Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1921-01-06
THEN AND NOW
The Pennsylvania Railroad In War
time and the Present--President
Rea as Philosopher - Old
Times on the Waterfront
BY GEORGE NOX Mccain
rTHoSE who for business or for pleas

particularly as they reiateI W thc
difference, carelcssness, and discourtesE Oh
employees in that service.
IL was incident to the general disorsan-
iz6tion and turmoil of that nevcr.to-L"
forgotten err.
But things are different now; partlcu-
larly with the Pennsylvania.
The return Of the nations transportation
system to its rightful owners. with the ac-
cOmpanying restoration of prc-war coma,
tions. has worked transformation III its
operation that is as remarkable as IL ~
gratifying.
Former officials with their wealth of cx-
perience are again at the throttle.
Every department has been Keyed mp
until its individual units are on their toes
twenty four hours out OF the twenty -four.
The Pennsylvania is the finest example OF
this rehabilitation in the country.
And it wasn't the worst by any means
during the war days Of retrogradauou.
WILLIAM McADOO, director general Of
w transportation, might have issued some
thing like the following. But he didn't.
Even if he had it would doubtless have
been greeted with wink of the eye or snap
of the fingers. It's case of the then and
the now.
Snmut' Rea. president of the rennsylva-
mia Railroad. is of the now. Here is the
lat"s: pnd most convincing evidence:
Employees Of the Pennsylvania Railroad
to whom annual or other passes will be
issued for the year 1927 are reminded of the
fact that the privilege of free transportation
carries with il duty to surrender seats in
crowded trains to pay passengers.
ITO THE frazzled tempers Of rail il-worn
l. travellers of the other days these words
come like soothing ungucnt:
Our patrons on all occasions should be
treated as our guests, and whenever any
question arises we should sacrifice our own
individual comforts for theirs. y
After that place this bit of President
Rea's psychology opposite your experience
of the Mc-\doo regime:
THE railroads nrc judged in the public's
mind as much by the conduct Of their EN-
ploycs as by any other single factor.
What the public thinks of the railroads,
whether good or evil, will inevitably in its
turn react upon the welfare of every one
of us.
1T is. therefore. to our direct personal
interest to give every passenger who rides
upon our trains the best possible impression
of the treatment received from every one
connected with the company with whom he
comes in contact or whose behavior in pub
lie he Observes
President Rea is not only great rail
road executive, but he is philosopher as
well.
IN THE wider appreciation of the great
i things of this commonwealth it is well to
recall Il few facts about the PENNSYLVANIA
Railroad now that it has come into its own
again.
1t requires More than go. 900 men to
operate the railroad.
1t is the largest public service institution
in the world.
1t represents more than $4,000. 900, 900 of
the invested saving of the public.
1t has i31 ,11J stockholders of whom
G2. .195 are women.
Virtually every insurance po'icyholdpr or
saving fund depositor in the United States
has personal stake in its welfare through
the investment Of our banks and protective
institutions.
Hundreds of educational and charitable
organizations have their cndowmcnts in its
securities.
In the movement of passengers and
freight its service is equivalent to one
eighth that of the combined railroads of the
United States
In its operations it utilizes 81 900 miles
OF track. 5000 locomotives and 800. 900 cars
These are all Of the highest standard, and
are designed to promote public safety and
Above all, and jot this down in capital
letters on the tablets of your memory, the
pennsylvania Railroad is PENNSYLVANIA
institution.
ON \ recent day in this column referred
~ to the vast improvements that are to be
inaugurat"d this spring on the Delaware
river waterfront from Market street 70
Cherry.
1t is historic ground filled with the
memory Of Philadclphias past.
In the early history Of the port the local.
ity between Arch and Market streets was
the scene of great commercial activity.
This was particularly true following the
War of 1872.
1t was from this section that Stcphcn
Girard dispatched his fleets to the East and
West Indies, China. Africa and continental
ports.
After his death domestic rather than
overseas commerce took possession of this
area.
From its docks and wharves were dis
patched the steamships Of the Clyde Line,
which maintained regular services to New
York. Albany Troy, Boston. Richmond,
Norfolk. Washington and Charleston.
GEORGE +. SPROULE. director of
~ wharvcs, docks and ferries, tells me
that he well recalls the day of these old
| Clyde liners Equator Wyoming, George W,
Clyde, Gulf Stream, and the old inland craft
! T.. &. Biddlc, Yuma, Defiance and others
High cost Of operation has worked havoc
! with these steamships. Their pathways to
the sea have long been deserted by them.
| The site of the new Cherry street munlc
ip@7 pier pier years ago was occupied by Kerr's
Here in tho SOS were DISCHARGED all Of
! the full cargocs of Liverpool salt 1t was
brought to Philadelphia principally in
American clippers.
After discharging the salt they usually
! loaded general Cargo"s Mt the old navy yard
| piers on what was then known as tn,
| Sutton Line for San Francisco.
| From California they took wheat tc
Liverpool, bringing salt cargoes here n,
! stfcning at very low rate of freight
A MONG the archives of the Board of Com
n missioncrs Of Navigation is an inter,
cStng chart that has come down from tn,
| port wardens.
1t is dated December 3. 1860. and sTgnc,
by Strickland KneaSs. chief engineer nnt
surveyor. Director Sproule tells me tina
this chart indicates that the largest existinl
pier between Walnut and Arch streets a
that time was PIG feet long and thirty 81,
feet wide. 1t was owned by Evans 4
| Sykes.
| Contrast this with the new structure
10 be erected by the city, 5i5 feet long. y,
feet wide. with 200 feet of dock space be-
tween them, and we have some idea of IN
facilities now required by the trend of mod
ern commerce.
This is only part OF the story.
| II "a ho inf NJ