Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1878-09-14
4 COMPLIANT EXPLAINED.
The Efforts Of the st. Paul & Pacific Roa
to Aid and Please the Multitude.

Since the closing of the two great fairs,
one at st. Paul and the other at Minneapolis,
Two or three attacks have been made on the
management of the St. Paul & Pacific rail
road, charging discrimination, bad manage
ment and extortion. The Minneapolis
Tribune led off in this warfare, but the an
linus of it's rawlings being understood and
properly appreciated, it was not thought
worth while to meet and refute the charges.
Its rawlings having, however, been aped in
other quarters, but if possible in a more
malicious form, and with covert reflections
upon st. Paul, it appeared proper that
the GLOBE should investigate the charges
and give the facts. :. 49,
One of the charges made by the Minneap-
oils Tribune, and enlarged upon by the De-
lano Eagle, is that the railroad company
compelled parties purchasing tickets at the
low rates advertised for fair week-one-half
the usual price-to also purchase an admis-
sion to the State fair. The facts are these:
It becoming evident weeks before the fair
was held that there was to be the greatest
rush of human beings to st. Paul and Min
neapolis known in the histories of similar ex-
hlbitions, President Finch of the State society,
with view to simplifying ticket selling,
and to save purchasers trouble as far as pos
sible, requesting the railroad companies run
ming to st. Paul to sell tickets admitting to
the fair grounds with their round trip pas.
sage tickets. With other railroad companies
the st. Paul & Pacific acceded to this re-
quest. Mr.. King, managing the Minneapo-
lis exposition, was promptly notified of this
arrangement, and agreeably thereto comb
nation railroad passage and free admission
tickets were placed on sale at the different
stations OF the company. In the comb
nation tickets no discrimination was
made between st. Paul or Minneapolis, the
purchaser designating the point to which he
desired to go. The purchase of q fair ad
mission ticket was not intended by the com
pany to be obligatory il order
to receive the benefit of the reduced
rates. and at only one station, Willmar
where the agent misunderstood his instruc
tons, was such obligation imposed
Another charge made against the compan,
is want of foresight in preparing for the de
mands to be made upon their trans
portation facilities, and indifference
and bad management when Til
rush came. This particularly refers tt
Ihursday-the Presidents day-on whicl
day, as is now authoritatively known, up
wards of $4,000 people visited the fai
grounds, seven-tenths of whom at low es
innate lad to be moved by the railroad, an,
that over single track line with seventy cd,
trains passing over the line for portion O
the misunderstanding nothing about engine
going to and from the round house ever
day. No one needs to be told that at sue
places everybody wants to leave the ground
about the same time. Everybody did Thurs
, day. The rush was tremendous, and thou
sands were left when the last regularly ad
vertised train had left the grounds
But the company had taken tn
precaution to let every one of the i'm
mense crowd know, as far as possible, tina
extras would be run until all were conveye
to the city by posting bills all over tn
grounds, and 80 stating, and by continual
3 announcing it through the crowd And til
company did as they promised.
Such the GLOBE believes to be, after
Thorough investigation, the plain facts
4 the case. And the GLOBE believes furthe,
that instead of the company being properl
: subject to abuse for its course in connectio
with the fair, it is entitled to prais
for the iberality of its rate
and energy shown in endeavoring to give th
8 neapolis that week. 10 make the rnnnin
arrangements it did, the work of construt
4 ton, most Important matter, had to /
); suspended, and the entire transportatio
;; business of the two lines greatly interfere
}; with, at serious Inconvenience and loss. II
y tickets were placed within the reach of al
T and comfortable trains and accommodation
officials were placed in charge. In shor
: the road for one week was run for the a,
commodation and pleasure of the peop
living along its lines. When, added to th
above, it can be truthfully stated that th
: immense throngs were transported to an
, from their homes, and to and from the fa
! grounds. without single person being il
Jured, common fairness will agree with til
1 GLOBE verdict that the company is entitle
to the thanks of the community rather tina
its censure.