The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1914-08-04

in its work of keeping down price.
that its services are almost wholly
overlooked in our playful practice -
damning the railroads on general
principles. and throwing a brick at =
head whenever We see one connected
with a railroad system.
The railroad has its troubles The
Coast Lin is double tracking much Z
its line. Some day il Will have al the
line double from Richmond 10 Flor
ida. Then YOU think il viii te
through. But not So.
Some years ago when the PennS>l-
vania Railroad VAS planning TO spend
millions of dollars on the P~ittshurs
division, putting down third and
fourth track. ! went over to talk tu
Robert Pitcairn, the head of the syS-
tenn at the Pittsburg end His sturv
was interesting. He had grown uu
and served a life time with the Penn
s%ylvania. and he told me that in his
day he thought the Pennsylvania.
road would have done the whole
thing when il got a double track. II.
saw that come, but it needed a three
track system as soon as the douhla
track was finished. Then il needed
four tracks. and when il laid four
tracks into Pittsburg the terminal "a
c~ilities were not sufficient to handle
the traffic.
Can Never Stop Expanding.
A railroad is never done extending
its facilities, for the country it serves
is never done growing and requiring
more and better facilities for handling
the trade.
The Atlantic Coast Line, like every
other railroad, ha~ had a struggle
to keep up with its trade. 1t VIII
have that same struggle as long as IL
serves a developing country. 1t VIII
serve a developing country as long az
that country is feeding a growing re-
gion like the North.
We could not liv for a day with
out our railroads. No doubt they are
not always carrying on business with
the strictest regard for the people
who pay the freight, but there are
two forces in the railroad work. one
is the man with the pump who has
been administering water to every
share of railroad stock ever put out,
the other is the man who is trying to
make the road serve the people and
pay the operating costs and pay a di-
vidend on the stock. The men who
are operating the roads have a job on
their hands, for they are the goat as
we'll as the fellows who have to get
results to suit everybody. A railroad
man is a mighty clever sort of a fell
low or he would scuttle the ship and
jump the job. But he stays with his
craft, and he gets right satisfactory
results IN most cases, ana ne deserves
encouragement. Some of the methods
forced on him by the powers behind
h throne he deteStS no doubt as
much as you do. But he is only one
Of the officers Of t%heeship, and has 70
obey Instructions. In time these
things will straighten out, because
the railroads are much bigger than
New York stock gamblers and specu-
lators. Then the railroad will be
held in more friendly esteem as q
member Of the social fabric, as il de-
serves.
But meanwhile the Coast Linz goes
! food supplies to the North, helping
in it's vigorous and powerful way 70
help in the development Of the oun
try which it traverSeS, and building
for the common good Of the Whols
, country. For d railroad cannot pros
: per without bringing prosperity TO
all who are in touch with it. With
. all the stock jobbing, and watering
: and reorganization, and all that sort
q OF thing to sequester the funds that
are poured into railroad stocks and
y bonds, the fact is thai after the rail.
, road pays it's legitimate operating tx.
T penses, and provides for equipment
and upkeep, most Of the income has
: gone in these strictly necessary chan
nels.
q The Atlantic Coast Line is said Il
; be the biggest factor in the United
States in keeping fruit and vcgeta.
bles distributed over the tables o
the winter zone. The statement j.
= not hard to believe. 1t is easy to Sc.
that if it is not the biggest it is b;
Q enough and growing bigger ever,
= day.