Clarksville chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 186?-1872, 1869-03-20
THE DEPOT MUDDLE.

grtW THE DEPOT MUDDLE. us4,. 1
EDS CHRoNrcLE As there seems
to be an entire misapprehension of
facts in regard to the above affair,
hope you will favor me by giving this
a place in your paper. In the Patriot
Of the 10th inst, there is q commu-
nication signed CURE" in which the
writer goes II with alooseness, giving
our City Fathers, the Railroad and
the Transfer Company particular fits,
on account of the exclusion of hacks
and express wagons from the platform
at the passenger depot. With all due
respect to "Jure,n i would. beg leave
to inform him that all questions have
two sides. His communication is all
right, with a few exceptions. In the
first place, the City Fathers are not
backing the railroad i'm depressing or
defrauding the livery men, or any
one else, for the Board has taken no
action whatever in this matter. In
the second place, there has been no
such suit brought as he speaks of
against the Transfer company, nor is
the eating house situated in or upon
any street recognized by the City
Charter, survey or ordinance; but
upon private property, bought and
paid for by the State, and not by the
original stockholders.
Now with these very slight excep-
tions, his article is a model of fair
ness; and he can Throw UP the
SPONGE" or take another round, as he
sees fit. The whole gist of the mat
ter isthis: the conduct of hack and I
express drivers had become so out
rageous that some means were abso-
lutely necessary for the protection Of !
both the railroad company and the |
travelling public. Passengers on ar
irving here were over-run by a mob
of negro drivers and porters, who
seized their baggage and thrust them
notens 0otens into their conveyancesi
and made them pay any price they
saw proper. Several articles of bag
gage have been lost through the car
elessness or criminality of these ire
sponsible parties, some of which the
road has had to pay for in other cases
strangers have had to pocket their
losses rather than submit to the delay
necessary. for recovery.
The Superintendent, to protect the
road, has erected a gate which ex-
cludes all vehicles except the Omni-
buss and the Express Co.'s wagon
to protect the public he called for a
policeman at train time, (which the
Mayor furnished as in duty bound)
whose duty it is to keep the platform
clear of these swarms of negroes, and
allow the passengers to choose their
own manner OF leaving the depot, as
well as to attend to their own bag
gage if they wish. If n passenger
wishes hack, it is the policeman's
duty to show him one. IL
The Transfer Company is bound by
its contract for every article of bag
gage which goes into its possession;
1t is also bound to certain rate of
fare, and by this means relieves the ,
company of great respon-
sibility, in consideration of which it
is allowed certain privileges which
are to be revoked whenever abused. ;
IF the livery men think themselves
aggrieved or defrauded, their remedy
is in law. Let them bring suit against
the railroad company for trespass,
and if the courts order the gates re- :
moved and the restrictions revoked, ,
the order will certainly he obeyed.-
But until such time, I opine things
will remain in statu quo.
In conclusion would say to "Jurer I
that / am open to conviction, but (
tote fair, old fellow, tote fair. !
Asking your pardon for trespassing,
| can only say, that in justice to all
parties, ! could say no less. {
FAIR PLAY /
p. S.-Since the above was put in =
type, the police have received instruc- 3
lions from the Mayor, to exclude no
one from the platform, but to enforce |
.e..... l.. 4 =