Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1877-07-18
GO EAST.
From Little Rock 20 Louisville for
Two ~Dollars-The Railroad War
and fts Causes.

anu lth Cau1eos
The Little Rock Gazette of the nth
gives a detailed OF the troubles
between the Memphis and Little Rock
and the Iron Mountain railroads. The
facts have been 10 our possession some
days, and have been partly given to the
public. We give a portion Of this &C.
count because it is from a Little Rock,
and therefore a more disinterested, stand.
point:
For come time trouble has been brew
ing between the Memphis and Little
Rock railway and the ST. Louis, Iron
Mountain and Southern railway. in re.
gard to rates TO the East, the ST. Louis
folks being inclined to buIldoze and
insist on rates not in keeping With the
times, and, ia every instance. in the
dictatorisl and lordly manner that has
always been assumed by the officers of
that road toward Arkansas people and
Arkansas institutions, insisted on having
their own way. The Memphis folks,
having the shortest line to the East, after
the manner and custom of railroads in
such cases, insisted that they had the
right to make the rate, but for a long
time, for the sake Of harmony, and a dis
inclination to inconvenience the travel
ing public, conceded almost everything
demanded by st. Louis.
But at last the 6gHratiye feather came
"a rate was demanded by ST. Louis
which would discriminate against the
very key to all the business of the Mem
phis folks, consequently they refused to
grant it, w%hereupon, as will be seen by
the annexed correspondence the st. Louis
people refuse to allow the tickets OF the
party Of the other part to be sold in con.
nection with their tickets, or to be used
on their road. This, of course, causes a
great deal of trouble to passengers from
the East, over the Memphis road, as they
will have to purchase tickets upon their
arrival here, and have their baggage re-
checked. So this may be regarded more
as a blow aimed at the public than at the
opposition AS will be seer by the an.
nexed circulars, distributed on the streets
yesterday, a cut or rates to the East has
been made, and is in active operation
over the Memphis and Little Rock rail.
way. The St. Louis folks had not last
night made any cut in their rates, but it
was confidently asserted last aight that
they would retaliate in kind.
The Memphis and Little Rock railroad
company has issued the following:
LITTLE Rock. July IA, 1877.
To the Travelling Public;
We have this day placed on sale at
Little Rock drawback tickets at the fol.
lowing reduced rate: Little Rock 10
Louisville, two dollars; and, in connec.
ton with these drawback tickets, we will
sell you tickets to any point East the
same from Little Rock that it is from ST
Louis
We ask you to purchase tickets to Lit.
tie Rock and make a large saving.
Pullman cars leave Little Rock daily,
running through to Louisville, without
change, connecting with through trains
to all points North and East, makiDg
same time as via st. Louis.
N. B.-Imaginary wrongs spoken Of
by Mr.. Ford are as follows: Charging
arbitrary $725 on all tickets sold via
Memphis; refusing to place on sale tick
cts via Memphis when he could force the
passenger via st. Louis, Columbus or
Cairo. Truly yours,
NJ. s JAY,
Gen. Pass. aud Ticket Agent, NJ. al. r. R.R.
And for the purpose Of setting at rest
the minds Of all ticket agents who may
have received the letter, and to show the
animus Of the St. Louis, Iron Mountain
and Southern railroad officials in bring
ing about this war of rates, Mr.. Jay
issued a circular letter, in which it is
shown that the controversy began in re
gard to a difference of only one dollar
in rates to Washington, as will be seen
by the following correspondence and ex.
tract:
ST. LOUIS. June 20, 1871.
Am waiting for your limited rates for
July l. AS l figure, they should be:
Little Rock to New York, 500 20; Phila-
delphia, $37 20; Baltimore and Wash.
ingtoD, $35 95; Harrisburg, $35. 70; Pitts.
burg, 1872 20; Albany, $3S 20; Buffalo,
1913 20; Cleveland, $50 20; Wheeling,
$50, 20; Chicago, $25. What will Louis
vile aud Cincinnati be2 Please answer
quick. Z A. FoRD.
LITTLE Rock, June 70, 1877.
Z. A. Ford, General Passenger Agent, st.
Louis:
When we are advised of your rates
being properly increased out of Hot
Springs, and thereafter until such time
as in our opinion our Interests require a
change in rates from here, we are willing
to recognize rates named in your tele
gram of to. day, except Washington,
which should be one dollar less than
Baltimore; Louisville, SIS 70; Clncin.
natl, $22 so. NJ. S JAY
From the tenor of Mr. Ford's circular
the natural inference is that, having the
opportunity, he would raise the rates
from Little Rock to Northern and East.
ern points. What ale the facts2 This
road assented to, and placed in effect,
rates named by Mr.. Ford, to e. into
effect on the first day OF May. These
rates were. in every instance, higher
than the rates named in his dispatch,
herein quoted, of the 18th June. The
rate of May lst makes New York $40
r., J;,not,b n OQth Tnno coo IN -
similar reduction to every point named
These rates we're not disturbed until the
recent reduction of rates east of ST
Louis, when we made rates from Little
Rock to Eastern points by adding the
Iron Mountain local rate from Llttle
Rock to St Louis to the reduced rates
from st Louis. When rates we're re-
stored to Eeastern cities, Mr. Ford named
rates given in his dispatch Of June 10Th,