Los Angeles daily herald., 1888-02-19
RAILWAY GOSSIP.
Sights and sounds Along
the Rails.
THE EXCURSION BUSINESS.
The s. p. C0mpany's New Line
at San PedrO-A Man Killed
at Cambray-NOtes and
Personals.

The excursion ito this State has
been written about so much lately
that the subject has almost worn out,
and yet certain facts continually
come to the surface about it that are
worthy of notice. This is particularly
true Of this season, FIR so many ex-
ceptions to the experience Of the last
two or three years have taken place.
For instance, railway officials have
already likened the California tourists
traffic to the ebb and flow of the tide
in that there was always rush out
here before the holidays and rush
back East about February. But this
season very few of the tourists have
gone back home as yet, and there is
still great rush in this direction.
There are three interesting facts
that bear directly on the point. One
of them is the information telegraphed
to the Passenger Department of the
Southern Pacific Company on the 18th
from the officials of the Missouri
Pacific road to the effect that the
largest excursion party that over
travelled across the continent left St.
Louis the night of the 10th and Kansas
City last night for Southern California.
There will be about 1000 people in
the party. The train that will be re-
quired consists Of five baggage cars,
five day coaches, six excursion sleep
ing cars and twenty-eight Pullman
palace cars, making forty-five cars
altogether. The train will be run in
; two sections from st. Louis to Kansas
City, and at the latter place three
more sections will be made up, SO
that from Kansas City to Los Angeles
the train will be run in five different
sections. Special time will be made
over the Missouri Pacific to El Paso,
which place will be reached tonight.
A stop of one day will be made there,
and the Southern Pacific will bring
them on special time to this city.
The fare for the round trip is $50,
and it is the last excursion party, So
called, that any of the transconti-
mental roads will handle. This is
owing to the recent agreement Of the
Transcontinental Association. Before
that time people in the East could only
avail themselves of the $50 rate to
California on specified days, but the
agreement provided that the rate
should be raised to $50 and that any
one could avail himself at any time he
pleased, but in order to smooth the
conflicting interests of some of the
overland lines, an exception was made
to:the effect that after the enforcement
OF the $50 rate, viz, January 1st last,
the Missouri Pacific and the Burling-
ton and Missouri River roads should
each be allowed to run two excursions
to California at the $50 rate. Both
companies ran one of these excursions
lastjmonth, and this excursion is the
last one that the Missouri Pacific will
be permitted to run at the old rate.
The Burlington road will have a
right to run one more excursion at the
500 rate, and it left Kansas City and
Omaha Friday. 1t is understood that
it will also form quite a large party.
Another fact relating to this sea-
sons excursion traffic is that of the
great number of emigrant or second
class passengers who have come here,
many are going to stay permanently,
and the railroads are now bringing
west the household goods of a great
many people who have recently come
to Southern California on second-class
tickets. In some cases these trains
consisted OF sixteen and eighteen cars.
The way this household freight is be-
ing handled is to class it as "emigrant
moyables," and give the owners car
load rates. In no case, as a rule, does
the family effects of one emigrant
make carload, but three or four are
permitted to join together and fill the
car, and then pay proportionately the
freight charges. Most of this kind of
freight is being sent from Missouri,
Arkansas and Northern Texas.