Evening journal., 1913-04-15
NEW NEWS OF YESTERDAY
How the 2-HOur Sci vice Be-
tween New York and
Phila. Originated
BY Holland.

General Henry Shipper Huldekop-
or. Of Pennsylvania, shortly after
his graduation from Harvard, i'm
1862 began service in a Pennsylvania
regiment and was the Lieutenant
colonel commanding the 15Oth Penn
sylvanls at Gettysburg, who're he
was twice wounded
After the close OF the war Gener-
al Huldekopcr was I'm command Of
the National Guard Of Pennsylvania
aud In 1877 commanded the Seventh
division at the time OF the great
railroad riots of Pittsburgh There
he met frequently the late A. J. Cas-
satt, who was one OF the chief oXecu-
tive officers of the Pennsylvania
railroad. He was i'm frequent con-
sultation with Mr.. Cassatt at that
time
After General Huidekoper became
postmaster at Philadelphia, IN 1880,
he found occasion to call upon Mr..
Cassatt and make a suggestion to
him out Of which srew the two
hour service between New York and
/ Philadelphia on the Pennsylvania
Railroad.
The interview between General
Huidekoper and Mr. Cassatt fur
ished most impressive and in
structive sidelight upon the intellec-
tual ability and the profound insight
into railway management, which
alyays characterized ST Cassatt.
General Huidekoper said. 81 ven
ture to call upon you, Mr.. Cassatt,
TO make a suggestion which you may
think IL worth while seriously, to
consider You are now running a
train from Philadelphia to New York
every day sometimes hauling as
many as thirteen passenger cars.
Mail cars are attached to this train.
lt stops at every way station. It
seems to me that you could do better
Il you were to cut that train ir.
two"
Mr.. Cassatt fixed his large, keen
and penetrating eyes pom General
Huidekoper as though trying TO read
what was really in the postmaster's
mind. Many times IL seemed almost
as though Mr. Cassatt possessed an
almost uncanny gift of mind read
J ing. so that it was unnecessary for
/
/ ing to speak except in brief, laconic
terms General Huidokoper realized
that the great railway manager was
studying him and he said:
Your engines are hauling a great
amount OF dead weight Many of
your passengers have bought tickets
! In Philadelphia for New York They
arc inexperienced by your frequent
stops at way stations"
Here Mr. Cassatt nodded his head
as though to indicate that he fully
agreed with General Huidekopor. lie
waited, however, for further explana-
tion and General Huidekoper said
Now If you will cut your train i'm
two, put the mail cars Ppon ono of
the two trains and then run that
train through to New York from
Philadelphia in two hours time you
can economically run the rest of the
train as a way train"
General Huidekoper. Mr.. Cassatl
realized, was speaking as the post
master OF Philadelphia He was
therefore speaking for the merchants
of Philadelphia If their mail from
New York could be carried through
In two hours it would prove in many
cases Of great business advantage to
them
Mr. Cassatt, however, looked al the
proposition from another point OF
viey. The possibility OF the profit
able operation of a two-hour train
between Philadelphia and New York
was revealed to him with intultive
and perfectly accurate Judgment. Vie
did not stop to figure or to argue
He saw the whole situation al a
glance lie simply said "All right
General Huidekoper. I will give or
ders that there he a fast mail train
with passengers cars attached run
ming through from Philadelphia tc
Now York in two hours time.
will cut the old rain In two"
Next day the orders were given
and in this manner illustrative of
the quick intuitive judgment of Mr.
a. j. Cassatt the first Of the two
hour trains between Philadelphia
and New York. covering a little over
ninety miles without stop. was in
stituted. 10 was a small beginning,
but it was followed by adding other
trains TO this schedule OF two hours
! between the cities carrying I'm the
best sense of the word a fast mail
service.
Copyright. 1918 by z. J. Edwards.
IL rights reserved.