Los Angeles daily herald., 1886-03-07
THE RAILROAD WAR.
cut-Thront Rntcs--Livcly scenei
Around the offices.

| Cut-Thront Efntes--Efvciy Scenei
Around the offices.
The railroad war and its rate-cuttinI
was the topic Of conversation yesterday
amongst all classes. The excitsmen
during the morning was intense, owinl
to the circulation Of the news that lively
competition and cutting Of fares was il
progress at all of the offices Of the differ
ent railroad companies. When the re
port was circulated that the Southern
Pacific Railroad was selling tickets tt
X ansas City, Mo-, for 81. the rush tc
the offices was intense. From half-pasi
ten until four o'clock in the Afternoon
there was continuous pour Of purohas
ers OF tickets and hundreds Of people in
quiriug for information. At the offict
Of the California Southern, Atlantic 4
Pacific and Atchison, Topeka & Santa
Fs roads it kept four, and sometimes
Ave. men busy attending to the wants OF
pur chasers OF tickets. The Southern
Pacific sold but ten tickets at one dollar
through to Kansas City, when they
raised the tariff. The company soon
discovered they were cutting their own
throats on this basis of rates, as their
regular passenger traffic was getting too
great bulge and percentage ON the
company's welfare. Passengers to Col
ton and Mojave could at this rate pur-
chase their tickets for 81 to Kansas City,
lx.lI -,
places mentioned. and then sell their
tickets on arriving at destination. The
quotations Of tickets at both Offices to
all points East then stood as follows,
with but little variation throughout the
day: First class tiekets-Kansas City,
$40; Chicago, st. Louis and Cincinnati,
SIS; New York, $2S: Boston. $50
Third class--Kansas City, $8;. Chicago,
st. Louis and Cincinnati, SI3; New
York, S25; Boston, s27. The sale Of
both classes was ON par At the Cali
fornia Southern and Missouri roads
office purchasers Of tickets to all points
East had to deposit more than the
amount the ticket called for, but
the company rebate the overcharge
at Kansas City. The scenes in and
afOunu tue Onlcts Wcfe ht timcn 4uitc
interesting, the different characters and
their dress, poverty and wealth all mixed
up together, many SO seedy that one
would think they were too poor to buy a
meal, little more railroad ticket. The
different ridiculous questions asked af-
forded plenty OF amusement for the
lockers on. Even the young boys were
on the gu; vive, many asking when it
would be fifty cents. The bootblacks
were waiting for ten cent quotation
and preparing to leave at any rnoment.
Many thought the prices would reach 90
cents with a chrome thrown 10. but up
to q late hour no such prices were
quoted. The majority Of the people
that are taking advantage Of the low
rates are Californians who, like Eastern
people coming here, think they are EN-.
igrating to an Eldorado country. Hum
dreds are doubtless leaving with barely
sufficient money In their pockets to pay
for their food on the trip. Eighty per
cent. are not provided with suitable
olol hing for wintry cline, aud only
when they scent an Eastern blizzard
will they see the false step they have
made, and long for the mellow atmos-
phere OF California. Say the agents:
These cut-throat rates are detrimental
to the country rs well as to the people" "