Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1889-08-14
THE JUNKETING HOST
Thousands of Excursionists This Year
in Excess of Others.
ONE ROADS $1,000 TO ROCK POINT
How Some Of the Passenger Agents Com
ment and Explain.
PROSPERITY EVIDENTLY AT HIGH TIDE

that the excursion business from Pittsburg
has never been greater than now. So vast
is this traffic that the passenger agents are
at a loss to account for it.
Americans are essentially full of hustle
and activity, and it is, perhaps, only
natural that they should be keenly alive to
the necessity of relaxation; hence the popu-
larity of excursions. To ascertain how ex-
tensive this travel really is, calls were made
on the different passenger agents yesterday
by DISPATCH reporter, with the follow
ing interesting results:
A E. Clarke, General Passenger Agent
OF the Pittsburg and Lake Erie Railroad,
said: "Yes, our excursion business is very
satisfactory. We are not carrying as many
fishing clubs and excursion parties in bulk
as last year; but even that is made up for in
our increased rates. On the other hand, our
tourist business is at least Is per cent better
than it was last year. The excursions to
Aliquippa have, so far, not been up to our
expectations; but we expect them to be
much
BETTER DURING AUGUST.
"Chautauqua, Niagara Falls and the
lakes are our favorite resorts, and we car
ried 600 people to them on one excursion
last Saturday. On the whole, the excursion
traffic is up to our capacity"
Mr.. Anderson. of the Allegheny Valley,
was inclined to think that the excursion
business was never better than now. "Our
general business" said he, ''is from 10 to Is
per cent? better than in former years. Our
rates for fishing clubs are higher this year,
but other rates are about the same. do
not think the large contributions made to
the Johnstown people have affected our
traffic in the least. cannot account for the
large increase in our business, unless it is
owing to the general prosperity OF the peo-
pie The picnic business is, of course, the
chief source of our excursion revenue"
Mr.. Bassett, of the Pittsburg and West
ern Railroad, would not say, offhand, how
much better their business was this year
than formerly. "You know" said he, "that
the National convention in Chicago was in
our favor last year; but still think our re-
ceipts are from 10 to 10 per cent better than
season is that there is no rate cutting what
ever We had to contend against an i'm
mense amount of rain early in the season,
and with the very cool nights we have had
lately, and still business is better than it
was before. 1t is wonderful, sir; wonderful
"Atlantic City is the favorite resort on our
line," said the General Passenger Agent of
the Pennsylvania Railroad, "and we are
carrying great crowds there. Why, we
have already carried more people there in
the three excursions this year than we did
in four during 1888. We are
CARRYING THOUSANDS
to points along the jersey coast. We have
had to contend with bad weather and ether
disagreeable features; but our business is
better, at least 80 per cent, than it ever was
before"
The Fort Wayne has its share of the ex-
cursion patronage. Said one of the officials
of that company: 1--WE carry very few
through excursions, with the exception of
those to Cleveland; but we have 8, 900 miles
of road, and, you can easily understand,
quite number of picnicking lines along
the route. We have already carried 81, 900
people to Rock Point alone-more than
were carried all last year-and we expect
to run the number up to $1,000. Last year
the numerous campaign excursions aided
us, and, notwithstanding we have none of
them this year, and the numerous draw
backs we have had-rain, cold weather, the
Johnstown disaster, etc.-our business is
greatly in excess of what it was last year."
Quite an interesting talk was had with
E. d. Smith, Passenger Agent of the Balti-
more & Ohio railroad. When approached
by the reporter, he said: 1--WE were talking
among ourselves of the great increase in our
excursion traffic, and one explained it by
saying our city was growing, and trade was
booming with it. There are other causes.
One is the general prosperity, and the
other the education of different people in
regard to the excursion business. Formerly
the wealthier classes would buy season tick
cts on the different roads; now they see that,
as there are parlor cars on our excursion
trains, they cannot be crowded on them,
and are buying the popular excursion
tickets much cheaper. The consequence is,
the traffic is growing. Atlantic City is our
favorite resort. Last year we carried $500
there; this year we will take, at the lowest
calculation, 5000"