by "Megspa"
While we believe it to be quite true that the Inner Circle Railway purpose presently changing their system from steam to electricity, we distinctly doubt any report to the effect that the Directors have been approached by an Esquimaux Syndicate for the purchase of their old stock and plant, - the promotors' idea being that a circular line 600 miles in length might be laid upon the ice at a uniform distance of about 100 miles from the North Pole with stations here and there, according to the growing requirements of the inhabitants. One of the interesting economics associated with such a single line track and a westward traffic, would be that if the speed were invariably maintained at 25 miles an hour there would be no occassion from time tables, insamuch as if a train were started at midday it would remain 12 o'clock throughout the entire length of the journey, and each station could be reached punctually at noon.
It would need to be pointed out, however, for the guidance of any passengers desiring to take the round trip, that in the matter of meals they would have to depend mainly upon inner promptings and must be prepared to breakfast, lunch, dine, sup and retire to bed punctually at the same hour that they started.
It might also be advantageous to point out to local artistic residents that by catching the 6 p.m. train, travellers fond of evening atmospheric effects could enjoy such atmospheres for a whole day's outing.
If however it should also be deemed advisable to run trains eastward as well as westward, and to lay a double line of rails as in the London inner circle system, eastward bound passengers would be furnished gratis with a sheet of pocket problems to enable them to accustom themselves to the idea of time working backwards and to warn them of its limitations. For example, in the case of a passenger leaving at 10 a.m. and due two hours earlier at a station 50 miles east, it should be pointed out that a fog delay to the train would make him later at his appointment and not so much earlier.
The problem of missing an appointment through being too early might easily shake the mental balance of a sensitive merchant. We can only hope that the Directors of the Inner Circle Railway will promptly reject any approach of any such Esquimaux Syndicate, if only in the interests of the general arctic sanity.