No. 2481-1902.

CITIZENS OF MACEDONIA.	)
	)
V.	) Train service.
	)
CHICAGO, BURLINGTON & QUINCY	)
RAILWAY COMPANY	)

Complaint filed January 3, 1902.

The Commissioners received the following petition in this matter:

"We, the undersigned patrons of the rural mail routes from Macedonia, Iowa, and the residents of Macedonia and vicinity, hereby ask for the following improvements in the railway service at this place.

"That the first train on the Hastings & Carson branch of the C. B. & Q. Railroad shall leave Hastings each day, Sunday excepted, immediately after the arrival at that place of the mail brought by train No. 6 on the main line of the C. B. & Q. Railroad in order that the patrons along said routes may be served with morning papers the same day of their publication.

W. H. FAHNESTOCK,	G. W. FLETCHER,
A. W. WILLIAMS,	C. L. BOLTON,
A. H. GORRELL,	E. AYERS,
J. W. CHISHOLM,	P. W. FREDERICKSON,
DENNIS OSLER,	J. W. COONS,
and 97 others."

Mr. C. M. Levy, superintendent of the railway company, on January 17th, made the following answer to the petition:

"Your letter of January 6th, enclosing copy of petition received from W. H. Fahnestock and others, of Macedonia, Iowa, asking that train No. 191, on the Hastings & Carson branch, leave Hastings on the arrival of No. 6, at 8:34 A.M., instead of on arrival of No. 4, at 11:33 A.M., received.

"It is not practicable for us to change the time of this train as requested. No. 6 is our fast Denver train. It does not come through Council Bluffs, neither does it stop at any of the small stations. For these reasons the passenger business can be much better accommodated with No. 4's connection. I have consulted with out people who are familiar with travel between points on the main line of this branch, and it is their opinion, without exception, that the present arrrangement is a very much better one than what is proposed by the petitioners. We think accommodating the travelling public is preferable to running our trains to particularly imrove handling the mail. We endeavor to do both but ust of necesity, give preference to the former."

The Commissioners took this case up and carefully went over it having considerable correspondence with the petitioners and others, and on March 2d. addressed the following letter to Mr. Daniel Goehring, Macedonia:

"Your letter without date or postoffice received concerning change of time of train. It seems from your letter that your difficulty is mainly with the rural free delivery and as this Board has nothing to do with that they respectfully suggest that you take the matter up with the United States postoffice authorities."

Des Moines, Iowa, November 15, 1902.