of the difficulty has been broken,
and what has been done for the property is
about to bear fruit.
In deciding whether or not that is so,
there must be continually kept in mind the
fact that there are, so to speak, two Eries-
the physical Erie. whose strides forward
during the last couple Of years are recog-
nized throughout the railroad world; and
The financial Erie. which stll remains a
serious handicap to every member Of the
operating staff from the top to the bottom.
Management is Alive.
Considering first the physical Erie, a
glance at what has been done during the
last few years in the way Of building cut
offs and bringing about grade reductions.
is all that is necessary to see how alive
the management is to the necessity Of strlk-
ing at the very root of the difficulty by
which they have been all along beset. Com
petition on even terms with such roads as
New York Central and Lehigh Valley, IL
L.
such grades as existed at several places
on the main line remained to block traffic
and Increase expenses On the direct line
from New York TO Buffalo some OF these
grades ran as high as ~ per cent The
most powerful Mallet engines ever built
were necessary 10 haul coal trains over the
hills at Port Jervis and susquehanna, and
at that less than fifty cars per train could
be handled. To eliminate these grades. OF
at least to reduce them to something like
an equality with grades on competitive
lines, was a tremendous undertaking, but
one which the management realized from
/ the start was the sine qua non for success
/ ful operation OF the property The work
/ therefore, was undertaken with will; and
while much still remains 70 be done, some
really remarkable results have already
been achieved.
Most important OF these great works
! perhaps, is the Guymard CUTOFF, which
leaves the main line halfway between Mid
dletown and Port Jervis and reaches IN,
Newhurg branch at Highland Mills Pierre
ing the mountains at one point with q mile
long tunnel and built according 70 the mos
modern ideas, this piece Of double-t tract
road IS making a big difference In Erie'i
/ operations. East-bound It's grade Is 2-1
Per cent as against l.26 per cent on IN,
main line; west-bound 1t Is 6-l0 per cen
as against a former grade OF ll2 per cent
As result OF this grade reduction. tn
east-bound trainload has been Increase,
from 900 tons 10 s720 tons. and the west
bound trainload from 1900 tons 70 ! 800 tons
To put 1t differently. where the forme
limit was fifty cars to 9 train, eighty-fiv
and ninety car trains are now possible
TrainlOads Have Increased.
The same sort Of thing has been accom-
plished by the building OF the Oenese
cutoff out in the western part OF the stat,
where the so-called Cuba Hul Summit an
the Tip Top. long an effective bar t
economical operation, have been eHml
mated. Study Of the figures here aRai
show how the cutting out OF these In
possible grades has Jumped the trainloat
BY the completion OF this biz OF line. IN
deed. a bis sep forward Is made In IN
main Erie project for low-grade I'm