Detroit evening times., 1945-06-21
WESTBROOk
PECLER
Fair
Enough

ing off the trains this summer
because, not 10 make a patriotic
virtue of this decision, the going
is just too tough nowadays.
] may have 10 take couple
of hops 10 Washington but no
fair person would call that run
a pleasure trip because the jour
-ney itself is a monotonous grind
after the first few hundred times
and about all / do is tear over
those magnificent distances.
pretty much of the mileage on
foot. trying 10 see people who
have Just moved 10 another set
of offices just around the cor
ner from where | was when /
started out 10 call on them.
And tho heat is awful there
now and the locals who home
there and can't get away have
taken such a beating from dear
old friends whom they hardly
knew by sight back in the old
home. town that they tlp-toe
around their quarters behind
drawn shades and black out the
lights AT night. and have adopted
a habit of saying. when they
answer the phone, yes, this Is
Sassafrass 3709 but this is
O'Brien's garage and there Is
not no Spelvin lives here.
1T TOOK a long time 10 Satisfy
L a longing that was aroused
back in Minnesota when | hung
around the water-tank down by
the depot and heard those mar
velouS stories of their tours
hithcr and yon from the buns
who dropped off there 10 rinse
out a shirt and catch little
sleep in the bushes by the right
OF way.
IL took hundreds Of daNs- and
nights between here and Chi
cago and Detroit and the South
and the West Coast but l am
cured and. in fact, my trouble
nowadays is not in keeping Off
the cars but in getting myself
going when ! know ! ought 10
60 somewhere and see some
people, personally, about some
thing.
The railroad men have done
a wonderful job pushing the
traffic along in this war and l
have 10 admire their courage
in sticking 10 the road because
some Of the old conductors
have told me very frankly that
the equipment is just hanging
together and some OF the new
talent simply can't appreciate
=the-tt4tof- tsttee-t1f-tttc- rtitit-S-ut-
safety
/ happen 10 know couple OF
railroad presidents, too, whose
last thought a. they drop off
at night is dread that the
phone will ring and the Office
will say that the big train has
piled into freight or ht a
curve little too fast some
where and tumblcd down a
mountain,
This happens often nowadays
and the fine old record of
safety in railroad travel IS just
memory and a standard 70
strive for after the war when
there will be new cars and
plenty Of men 10 work over
them and fix up spongy places
IN. the road-beds.
Up TO now not many of our
u people have taken seriously
the exhortations from Washing
ton 10 stay of the railroads
and give tho servicemen. and
for that matter, the country,
a break.
Or, anyway, those who did
take them seriously have been
heavily outnumbered by the
thousands who didn't.
A great many Of these ci-
william passengers have heen
relatives Of serVicemen gong
10 visit them in camp or gong
10 the Seaboard in the hope of
seeing them off or greeting
them on their return.
Some Of the traffic 10 tho
coastal areas has consisted OF
relatives hurrying 10 the hos
pitfalls.
There has been no analysis ot
the reasons for civilian travel,
however, because our people are
not the kind 10 give you po-
lite answer If YOU step up,
flashing a badge, and ask them
why they are going some
where.
Nevertheless, the railroad
men hear enough TO be sure
that a lot of their business.
which they distinctly do not
want, has been idle and un-
necessary jaunting by people
who Just want TO see the coun-
try and so somewhere.
COME businessmen S j m ply
~ have to keep going, such as
some / know whose jobs are di-
vided between Chicago and
New York and Washington.
Their life is hard these days
because they can't be sure
whether they are going 10 get
Pullman accommodations and
man who is working hard and
has to spend two nights week
Gathering across the country
can't be blamed for wanting a
little room so that he doesn't
have 10 stand on the back Of
his neck in the morning 10 pull
his pants on and wait in line
TO take of the whiskers
The meals are poor, the air.