Vol. LXIX, No. 1.]

AND RAILROAD JOURNAL. I

, AM E RICAN
N C: Li}; E E R
HA/[Ronni JUUHNAZ.

Formerly the RAILROAD AND ENGINEERING JOURNAL.

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(ESTABLISHED IN 1832.)
’ THE OLDEST RAILROAD PAPER IN THE WORLD.

The American Railroad Journal, founded in 1832, was consolidated with
‘Van Nostrand'a Engineering Magazine, 1887, formtn the Railroad and
Engineering Journal, the name of which was changed 0 the American En
gmeer and Railroad Journal, January, 1893. A

PUBLISHED MONTHLY AT No. 4'? CEDAR STREET, NEW YORK.

M. N. FORNEY, . . . Editor and Proprietor.
FRANK J. FRENCH, -. . . Business Manager.

'.E'nte7‘ed at the Post office at New Yorle City as S'econd~ Class Mall Matter.
SU BSCRIPTION RATES.

Subscription, per annum, Postage prepaid ........... ..$3 00
Subscription, per annum, Foreign Countries -----  3 50
Single Copies ................................................. .. 25

Remittances should be made by Express Money-Order, Draft, P. 0.‘
Money-Order or Registered Letter.

inTl’11egep]z::per may be obtained and subscriptions for it sent to. the follow-
xes :

ézhicago, News Stand, Grand Pacific Hotel.

swl..9I'%Idon,FI‘Ert1gIati‘d, Sut£p%)u Low, Marston & Co., Limited, St. Dun-
n s ouse, e ter aue, 4. .
Berlin, Germany, W. H. Kiihl, 73 Jiiger St.

NEW YORK, JANUARY, 1895.

AN EVERLASTING FALLACY.

PROBABLY few editors or publishers have ever launched their
journalistic bark without entertaining the illusion that if they
could induce each of their subscribers to send in a new one
they would thus double their subscription lists. The plan is
so simple, the reasoning is so sound, and the result so desirable,
that it is hard to dismiss the idea entirely. Of course, there is
tl1e fatal if. In llibernian phraseology, “ to say it is easy,
but to do it,” or have it done, there is where the interrogation
mark comes in. There is, of course, no impossibility in the
Way of any subscriber getting and sending a new one. In
fact, to most of them it would probably be an easy task to
undertake and accomplish. The lack of an adequate motive
is the only obstacle in the way. Some excellent reasons can,
however, be given why each and all of our subscribers should
send us a new recruit. In the first place, the argument which
one of our contemporaries—a hilarious chap——used in solicit-
ing an advertisement from a stern railroad president, who
replied interrogatively to the persuasion of the solicitor by
asking sternly, “ Why should I advertise in your paper ? What
good will it do me?” “ Oh, it won’t do you a -—- bit of good,”
the solicitor replied, “ but think of the good it will do me.” To
those of our subscribers who can see no advantage to them re-
sulting from sending us anew one We reply, “ But think of the
good it will do us.” 4

But to present the matter argumentatively: have our sub-
scribers ever reflected seriously on the question, and is it quite
certain that they would not be advantaged by increasing our
list of subscribers and readers? To increase that list is to add
to our siuews of war.

It was said of the celebrated Mr. Beecher that when he
commenced his ministerial career in Indianapolis he was in the

habit of saying so many things in the pulpit which made some
of his congregation smile that finally a committee of his church
officers was appointed to remonstrate with him thereon.
“ Oh," he replied, on hearing what their errand was, “ if you
gentlemen only knew the funny things which I don’t say.”
Now, our readers don’t know the good things which we don’t
publish, because they would cost too much. We don’t know
how much information we could get if the expense could be
incurred of going or sending for it. Valuable contributions
must be refused at times because of their cost. Illustrations
must be omitted for the same reason. At present we have no-
geniuses on the stafi of this paper ; with a suflicient increase
of revenue we would do our best to employ one or more.

Gentlemen subscribers-—and ladies, if there are any——yo1r
would be greatly benefited by increasing our subscription
list. Of course the satisfaction of doing a good deed and of
working in a worthy cause would be yours, and you would
be affected as the moon is by reflected light. Our brilliancy
would be increased, which would illuminate you. Consider
the matter, and if your inclinations, your self-interest, or your
impulses prompt you to do so, secure for’ us one or more new
subscribers for the year 1895 ; but whether you do or not, we
take great pleasure in wishing you :1 HAPPY New YEAR.

M. N. FORNEY.

4;
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EDITORIAL NOTES.

 

TIIE attention of our readers is called to the large amount
of aeronautical matter that is published in this issue.
found that the usual four pages that has been allotted to this

department of the paper was insufficient to contain all of the '

interesting contributions that we have received, and therefore
eight pages have been devoted to it. In order, however, that
the space devoted to general engineering might not be our-
tailed, the size of the issue has been increased to 52 pages.

 

IT is not many years since it was firmly believed and openly
preached that American manufacturers could not make ships,
and even if they could, they could not make the armor to pro-
tect them. This position has been utterly destroyed, and no
sooner has it been accomplished than we hear of them pros-
pecting for foreign work, which has now been secured in an
order that has just been given to the Bethlehem Iron Company
for armor plate for Russian vessels. It attracts attention be-
cause we believe it is the first ; but from the success that has
been already achieved by this firm in the tests executed in this
country, it is not likely to be the last.

 

5.

THE Rules of Interchange, as formulated by the Master Car-
Builders’ Association, have been troubled waters in which to
navigate the craft of the department for many years, and the
Arbitration Committee has been busy in settling disputes
that have arisen over the varied interpretations of the code.
Every convention sees modifications introduced and much time
devoted to the pros and cons of the discussion that this subject
always starts and sustains. To the outsider and, indeed, to
the participants, it seemed that there was no final solution
probable until the roads centering in Chicago, tired of the

‘delays and vexations that the application of the rules in-

volve, have entered into an agreement to ignore them, and
have formulated a little code of their own. To say that the

- whole country is watching and hoping for the success of the
experiment is putting it mildly. It is rumored that the New .

England roads, encouraged by the example set in the West,
are about to try the same methods of solving the problem. It
would be passing strange if, aftereall the trials and tribulations

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