The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1910-05-12
NEED OF TRAINS.
John Dawson Is After the Union
Pacific.
Claims That Lincoln Branch Is
Being Neglected.
ONE PASSENGER TRAIN
That Is All That the Modest
Attorney Asks.
Also Suggests Use of a Sleeping
Car.

John Dawson, attorney for the rail-
road board, has just returned from a
trip out in western Kansas over the
route of the Union Pacific branch from
Safina to Oakley Immediately upon
his return John filed a suit against the
Union Pacific in which he petitions the
state railroad board for better train
service between these points. John has
q crouch He is sore. He has not yet
caught up with his lost sleep His
nerves are still ragged at the edges.
His solar plexus is still out of place,
having been Jared over between ms
lungs and liver. The petition John nled
against the U P. reads like story OF
the trip DArta gnan and the Three
GIusketeers made from Paris to Bou-
logne fighting their way through in
creditable obstacles. But in the END
Johns trip and his adventures and pri-
vations may result in great good for
the eopIe living on this branch line
Johns petition narrates at great
length and in painstaking detail the
glories of western Kansas and espe-
ciaIIy that section lying aroundabour
the towns Of Salina, Lincoln, Plains
vile. Hill City. Hoxie, Colby and Oak
ley After calling the attention of the
world to the wealth of these COM
munities and the volume of passenger
and freight traffic they contribute to-
ward the support of the U + the pert
ton goes sublimely on to call attention
To the fact that these people are served
with ouIy one passenger train a day
and that train is mixed tram maui
ing freight and live stock in connection
Again: The depots along the line are
relics of the Mound Builders days; the
Messenger coaches are dirty: the tram
runs too slow and stops too long az
each station; Sleeping cars are I'M
known and unheard Of on tEiS line
notwithstanding that the train runs
crlfy AT night And worse than all these
things and harder to endure than
aDeht Use complained of before is the
noise made by the live stock in the
stock cars Just ahead At this point
in his petition John raises his voice IN
des pair like Hector on the walls Oh
Troy He says: The Squeezing OF the
pigs. the lowing of the cattle and the
ferce strange oaths of the drovers all
serve to make the night hideous for the
passengers on this train"
The petition closes with a prayer for
2 passenger train daily each way. For
a sleeping car service. For a tighter
schedule calling fer better time and
shorter stops For clean cars and sew
eraI other things too numerous 70
mention
1t is a25 miles from SaIina to Oakley,
and as the run is always made at night
the need of a sleeping car is apparent.
Why they have q sleeper on the much
abused General Branch. Even the Cen
trail Branch. What can be said worse
about this u. P. branch than to place
i a notch below the Central Branch
Again When this hOGcarrier OF a
train stops at a depot the passengers
must wait still longer on the depot plat
form while the coach IS being cleaned
cut-'.Shoveled out" to quote from Mr.
Dawson Lastly: The engine stops Of
ten 70 cake on coa al This operation al
ways occupies an hour. according tC
Mr.. D. The methods employed to trans
fer the coal TO the tender of the en-
CINE would make the ghost Of George
l. Stephenson, the first locomotive en-
greer. smile in diSdain. They use :
/ bucket and a crane This proceeding
requires as many men, as much pro
family and about the same space oil
time as TO load a steamboat in the ole
Gays OF the Mississippi