The diamond drill. (Crystal Falls, Iron County, Mich.) 1887-1996, 1915-05-01


railroad pulled of a stunt that illus
trates as beautifully as can well be
imagined, the reason why this paper
has opposed a railroad rate increase
and why we have criticised our repre-
sentatives for lining up for this in
crease without getting some conces-
sions in the way OF accommodations in
return for their aid, condition that
could easily have been brought about
II common business sense had not
been so totally eclipsed by "conyic-
tions.H
The mines at Alpha are rugged up 50
that coal is dumped directly from the
railroad car into the fire hole. very
efficient arrangement and one that
saves money TO the companies. II is
necessary. though, TO have frequent
"spottings" made as but three cars
can be dumped at one time.
Last Saturday the Balkan mine
needed "spot" and the superintend-
ent was insistant that the spot be
made in the forenoon In response 10
the demand the passenger engine was
sent TO Alpha to spot" and dump three
cars OF coal. The passengers were
left sitting In the coach for two hours.
Passengers waiting for the train along
the balance of the way were kept sit
ting in waiting rooms along the line
and business all along the system was
seriously interferied with; people
put to much discomfort; passengers
were imposed upon to save seventy
five cents. The reason thar the pas
senger engine was sent in was that
the regular switch engine is too
heavy for the trestle The passenger
train lies over in Crystal Falls an hour
in the afternoon and could easily have
done the work then-but three hours
later than 1t was done The railroad
company could better afford to have
hired a man to wheel coal for the
three hours than to so seriously dis
commode its patrons.
When passenger buys ticker
over the North Western road to Crys-
tai Falls he is supposed to be hauled to
Crystal Falls in reasonable time, un-
forseeQ conditions, of course, except
ing. He isn't supposed to sit IN
coach out along the line while the en-.
CINE goes off into the woods. When
he buys a ticket to Iron Mountain he
is supposed TO get seat, not stand up
in the aisle from Stager down.
The railroads went before the leg
islature asking an increase or one
cent per mile in this peninsula but
not single offer was made in return
for the concession. When Senator
Moriarty made his stand for rate OF
2ls cents per mile, several years ago,
he had In writing an agreement thar
each main line train should be con,
nected with by branch line trains
Nothing OF the sort was offered or ask !
cd this time, so far as we know. We
are not opposed to paying for service
but we want service when we pay for |
II and past experience up here leads
one to the conviction that you get only |
what you extort, in the way or rail-
road service
AS another example. take the ST !
Paul branch from Claiming TO Iron
River. A gentleman boarded the train
at Iron River one evening last week to |
go to Stambaugh. one mile distant II
was 600 o'clock when the train left
Iron River and just 6:24 when the |
train pulled up to the Stambaugh sta
tion a person residing to the north OF
this county must spend the greater |
part of two days TO visit either Crystal |
Falls or Iron River, nearly half OF the
forty eight hours being spent In the
beautiful CD Claiming waiting room.
There isn't any reason why the st. |
Paul, II Il finds tho business INSULT
cieut 10 operate train, couldn't run
a Gasoline coach or some other meane
Of connecting. with ono train. at least,
AT Charming.
All this bunk" about railroad bait
ing and playing politics which our
rate raise advocates have been hurting.
has It's other side. Some may have
been playing political game during
this rate FIGHT but we have not. We
have simply been insisting that IL our
people have to pay more TO get better
service, that our representatives give
some of their sympathy to their con-
stituents and not squander all OF II on
the poor railroads. People ought 10
pay for the service they get but they
ought 20 get the service that they pay
for and be not exchanged at that.