Rensselaer Semi-Weekly Republican, Volume 35, Number 72, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 15 May 1903 — THE RAILROADS [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

THE RAILROADS

The interchangeable mileage bureau of -be Eastern Trunk lines is now in opera* tion. It now seems to be certain that the Louisville and Nashville will build into Chattanooga. The north coast limited on the Northern Pacific has cut the time nearly an hour between St. Paul and the coast The board of railroad commissioners of lowa met recently to-make such changes or revisions in its clarsifications of freight as it deemed jnst and reasonable. The construction work of the Western Union Telegraph Company over the Austin and llano branch of the Houston and Texas Central Railroad has been completed. The Attorney General of New York has appealed from a decision of the State Supreme Court some years ago, holding that public officers have no right to ride on Pullman or other sleeping car passes. The Southern Pacific has returned to the employment of train agents to issue tickets, collect fares, eta, on the overland trains, leaving,the conductors free to give their attention to the operation of trains. An increase of over $1,000,060 has been made this year in the valuation of railroads in Alabama for taxation. The valuation of the Louisville and Nashville has been increased SSOO a mile. This Is the heaviest increase. A petition has been filed with the Texas commission seeking to have the Attorney General begin forfeiture proceedings against the Gulf, West Texas and Pacific, a Southern Pacific property. The charter of the company, granted in 1872, provides for constructing a certain number of miles each year, and this pro* vision has not, it is charged, been met It is announced that the San Pedro and Lot Angeles'Salt Lake line, which will be completed by Senator Clark building to the portion of the Oregon Short Lina recently purchased of the Harriman Interests, will be open to the use of all roads centering at Salt Lake. The French railway administration Is about to establish throughout Its entire system what is known as the “rail telephone.'' It is believed the new invention will reduce to a minimum if not render impossible the chances of railway accidents which have lately occurred with frightful frequency In France.