Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1882-09-20
Nearly 100 Mile. by river for Ten Cents.

"To Albany for Ten Cents" is the startling
he ad-liue of an article in recent number of
the New York Sun, and what follows reads
Ike a revelation of a time that we all be-
lieyed very far in the dim future. 1t APP
pears that there is secret society known as
the "Sons of Columbia" which claims a
membership of 100000 throughout the
United States and $4,000 in the State of New
York, and this society has started the
columbian Line" of Hudson river steamers
for the purpose of testing show low.fares for
water transportation can most safely be
made, and whether there is any such thing
monopoly applied to docks and land
ings" The Americas is already running be-
tween New York and Albany, and the fare is
what the Sun announces it to be. Walter III.
Shupe, manager OF the Columbian Line, says:
ave claim, by advice of counsel, that we
have the right to land at any wharf that
forms a connection between the river and
any common highway upon paying wharfage,
and for demonstration of that right
we propose TO land at snv wharf
that our business requires. All our measures
have been long in contemplation, and
in everything we are controlled by the adj
vice of eminent counsel. In Washington
our lawyers permanently retained are Judge
Jere S. Black, Judge BARLEY, formerly of
Ohio, and General Benz F. Butler. In New
York Messrs. Ewing & Southland are our
counsel. We first chartered The Shady Side,
and the last day her che took in
$32 70 over her expenses. To-day we start
ed the American, which has a capacity OF
1900 passengers, and we are confident of get
ting 1000 at each trip. We can also carry
5000 worth of light freight, even at Our very
low rates. Within ten days we will open
another line between Albany and New York,
TO run until the close of navigation. The
rate OF fare will probably be ten cents for
any distance on the line. We will put on
two boats, probably the Grand Republic and
the City of Richmond. On each trip we
may confidently expect 10 carry 1900,
and we can hardly have much difficulty
in getting $50 tons of freight each way,
when We will carry it for 81 per ton, or very
closely thereto. If these experiments this fall
prove successful we shall, soon as nayi.
cation closes, organize two more such sys-
lens, one line of steamers to ply on the
Mississippi river from New Orleans to the
head OF navigation, the other from Buffalo
to the upper lakes. What rates Of freight
and fare will be charged upon them we can
not, of course, now cay, as they will depend
upon much nice calculation of expense and
the advice of experienced practical men who
are working with w. But they will be a
percentage of the present charges. On Mon
day next we will open an office for the sale
of tickets over the Baltimore and Ohio rail-
road, and will call upon all Sons of Columbia
to patronlze that road to the exclusion OF all
others wherever its line will permit them to
do so. The reason that we haze selected
that road is that we have reasoR<to believe
that they will be willing to make US such
concessions as no other road will grant,
Whatever reduction we get we will give the
benefit Of to the public entirely, as the whole
expense of maintaining the Office will be
borne by the friends of the order. Suppose
we only get at first the ordinary ticket
sellers commission, We will give that te the
public on every ticket we sell. When we
demonstrate TO the company that we have
the power 10 control, say 1000 travellers per
diem, it will be only reasonable they shall
give us better rates. The enterprise is GER
tainly a novel one, and if the objects are
what ia claimed, then It will no doubt meet
with the best wishes Of the entire commune
ty. The trouble with enterprises of this sort
heretofore has been, however, that when all
the other lines were driven away, and COM
petition was at an end, the Champions of low
fares made no scruple of charging twice "a
much as the old lines, and so :compensating
themselves for their abstemiousness pre-
Yiously.