El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1911-03-13

United States treasury In printing pa
per money There are q large number
off special printing machines adapted
exclusively to railroad ticket printing.
A careful record is kept of every tick
ct printed and all imperfect tickets and
proofs are destroyed. Mileage books
are printed in one long strip. because
they must be numbered consecutively.
A particular style OF press has been
invented for this work After the
long sheet of paper is printed and per-
forated it is cut and bound into the
book form so popular with the travel
ing public
Ticket Selling an Art.
Ticket selling requires much care,
and every effort is taken to facilitate
accuracy and speed. The ticket office
located in the Palace hotel, San Fran
cisco, is said to be the most perfect
in the world. The ticket sa1esrooms
are. on the main floor. but an order for
through ticket is quickly sent by
pneumatic tube to the basement below,
where expert ticket agents quickly
make up the desired route. Straight
local tickets are sold directly from the
case Making up q ticket covering
a number Of roads IS a complicated
task. Generally a separate coupon is
attached for each road crossed, as an
accurate record must be kept of every
mile of the roads in order that the
accounts of the respective companies
/ can be kept
Few OF the railroad companies own
Pullman cars. Most of those in use
are rented from the Pullman Car com
pany at the rate of one cent per mile.
The average payment per year by
railroad companies amounts TO $500
for each car. S1eepers are extra and
an additional extra rate is charged for
a specially luxurious train which runs
at high speed One or more Of these
extra trains run daily over all Of the
principal railroads.
Costs More In Europe
The statement often made that rail-
road travelling in Europe Is much
cheaper than in the United States is
entirely erroneous. The European
companies charge extra for all bag
gage, excepting in some countries no
charge is made for small hand bag
gage. The average cost in Europe for
first class travel with ordinary bag
gage is 1 4 cents per mile at an aver
age speed of 80 miles an hour. In
America the average rate is 24-5
cents per mile with an average speed
or 80 miles an hour This shows that
American railroads charge the traveller
almost half what the European roads
do and give the advantage Of a higher
speed IN Europe person will travel
500 miles in 16 hours for $3.50. He
may travel the same distance in Amer
lea in u hours for s143O
Over a billion railroad trips were
taken in the United States last year,
the average length being about 81
miles The income to the railroad COM
panies from these passengers very
nearly reached the billion dollar mark
Fully 80 percent Of the passenger traf-
fic in the United States is in the ordi-
nary day coaches. Second class tickets
are sold only in some parts Of the coun-
try, and few roads make special pro-
visions for them. Second class passen-
gers usually travel in the smoking
cars Special tourists cars across the
continent offer very low rates and a
few immigrant trains are sometimes
considered as fourth class
American Time Tables Best.
Railroad time tables and folders with
their clear maps and fund of miscel-
laneous information are important aids
TO the ticket agents. American rail-
road time tables are 50 excellent both
as regards their maps and general in
formation that European governments
frequently request them for educa tional
purposes. One Of the central railroads
recently issued half a million folders
for free distribution at a cost of s25
per 1000. Over 100000 folders were
distributed last year in New York city
alone. Offices in large New York city
hotels have European time tables as
well as American Last year during a
discussion in lobby OF a large hotel.
a man asked the bellboy for time
table Of the trans-Siberian railway in
Russia Much to the surprise of those
present it was promptly furnished him.
The fixing Of railroad passenger
rates is done by the general passenger
traffic agents Of the different roads
who hold conferences at various times
to meet arising needs. They agree
upon the schedule Of rates for their
respective roads. These are printed
and have to be filed for 80 days with
the interstate commerce commission
before they can be put into force
Tomorrow: The Coming Extra SEES
sion