The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1878-09-05
For the VIRGINIAN.
sThe Disappointed Excursi0nlsts.

tits said by some that the cause of the Phila-
dephia and Atlantic city excursion not gong
through was on the part OF the commlttee. rms
believe in part. and having perfect knoWleaige
OF the fact that the passengers OF StaunIon Win
the committee were sname1my wr II Richmond
or Washington. publish the foiloWlng II OF.
der that the people may know for themselves tnat
there was no wrong or dishonesty in the COM
mittee from Staunton and Charlottesville About
fourmonths ago Mr.. Bell OF philadelphia, and
Royal Racks, of Richmond Va. proposed to
Washington to Philadelphia, Baltimore and At
lantc City for the benefit, as they said OF the
d. O. and Pennsylvania. They also invited the
subordinate Lodges to take apart IN the eAcur,
sio , , MIL If the nroceeds good many be-
ieve accepted the offer. They taxed every
lodge so much and seut to know IL our Lodge
would take a part. We laid it before the house
but the members were not willing to forfeit any
money or take any part in it, more than some OF
them said they would patronize the train, that
is. they would go. They then went to work and
put out the bills and appointed me agent at
charlottesville and VIM. N. Smith, agent at
we thought it good thing we would NOT change
it and thought we would do all we could for it,
We posted the bills here and then wrote 10 the
General Agent to know the particulars and
whether there was any doubt about the train
not running. They gave us all the information
required and told us to go to work and we should
be well paid for our trouble. For fear that there
might be some trouble about the train we sent
for one OF !as seow o tain that @
train would run, He said the train had been paid
for in part and there was no doubt of its running
at all, and when we sold the tickets to the pas
sengers we could assure them their trip, or their
money would be refunded. He also stated that
an arrangement had been made with the B. & O.
r, r. IN Washington to take the passengers
through to Philadelphia and Atlantic City. With
this we went to work and used our influence to
get all to go that we could wentto Charlottes-
Vile, got up crowd there and when the train
arrived we all got on board was soon request
ed by the conductor and Royal Racks, the gen.
on. Not knowing the arrangement, asked the
conductor how twas that had to pay on those
passengers, He said that the train had not been
paid for and that was the only way OF paying for
Washington. Just before we got there Smith
and myself were ordered by Rev. Mr.. Bell to go
to the baggage car and turn over our money
We went and they counted our tickets and we
Washington and the committee met in the Gal
lilean Fishermen Hall. Mr.; Bell stated that he
the train through. I thought very strange Of
Mr.. Bell, and the balance OF the committee on
q the sSad noe o1eg aa
near twice as many passengers as we did, but not
knowing their arrangements held my peace
the train would leave. He said he didn't know
whether it would go at all, and asked if could
loan any money towards it. told him did not
think had enough to take me through. Smith
pulled out all he had but one five cent piece
and loaned it to Bell. We then Went over to the
the excursion going through. He said that the
excursion was done away and every one that
wanted to go through would have to pay extra
began to question him father and he turned of
| from me and would not give me any satisfaction.
| Then my eyes began to flow with tears, thinking
| that was in such corrupt thing as that mad
| turned out to be. thought about how I work.
ed for the train and told passengers that would
assure them that the train would surely run
| through. 1 then wished that never had heard
of it, The extra charges on each ticket was 1921
| and it was stated that all who paid that might
| go through. good many paid extra and got
| their tickets, but when some OF our passengers
| went to get theirs, Bell asked them where they
| were from. They told him from Staunton. He
would not let them have one under S6,25 which
was regular fare. The passengers are here to
| speak for themselves and we have every right to
| Judge where the wrong is. I being one OF the
| committee asked what could go through for.
| He said 1928. Some of the Richmond committee
| said they would not go through. but noticed
when the train started they all got on board.
| did not want to go through after finding that a
| good many of our Staunton passengers would
| not go on because of not being willing to pay
| this money thought it was to my credit to
| stay with them or it might lead them to think
| the people OF Staunton and Charlottesville, will
not lay this charge to us as have stated the
fact that we did all we could to put the train
through. Some of the white gentlemen from
| Staunton came to me in Washington, and said
| you men from Staunton have acted the part OF
| gentleman, but the people here have gone BACK
| on you. 1 don't know whether we were wilfully
wronged out of our trip or whether it was neg
| lect on the part of the other committee. but I
have my opinion.
| WILLIAM. W. JOHNSON.