The daily star-mirror. (Moscow, Idaho) 1911-1939, 1918-08-03
OBJECTS
TO Loss OF TRAINS
PROPOSAL TO TAKE OFF PAS
SENGER TRAIN ON NORTH
ERN PACIFIC OPPOSED

Norehern Pacific railroad, with Of
fices at Lewiston, was in the city
for a short time Wednesday after
noon. He wired ahead and asked the
business men of the town to meet
him at the depot in order that ne
might notify them that they contem-
plated the removal of Genesee's only
passenger trains. Quite a few of the
business men were on hand as per
invitation and Mr.. Jordan explained
what was in contemplation which, in
substance is as follows:
That the Northern Pacific contem-
plated the removal of the passenger
train due to leave Genesee at $40 a
m. and the one arriving at 1:35 p. m
The train crews would be brought
to Genesee and the morning train
would leave here at 7:3O, making con
n~ections with the Spokane train, and
returning to Genesee at any time
during the afternoon after 3 o'clock
or thereabouts, giving Genesee one
mixed train each way daily, except
Sunday, when a passenger train run
ming on the same schedule as at pres
ent would go to Pullman and return.
Mr.. Jordan said the people did not
patronize the passenger trains and
it was a losing proposition for the
road since most of the people Travelled
in automobiles and that it was con-
templated purely as a war measure.
Under the contemplated changes it
will be necessary to leave Genesee at
7:3O a. m. in order to get to Spokane
at 2:4O in the afternoon and return
ing one will leave Spokane at 8:15
a. m. and arrive in Pullman as usual
but his arrival in Genesee is rather
uncertain at it is hardly probable that
the train would arrive here before
late in the afternoon.
In shipping hogs to Spokane it
would be necessary to unload them at
Pullman and keep them there during
the day which would work a hardship
as we'll as great inconvenience to the
shipper, and last, but not least, the
mail would be several hours later each
day and those on the rural routes
would not get their mail until the next
day, which would make Spokane pa
pers nearly two days old by the time
they reached the subscriber.
The Northern Pacific has been look
ing for an excuse for the past two
years for the removal of the passen-
ger train from the Genesee branch
and while the statement was made
that it had been in contemplation for
six weeks, we have pretty reliable in
formation that this same move was
under consideration last year. Mr..
Jordan said the people did not patron
ize the railroad. Perhaps they do
not use the passenger service during
the summer as much as might be
wished by the railroad authorities,
but there is another side to the ques-
ton: The very same people who fur
nish the hundreds-yes, thousands
of tons of grain and livestock shipped
from Genesee are entitled to some
little consideration aside from taking
away their tonnage. They are en-
titled to have their mail regularly the
same as other people and no doubt
will see to it that they get it before
it is two days old.
There is still another thing that
has obtained on the Genesee branch
that has been far from what it should
be. The passenger coach furnished
the ladies' to ride in on this branch
isn't half as comfortable or as clean
as the smoking car on the Lewiston
branch. This is just another instance
of how little the people of this sec
ton have been considered when it
come to accommodations. The N. P.
wants your freight but it is not will
ing to accommodate the people who
furnish it.
And the end is not yet.
The contemplated change was in
tended to be made August l, but on
the suggestion that it would discom-
mode the farmers in receiving ma
chinery supplies, he said he thought
he could arrange to allow the present
service to remain until the middle OF
September or the first of October
Capocao NayUS