Omaha daily bee., 1910-11-29
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Baggage Agents Reach Agreement in
Shipping Corpses.
ANDREW TRAYNOR WINS FIGHT
Union Pacific Men Puts system Into
Effect After Years OF strenuous
Campaign Among Rail-
road Officials.

For the first time in the history or Amer
lean railroads the through baggage check
ing system ls 90 be applied to the trans
portation OF cOrpses from the point OF ship
ment 20 the railroad terminal at destina-
zion. Tho rule is number twenty in a
series Of twenty-one baggage rules adopted
At a joint conference OF passenger traffic
officers and general baggage agents. repre-
senung the several territorial passenger
associations Of the country, held in Chit
csgo last month. AS soon as the rules are
approved by the Interstate Commerce COM
mission they will go into effect probably
with the new year
The progressive spirit OF the west and an
unintenuOnsl violation OF a baggage rule
were the prime moving causes Of the re-
form, and the individual chiefly response
bic for pressing the reform TO a successful
conclusion IL Andrew Traynor. general bag
gaze agent OF the Union Pacific railroad.
twenty-five years ago or Whereabouts a
body was shipped from a point on the
southern Pacific railroad and checked to
Omaha Up to that time bodies had to be
rechecked az every junction point. The
fact that this particular shipment passed
through ogden without trouble to the
escort caused remark among the baggage
men in Omaha. The silent passenger was
not disconnected and the escort was re-
lieved OF some discomfort II the grief
stricken could be relieved of annoyance
and worry by the simple medium Of
baggage check, thought Mr.. Trayuor. why
not employ iu all cases. Action followed
the suggestion, and in few weeks the
through checking system went into effect
on the Pacific lines between the coast and
the Missouri river
EasTH Lines Needed.
To secure the fun benefit OF the through
check however the cooperation Of con-
Meeting lines eastward was needed, and
Mr.. Traynor set about securing it. The
task proved an exceedingly difficult one.
Opposition was met at every turn OF the
road. II was based mainly on the fear
that q check would increase the liability
Of the company by changing the status Of
the shipment from merchandise 20 bag
gage. The item OF transfer charges at
junction points blocked the movement in
several directions, Notwithstanding the
fact that one full fare, which usually in
cludes transfer charges, is exacted for the
shipment exclusive Of the escorts ticket.
Year after year delay and confusion in
creased in the baggage departments at
junction points. II for any reason the es-
cOrt failed to exchange checks the ship
ment was halted. Often the escort, arrv-
ing at a junction on a night train, or, may
hap, worn by grief, forgot the duty OF
changing checks and went on TO destina-
ton. Countless cases OF such forgetful-
ness occurred On one occasion nineteen
kilograms had been sent and received at
Omaha before the escort was located and
the remains forwarded, causing a delay of
tweny-four hours. Another case in Kan
delay and thirty-five kilograms.
Movement IL slow.
Gradually the roads to Chicago lined up
for the through check. North, south and
east OF Chicago the old system held a grip
that required years Of agitation and argu-
ment to loosen The prejudice against in
noyauons was too strong to be uprooted
in mment.
few years ago the Wabash put in force
the through check as far an Buffalo, but
beyond that point the so-called innovation
could not make an opening until the bag
gage standpatters of the east were argued
and coaxed into the agreement drafted
last month.
General Baggage Agent Traynor carried
on q vast amount OF correspondence in
connection with the change and preached
so long and well on the subject before I'M
dertakors conventions that he came to be
looked upon by his associates as the ad-
vance agent of a funeral. When he APP
peared at a meet OF baggage men. the
crowd looked around for the box. II a
tear fluttered in the corner OF his eye, they
knew at once that a story OF sobs relieved
and grief assuaged was due, and they
braced themselves for the onslaught Some
times he sheared the moss so close to the
hide that the victim screamed, and in one
instance, on a western road the chief OF
the baggage smashers promised a vocal
roast that failed to arrive. The success OF
the movement and the benefits which
sorrowing escorts will derive from the
through check is regarded by Mr.. Traynor
as gratifying reward for the energy ex-
pended.