The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1875-05-29
Reply 10 EXCursiOnisCS Former
Article.

Editors Of the IntOlllgcncOr.
III your issue yesterday, cOrrespOn.
dent over the signature Of "excursiOnist,"
attempts to vindicNtC the officers Of the
Steamer Express from the charges
brought against them by the reporters OF
the papers aud the excursiOnists general
", and in 80 doing indulgGs in pervCr-
sion Of iacts,which out Of regard for Jour
selves and the simple truth, we cannot
permit to pass unnoticcd.
In the first place, we did not charter
the boat for n round sum, but contracted
to pay $500 for the excursion, provided
there were not over l50 members, and 81
for every person in excess Of that mum.
Der, Tie contract included breakfast for
MI on Sunday morning, but not on Mon
day, the Captain having agreed to return
to this place early enough on Monday TO
enable excursionist's TO take breakfast at
home, notwithstanding which the boat land
ed here long after breakfas hour. Those
excursionist's principally ladies', who APP
Piled to the Stewart for cup Of coffee Of.
iered to pay for It; but, although 20 and
even 80 cents was offered for the nc.
cOmodatiOn by some persons too faint to
wait longer, they were refused by tue
Stewart in terms indicating that the Inn.
bility to comply, II It existed at all, af-
fored him q welcome and pleasurnblc
sensation.
II, a. your correspondent asserts, there
were 800 persons on board, rendering
comfort to all impossible, then there must
have beef, over 100 dcadhcads or paying
passengers smugglGd in by the Captain,
as by the amount Of tickets sold by the
committee, and the number Of reporters,
musicians and attendants admitted by tis,
the number Of those legitimatcly present
did not exceed 100. This smuggling in
of outsiders was ilagrant violation Of
our contract, which positively excluded
all persons not members Of OurexcurslOn
party. II The Express was not provided
with sleeping berths for all, cots and mat.
trcsscs could easily have been borrowed
from the steamer Science close by; and II
this was not convenient for the Captain
10 do, he should at least have reirained
from accommodating his outsiders at the
expense OF the Legitimate excursionists.
There was Il positive agreement that no
bertla should be assigned until the boat
had left the wharf, In order that the
ladies Of our party might all be accom-
modAted.
The "devil may care" and tho disoblig-
ing spirit OF the gallant Captain, IN con-
necLiOn with our party, was first illustra-
ted by his leaving pafkerSburg on Sattir-
day morning two hours and half after
his regular time, and arriving here two
hours after the time fixed for our depat'
ture for pArkersburg, which was a breach
Of contract III the very start
The fireworks provided Us Il feature Of
amusement were not Of dangerous char
acter, and moreover were In the charge Of
persons familiar with their tise, and COM
petent to discharge them without peril to
the boat OF passengers.
II mo comments are necessary TO
Justify the Captain In prohibiting the
pluyihr OF cards on Sunday" II will re-
duire all the legal ingenuity Of your cor
respondent to eXonofntc him from per-
mittinV the sale Of those very implements
Of damnation on board Of his boat. In
his religion II is all right to sell CARLSON
Sunday for money and profit, but a
heinons oiTense to use them In game OF
innocent amusement. This ia just Of q
piece with ordering the tispcnsation of
harmless beer to the lower deck, In order
that the bar up stairs might have the
field clear for the sale Of rifle whisky,
which went on in violatiOnof the contract
with us during the whole Sabbath day
and night, tho Captains smuggled-in
friends being the principa customers. II,
sttaining at gnat, the pions Captain
claimed that playing cards and drinking
beer we're In violation Of the Lords day and
the rules Of his boat, he certainly swal.
lowed the camel when he ran his boat and
permitted the sale Of whisky on board In
violation Of both, II Is true, he may
claim that he has no immediate control
over the bar which Is rented out by the
year; yet We know from q reliable source
that he was perfectly free TO order 1t to be
closed on this occasion as he had agreed
todo. And again, supposing he was per.
feClly consistent In prohibiting card play.