The Logan Republican. [volume] (Logan, Utah) 1902-1924, 1912-09-17
IMPROVEMENT ON
The CO0D OLD
RAILROAD DAYS

An article in the September Amer.
lean Magazine shows how rate regu-
lat ons and modern improvements
have brought prosperity to the rail
roads. Following is an interesting
extract:
81 IN Hill cam along one day and
taught the railroad world that it was
more economical to haul fun cars in
solid train loads. 1t was as simple
as making an egg stand on end, but
il opened a new epoch in railroad
earnings. George H. Daniels promul-
gated the truth that courtesy Is an as
set, and railway servants are today
as uniformly obligng as they used
to be not so. T.. II Hartman devised
new style of organization. The
Pennsylvania inculcated system in its
magnificent school, Countless men in
the operating and construction depart
ments learned new ways of doing
things.
The whole conglomeration is new.
g'ne said, 'Whoof-whoof-whoof, and
the baggage car picked up the pas.
senger car in three jerks, one for
each Ink in the coupling chain. Those
were the days when one changed cars
Ave times between New York and
Ch'cago-it was originally sixteen
times between New York and Buffalo
and Mr.. Pullmans clumsy contriv-
9ntes were considered palatial Those
were the days when cut-rate ticket
brokers-how long since you have
seen a ticket brokers' fice?-lined
lie curb. In those days, Conductor
Simmons, the funny one, used to come
down the aisle saying, Pass, please,
show me your pass, and pretend to
fall dead If anyone offered him a real
ticket. That was not so very far this
side of the strap-rail system when
men used to pick up the rail behind
the train and run ahead to tack it
down again.
I'm the interim some of the bright
est men in the United States have
been studying the railroad business.
They have been studying the cost OF
service till they almost know the an
swer to some of the simple quest ons!
They have been studying rails and
cars and locomotives and boilers and
trales and bridges and couplers and
cement and accounting and adverts.
ing and auditing.
'Try to remember back thirty
years. or twenty, or even ten. Ever
shipper had a rebate and every trav-
eler pass. The shipper who did not
general agent and had a new one
made. Then he went round the cor
ner and got the rival agent TO cut
IL. The biggest shipper of all not
only exacted a rebate from the rail-
roads for all that he-or It-shipped,
but also extorted from the railroads
the same amount for everything ship
ped by competitors. Hauling for less
than the cost of axle grease, was a
common expression II not common
practice.
"As for the passenger department
1t was comic supplement. Every
politician had pocket full of pass
es. Every county editor had a sheaf
of ANIMALS. Every shipper could have
all he wanted for himself, his family
and his wife's relations simply for
the asking. And of the cash fares,
It used to be said that what stuck to
the ceiling belonged to the company
when the conductor tossed for II, or
that conductor ought to be able to
save more than his salary-again
common expression II not common
practice. 1t was assumed on one hand
that the passenger business never
would pay its cost-the New Haven
used to be pointed out as about the
orly road that had a profitable pas
senger business-and on the other,
so long as 1t cost nothing to carry
one more passenger, since the train
was running anyhow, that branch OF
the service came in handy to cult
yste good fellowship and make friends
for the road. A pass was cheaper
than cigar"
Can't look we'll, eat well or feel
III